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9 Petua Naikkan Seri Wajah Untuk Bakal Pengantin
Tips Perkahwinan: 9 Petua Naikkan Seri Wajah Untuk Bakal Pengantin
Pada hari perkahwinan, pastinya pengantin menginginkan keserian muka terserlah. Ketahui tips berguna bagi mendapatkan hasil yang baik pada hari bahagia anda.
Eh, kenapa suram benar muka pengantin tu? Muka nampak penat je – Mak Cik Leha
Whops! Apa perasaan anda kalau tetamu yang hadir majlis resepsi anda, dan terdengar pula mereka memberi komen sebegini? Muka penat? Suram? Oh sedihnya hati! Siapa yang mahu di hari bahagia mereka tampak suram tidak bermaya, meskipun untuk menyediakan kesempurnaan majlis memenatkan badan, tapi mestilah paling utama pengantin ingin tampak berseri dan menawan di hari bahagia.
Jangan bimbang sayangku sekalian, kerana admin akan kongsi petua-petua serta tips moden dan tradisional yang boleh anda semua amalkan untuk tampak manis jelita serta berseri-seri di hari bahagia.
Petua tradisional
1) 44 hari sebelum menjelang hari bahagia
Kata orang, petua ini amat bagus. Hasilnya jika anda amalkan, keserian wajah insyaAllah akan berpanjangan. Petua pertama adalah dengan mengamalkan diri memakan kelopak-kelopak bunga mawar setiap hari. Caranya adalah dengan mengambil segelas air kosong (air putih) dan baca bismillah serta selawat ke atas Nabi, dan seterusnya anda makan kelopak-kelopak bunga mawar tersebut. Jadikan petua ini amalan anda untuk tampak berseri setiap masa.
2) 30 hari sebelum menjelang hari bahagia
Ambil segenggam daun sireh yang besar saiznya dan rebuskan di dalam air putih sehinggalah warna air berubah kehijauan. Selepas itu, ada gunakan air rebusan itu tadi untuk mencuci wajah anda. Biarkan air tersebut seketika di muka, kemudian bilaskan dengan air sejuk. Kelebihan air rebusan ini dilihat dapat mengelakkan pertumbuhan jerawat atau ruam-ruam kecil di muka, seterusnya menaikkan seri wajah. Info tambahan, air rebusan sireh ini juga berfungsi sebagai “Feminine Hygiene Cleanser” yang sangat baik juga.
3) Timun sebagai eyemask
Seperti sedia maklum bahawa timun mempunyai khasiat yang sangat bagus, di samping sejuk. Jadi anda hiriskan timun, jangan terlalu tebal dan jangan juga terlalu nipis. Tekapkan di mata anda dengan hirisan timun itu tadi selama 30 minit, kemudian basuh muka dengan air suam. Petua ini membantu menghilangkan lebam di bawah mata (eyebag) akibat tidur lewat atau mata penat serta membantu anda menghilangkan mata rasa lesu dan letih. Oh hirisan timun ini juga berupaya untuk menegangkan otot bawah mata! Bagus bukan?
4) Lobak sebagai masker muka
Lobak yang kaya dengan vitamin E yang dipercayai membantu untuk menghilangkan parut muka serta membantu menaikkan seri wajah. Paling utama, ia juga dalam melembapkan kulit wajah anda. Caranya adalah dengan parutkan lobak dan ratakan pada wajah seperti mask. Biarkan 30 minit kemudian bilas dengan air suam.
5) Air kelapa tua membantu melembapkan wajah
Wajah yang kering dan kusam akan perlihatkan kita seperti sakit. Oleh itu, bagi anda yang mempunyai masa lapang, cari kelapa tua, dan ambil airnya. Amalkan basuh muka anda menggunakan air kelapa tua itu tadi, biarkan selama 10 minit sebelum bilas dengan air bersih. Jadikan ini amalan, anda pasti peroleh kulit muka yang lembap berseri!
Petua moden
1) Tidur yang secukupnya
Cuba untuk dapatkan tidur yang secukupnya sebelum menjelang hari bahagia supaya badan sihat dan lebih bertenaga. Elakkan juga bangun lewat kerana seri wajah akan hilang jika anda bangun lewat! Bangun seawal 6 pagi. Amalkan mandi sebelum anda mengerjakan solat subuh, dan sesudah solat, luangkan masa melakukan senaman pagi 5-10 minit menghirup udara pagi. Paling utama, pastikan tidur anda 6-7jam setiap hari!
2) Luang masa di pusat rawatan kecantikan
Seminggu sebelum menjelang hari bahagia, luangkan masa di pusat rawatan kecantikan. Belanja lah lebih sedikit untuk tampak manis berseri di hari bahagia. Lakukan rawatan muka, badan serta pergi ke salon untuk mendapatkan rawatan rambut agar tampak sihat dan bermaya di hari bahagia anda!
3) Minum air putih 8 gelas atau 2 liter setiap hari
Admin kelaskan minum air putih sebagai petua moden kerana admin percaya petua ini tidak makan dek zaman. Pastikan anda minum segelas air selepas bangun dari tidur, sebelum mandi (gosok gigi) jangan tidak tahu ya pembaca sekalian, kerana air ini boleh membantu mencuci dalaman anda serta membantu melancarkan perjalanan darah yang juga dipercayai membantu menaikkan seri wajah anda. Tips menarik untuk dikongsi bersama anda adalah pastikan anda minum air putih (air suam) dalam keadaan duduk. Mengikut sunnah nabi, dengan cara melihat terlebih dahulu air di dalam gelas, bacakan bismillah, selawat ke atas Nabi dan minum dalam keadaan duduk. Menurut sains, dengan minum secara duduk sebenarnya membantu usus kita berkerja kerana jika anda minum dalam keadaan berdiri, dipercayai sebenarnya usus anda berada di dalam keadaan tersekat atau tersumbat. Hal ini kerana terdapat lubang yang ditutup ketika kita berdiri yang membantut urusan ‘kerja’ usus kita.
