a WEDDING – part 2

Beautiful morning for all of us. The sun was shining brightly when we come to the wedding ceremony will take place. We brought our son as grooms together with our family, relatives and friends who deliberately want to witness the marriage ceremony of our son. behind us is a couple of youngsters, the boy is carrying Mahar (dowry) and the girl is carrying Cincin (wedding rings) and the rest of the group are carrying gifts packages for the bride and baskets of food, pastries and fruits as complementary.

The procession started with a welcome ceremony held at the bride’s parents residence. We were picked up by a “Lengser”, a man in a funny costume and a group of pretty dancers, telling us that our arrival is welcome and had been waited for long by the bride’s family, then he lead us entering the house yard to meet the bride’s family after the dancers.

SEREN-SUMEREN

The parents release the groom and surrender him to the bride’s parents. This is the first ceremonial step toward the wedding in which the groom’s parents uttering their purpose of the visit as to whether their son’s intention to marry their daughter is accepted.

A short debate (Questions & Answers) started between both of the parents before obtaining the “OK” answer from the bride’s parents and then the groom’s father surrender him to the bride’s parent for wedding execution. The groom was welcome by the bride’s mother, draping the flowers arrangement on the groom’s shoulders and leads him to the place where the wedding will take place.

The wedding ceremony was executed under the Islamic rules with a short recitation of Holy Book “Al Qur’an” as the opening and followed by the marriage ceremony in front of a “Penghulu” (an Official from Religious affairs). After the couple is legally stated and blessed as husband and wife, the groom surrenders the dowry, then exchange the rings as an engagement.

SUNGKEMAN

Soon after, the couple meet their parents for “Sungkeman”(the bride and groom kneel to their parents) for blessing followed by congratulations from the family, relatives, and friends who present in the ceremony and after all, they are invited to enjoy the meals before witnessing the following traditional ceremonies.

To be continued . . .