My sister's Wedding - Malay@Muslim Wedding Tradition (Akad Nikah ceremony)

Hello everyone. It's been a very busy weeks and I don't have a chance to blog-walking and not even writing stuffs here. It's Eid celebration (last 30th Aug) and also my 2nd sister's wedding on the 31th Aug. Really, it's a very tired day yet a very happy day to us.

Me and the bride, my sister.

Here, I won't write about what happened on that day because my sister already wrote them in her blog here for the akad nikah event. But, as requested by my dad (since some of our overseas relatives especially from my dad's side from Philippines whom aren't really familiar with Malay wedding traditions), I'm about to explain briefly hows Malay wedding goes

Okay, Malay culture are traced mostly from Muslim traditions (but still some are traced from other traditions like Indian, Chinese and ancient beliefs). The real wedding for Malays is quite complex but since my family aren't pure Malay (my mom from Indonesian Malay and my dad from Philippines), we try to make it simple yet still following the Muslim guidelines.

As other belief and religion, each couples will get a bless and vows for their wedding. In Malay/Muslim, we call it as Akad Nikah. During the akad nikah, there must be two witnesses (two adult males or two adult male with two adult females) and Wali (bride's father or male relative on the bride's father side).

Preparing and practicing the vows. This is the most important and excited moment. The bride and groom might be sweating or shaking during this ceremony over the vow! I don't know how it exactly like, but for sure it's really-really scary!

That's the sweating bride with white veil sitting nearby the stage with the bride's mom (my mom of course) to the company the shaking bride.

The sweating bride with the mother and the aunt.

The vows will be declared by the groom with the witnesses of the wali and the witnesses. Once the wali and the witnesses agreed with the vow, the bride and the groom will be officially married with blessed.

I took this from the staircase. That's the groom (with black songkok/hat) with the Imam  (with white kopiah/hat) and my dad as the wali (on purple) next to the Imam. The witnesses are the one with green and the other one whom next to the green one.

Old folk beliefs that during the akad nikah, all the single or un-married girls cannot sit nearby the ceremony because it might confusing or mis-vowed the groom! Blahahah!


After the akad nikah and the vows successes, it is now the couple officially married and declared as husband and wife.

The do'a to thank the successive ceremony and... 

"You may now kiss your bride!"

No bride and groom without family blesses. Then, the newly wed couple will salam their parents and old relatives for the blessings.

The bride salam her new mother-in-law for the blessing

The groom salam his new mother-in-law (my mom of course) for the blessing

The bride hug her mom (my mom of course) for the emotional feelings and blessing.

And that's the emotional bride's mother (my mom of course).

After the emotional blessing ceremony, the newly bride and groom need to complete their marriage certificate. Like signing and certifying the certs and all the stuffs.

Signing the marriage certificate

and the do'a again.

Every happy new bride will always get a very precious gift from the groom. We call it as Mahar. Mahar is something precious from the groom for the bride that no one can have from any part of it. Which  mean only the bride can use the mahar. Usually, the groom will give a money, but for my sister; her husband gave him a gold necklace as the mahar (of course we cannot share this necklace!) along with a couple wristwatches for them both and also the Quran.

That's the gifts and the newly wed couple.

Close up with the gifts.

Time to put on the necklace.

After the important events successfully done, photography session will take place at the same time meal served for everyone.

Everybody wont miss to take a piece or two photos on the stage. Whoever can have a pose on it especially with the newly wed couple. But of course, family photo will be the first one.

Our new family photo.

Kids and the charming prince and princess.

My sister with our cousin.

That's me with cousins and sister.

Kids, kids and kids... Our cousins and nieces.

Married and wannabe's

Wannabe no. 1,

Wannabe no. 2,

Wannabe no. 3, geez!

The makan-makan

and the family gathering with gossips

So that's the brief explanation for my sister's akad nikah ceremony. We held is simply yet memorable. I am sorry for any misspelled and wrong grammars.


I will write more about the bertingkuang event and the making of the event soon. Thanks for reading. Feel free to drop any question if you have anything on your mind.

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