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June weddings

June is the month for weddings and invitations in my letter box prove this.

The popularity of June weddings is a global phenomenon.

According to Lesley-Ann Graham, author of WeddingTrix.com, June weddings trace their roots to ancient Rome "when couples would marry in June in observance of Juno, the goddess of marriage". It was thought that the goddess would give her blessing to each married pair.

But there are also "practical reasons for getting married in June" such as nice weather and school breaks.

June weddings are also fashionable in Malaysia where schools take a short break in June and the half-term holiday allows Malaysian parents to plan for their older children's weddings with a lot less hassle than holding them during non-vacation time.

Wedding invitations inundated my mail box this month but I could only attend one. Most painfully, I could not be present at Koh Soo Ling's wedding reception. Soo Ling, if you recall, writes for New Sunday Times and Learning Curve, an education pull-out of the New Sunday Times.

I took the photos below at the Malay wedding ceremony of Fatin and Fattah in Ipoh, Perak. Fatin is my friend's daughter. I am sorry I did not take a picture of the bride and groom; the pair disappeared as soon as the reception ended.

I love the colour combination of this wedding cake.

The baker has an eye for detail.

The traditional bunga telor, a gift for guests, faces extinction if substitutes such as sweets and books continue to gain acceptance. I hope not. Long live the bunga telor.

Shamsiah Daud, mother of the bride, strikes a pose in the bridal chamber.

Songket material turns the bride's costume into an elegant wedding outfit.

A room in Shamsiah's house was turned into a bridal chamber for the newly-wed.

The love seat is for the couple to sit during the bersanding ceremony. 
Labels:
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Comments

justmytwocents said…
It's really great that you covered this topic as wedding is a celebration of union and regardless of where it's held, several similarities of traditional aspects or details remain such as bunga telur and love seat. Having an elaborately decorated cake was a once-western-element that's now commonly seen in many Malay weddings tailored for a more modern finish. I wish you could include on what was served for the guests and more importantly the lovebirds. Just the thought of eating rendang tok with nasi minyak makes my mouth water! :-)
2 July 2010 at 00:56
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