As Time Goes By: Another Destination Wedding

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Another Destination Wedding

It was a really beautiful wedding. It gives me so much happiness and joy to see two people so in love with each other. This is the second destination wedding I have attended, the first one was my cousin's wedding in Malta, and coincidentally, both are on the same date - 7 July. Just five years back, I went to Malta to attend another beautiful wedding of two people so in love and right for each other, and now five years later, I am so grateful to be part of another beautiful wedding!

My friend's mother-in-law and I left the hotel and went to her place early in the morning, where she had engaged a makeup artist to do our makeup and hair. While making up, the photography team was busy snapping away! Her aunt bought us some Sarawak kolok mee for breakfast, so we took a break in between to eat, before continuing with our makeup.

Soon we were dressed and the makeup was done. The parents of the bride then came in and did the traditional veiling of the bride, after which we posed for a few more photos before getting into the bridal car and going to the church. Along the way, the wedding coordinator called and told us we were late, which we were, and the priest was getting unhappy as he had reminded us to be early during the rehearsal two days ago.

By the time we reached the church, most of the guests were seated and waiting. We had to quickly get the flowers girls to be ready and get in line for the march-in. Since I was the maid-of-honour, I had to assist the bride every step of the way. Hence I did not take any photos of the church wedding in the morning, but it was a real honour walking down the aisle before the bride. Now I know how the bride actually feels like when she walks down the aisle to meet her waiting groom.

The church ceremony was over in about an hour. It was really meaningful when the bridal couple exchanged their vows, and when one look at them, they cannot help but feel both are really meant to be together. That is what true love is!

After the ceremony, there was more photo-taking, and then the guests proceeded to the back of the church for a small reception. Then we all left for the restaurant. I had to change out of my gown into my second gown, while the bride changed her makeup and hair. Around noon, we were read for the tea ceremony, which was held at one of the function rooms in the church.

During the tea ceremony, I felt like an "octopus", as I needed many hands to bring the tea to the bridal couple, collect the red packets and gifts given to them, recorded down the names of the relatives and carried all the gifts and red packets along with me! It was a mighty responsible task indeed!

After the tea ceremony, the bride went to change again, and I went to help out at the reception counter. Finally, around one in the afternoon, we were all ushered in and lunch began after the bride and groom marched in to the instrumental tune of "A Thousand Years", incidentally one of the favourite songs!

I managed to take photos of the lunch reception at the restaurant in Miri. The food was good, the ambience was good, and the ballroom is pretty big too! And did I mention the price is much cheaper than if one is to have a wedding held in Singapore in a similar restaurant and ballroom? I do not mean the price being cheaper due to the Ringgit-Dollar conversion, but it is really much cheaper overall, as the same reception can probably cost three times the amount here in comparison!