Another Wedding in the Family

This month, another nephew married his sweetheart. However, their marriage was solemnised last month in the UK where she was working. They returned to Malaysia to host their wedding dinner and to have the tea ceremony, which all Chinese families regard as mandatory.

Ivan Tan’s wedding was very different from Adrian Liew’s. He had the main tea ceremony in his family home a week earlier, before the wedding dinner, instead of on the same afternoon. For those, like me, who missed the earlier tea ceremony, a short one was held in one of the hotel function rooms, so that the bridal couple could serve tea to the relatives who were unable to attend the earlier one.

                                                         Ivan receiving his Ang Pau

The wedding dinner was held in the grand ballroom of a 5-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

                                                Ivan & Crystal entering the Ballroom
         
The venue was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers. Each table centrepiece was a huge arrangement of fresh flowers, in a pink and white theme.

                                                             My sister & I with spouse

The main table had huge floral arrangements.

                                                             Main Table Centerpiece

A live band entertained us throughout the dinner which was individually served, course by course. Thus, dinner did not end before 11 p.m.  Take a look at the menu!!

                                                            Wedding Dinner Menu

                                                       Dessert- The Strawberry Garden

As usual, friends and relatives caught up with one another on this occasion and everyone had a good time.

                                                                Siblings and spouses

                                                         My sisters- Left is Ivan's mum.

                                                      Center: my beautiful niece Sunitha

Chinese Weddings

Weddings in the family are events to look forward to and these occasions enable family from far and near to gather together. My nephew Adrian married his dream girl Cheryl in May this year and it was such a romantic wedding, held at a very old church, St. Andrew's Church.

All his cousins, family and friends came from different countries to celebrate his Big Day. The wedding was very well-planned and everything went smoothly.

Photographs were taken together with the bride and groom. The family photograph of his aunts and uncles and the photograph of his cousins and their children show what a big family we are.

Together with aunts and uncles

                                               Together with cousins and their children

No Chinese wedding is complete without the tea ceremony. This is where the bridal couple serve tea to the parents and relatives as a mark of respect. Accepting the cup of tea means acceptance into the family. Ang Pau and jewellery are given to the bride and groom after drinking the tea.

In the evening a big dinner is held and it is usually a 8 or 9 course banquet and drinks flow freely, red wine, brandy and whisky. Chinese tea is readily available for those who don’t drink.
The toast of “Yum Seng” is always dragged out over a couple of minutes or longer and everyone joins in the merry making, shouting “Yum….m…m….m….mm… Seng” as loudly as possible!

The venue for Adrian’s dinner was the Glass House and it was beautifully decorated making the guests feel that they were in a garden. The lights and the ambience made one feel as if one were in fairyland.

                                                       
We enjoyed the wedding dinner, catching up with relatives whom we had not seen for a long time. Geographical location, the rush of life and work, etc. connive to make meeting up, rare occasions. So, weddings are happy events where everyone gets to see everyone else in the extended family, chatting, eating, drinking and of course, taking photographs!

To Adrian & Cheryl, may you both have a Happily Ever After while in Chinese we say, “Pak Tau Toh Lo” (Together until Silver-haired).