The Malaysian Insight

PLAYING the waiting game and giving up on their “dream wedding”, couples who said “I do” last year are sharing their experience to encourage soon-to-wed couples.

Newlyweds told The Malaysian Insight that their nuptials during the unprecedented time have taught them to embrace the necessary and to understand the significance of love and marriage.  

The Covid-19 pandemic stopped large gatherings all-year-round in the nation and at times, no gathering was permitted at all.

“In hindsight, we are glad we held a small-scale wedding compared to our original plan of inviting 300 guests,” said Galilee Kuan Li Vin, 30, an accounts and administrative assistant who got married to Justin Ooi Han-Juan on July 11.

“Financially speaking, we were able to manage it much better. The smaller scale also meant more quality time and meaningful conversations with your guests.”

“And instead of spending time and energy planning the wedding, we used those to set up our new home,” Kuan said.

Safwana Afiqah Mahmood, 28, said she’s just thankful to be able to wed on August 8.

“We had two ceremonies for my husband’s (Zaim Aiman Ibrahim) and my side.

“Some had to postpone or get married in the office, while I got to married on the set date and at the surau. Although not all of our family members attended, it went smoothly,” the executive said.

The only hiccup they faced is the caterer’s refusal to return the RM8,000 deposit.

“So, we had to stick with them. They also declined to reduce the price despite the smaller crowd.”

Nevertheless, the couple managed to save on overall expenses and channelled funds to buy household necessities.

Many couples also livestreamed their ceremonies to include a bigger audience on their special day.

It was tough to decide on the invitations because of the limited seating capacity, said Reuben Gen Yinn Bing, 26.

The pastor and his wife, Deborah Ngor Zhuang Xin, said the livestream brought together their family and friends.

“We appreciated the many talented and committed friends who helped us with different areas of our wedding ceremony, such as the role of a personal assistant, photographer, emcee and so on.”

When asked about the biggest obstacle leading to their big day on December 19, Gen said everything depended on the SOP (standard operating procedure).

Changing SOP

Instead of planning a typical wedding, another couple’s preparations revolved around the SOP.

The pre-wedding shoot for Kanesh Varmaa, 30, a sales consultant and  Chan Kay Lynn, was postponed several times from March, until it finally took place in July when the movement control eased up.

“A lot of venues were not open to hosting our wedding on August 8, so we booked a condominium and celebrated only among immediate family members.

“My wife had to let go of her dream wedding of having the ceremony in a nice chapel with friends around to cheer her as she walked down the aisle.”

They were caught up with the uncertainties as the government’s SOP was vague.

“The marriage registrar office was closed and they revoked the licences from religious bodies to conduct our marriage registration.  

“This was not communicated clearly and we had to run around while discovering new dos and don’ts.

“During the initial days of planning, we wanted a perfect wedding. Sometimes, even to outdo other friends’ programmes as it became like an unspoken competition.

“The journey slowed down our pace and helped us appreciate and enjoy each other’s presence and love,” Kanesh added.

Nur Syafiqah Ali, 26, also faced problems with the ever-changing SOP when she married Dr Muhamad Azrul Amran on December 14.

“It was especially hard to secure a date from the religious office since the solemnisation is not allowed at home nor the mosque in a red zone (Banting, Selangor).”

Complicating things further is the fact that Azrul is also an army doctor.

“It was not easy for everyone to apply for leave and the solemnisation only requires a short five-minute session to validate the submitted documents.

“We dated for seven years and we finally tied the knot. It is still surreal. And though our wedding is a small one, it was intimate and worth it.”  – January 21, 2021.