4) Ambil supplement untuk pemberi tenaga
Pengambilan supplement atau minuman tambahan amatlah digalakkan bagi membantu anda mendapatkan tenaga yang diperlukan. Lebih lebih lagi dalam menyediakan persiapan hari bahagia, pastinya anda memerlukan tenaga tambahan. Kerana pastinya hari anda penat, jadi dengan pengambilan supplement di samping memberikan tenaga, turut menyumbang menyerikan lagi wajah manis anda. Dapatkan supplement yang bersesuaian di farmasi berdekatan!
Petua-petua ini admin peroleh hasil daripada temubual dan kaji selidik yang admin lakukan. Meskipun banyak rawatan moden, tetapi jangan dilupakan terus rawatan atau petua tradisional. Mana datangnya sekarang kalau tidak ada yang dahulu. Kan? Selamat mencuba sayang sekalian!
Jom cantik cantik menjelah hari bahagia.
Wedding planner nabbed for allegedly cheating 100 couples
Compiled by HANIS ZAINAL and ALLISON LAI
A WEDDING planner from Klang was detained for two days after being accused of cheating about 100 couples out of RM 497,000, Kosmo! reported.
A remand order was issued against the 35-year-old suspect by magistrate S. Nisha in Klang.
Klang Selatan district police chief Asst Comm Shamsul Amar Ramli said the suspect was arrested at 4.20pm on Wednesday following a report from a victim, who said the wedding planner had closed shop on Tuesday and could not be contacted.
He said the victim claimed that RM7,000 had been paid to the suspect for a wedding in October.
The daily reported earlier that the 100 victims went to the wedding planner’s office together on Monday to demand an explanation for unfulfilled promises regarding catering, dais and wedding photos.
> The daily also reported that two robbers walked away with only RM20 from a restaurant in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
The robbers, however, caused about RM3,000 worth of damage during the incident at about 4am on Thursday, said district police chief Deputy Supt Lee Chong Chern.
“The robbery was discovered by a worker who came early to open the restaurant and was shocked to find the premises in a mess.
“The worker then checked the CCTV and saw two men escaping with the cash register,” said DSP Lee.
Police believe the robbers pried open the door to enter the restaurant, based on marks left on the door.
> Actor Fizo Omar said he and his wife, Mawar Abdul Karim, were open to sharing her history of gynaecological issues with the public, reported Berita Harian.
The actor, whose full name is Wan Hafizol Wan Omar, said he was not ashamed when their gynaecologist Dr Hamid Arshat revealed the reasons behind Mawar’s difficulty in getting pregnant.
“At first I didn’t want to share the details. But when I thought about it, I realised that it can be used to educate the public,” said the 32-year old, adding that he believes there were other couples facing the same problem.
“They might not realise they might have issues conceiving because of several factors they don’t know about,” he said.
He said Mawar, 28, who became pregnant on May 16, was suffering from endometriosis, a condition which affects a woman’s reproductive organs, and had undergone treatment last year.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/02/wedding-planner-nabbed-for-allegedly-cheating-100-couples/#lOfwoKOGK0AyfeBB.99
Couple say runaway wedding planner disappeared with $17k deposit and gifts
After dating for three years and saving for a year, they were finally ready to get married.
But a week before their big day, their wedding planner allegedly fled with a deposit of $17,000 and a tray full of wedding gifts which included shoes, wallets and watches.
Madam Syafiqah Salleh, 23, and Mr Jumali Majuri, 25, weren’t the only ones allegedly cheated by the wedding planner – three other couples were also left in the lurch.
Newlyweds Syafiqah and Jumali engaged the services of Urbane Wedding Concept in September 2014 after visiting a bridal fair at the Singapore Expo.
The wedding planners, Madam Noorsidah A. Rahim and her husband, had suggested a package with a combined reception for about $22,000.
The couple agreed.
Madam Syafiqah, a process technician, told The New Paper that the first sign of trouble came when the invitation cards were sent out late.
She said: “It was scheduled to be out by last November but it was ready only on Dec 26, less than a month before our wedding.
“After they sent out the invitation cards, they also took the wedding gifts we bought for each other for gift-wrapping.”
The wedding gifts, worth more than $1,000, were supposed to be ceremoniously exchanged between the bride and the groom.
On Jan 8, the couple were scheduled for their final fitting but their wedding planners didn’t turn up.
Madam Syafiqah said: “One day before the fitting, I texted them to ask about the details of the fitting but I didn’t receive any reply. I tried calling but no one picked up.
“At that point, I knew something was wrong. My husband called, texted, sent them Facebook messages and e-mailed them but they were gone without a trace.”
In an attempt to retrieve their wedding gifts and deposit, Mr Jumali, a production technician, also went to the bridal company’s registered address at 66, Tannery Lane.
It was vacant.
“I broke down. I worked a lot of overtime just to get the money and it was all gone,” said Madam Syafiqah.
With a week left to the wedding, the couple’s family contributed money and food to help out with last-minute preparations. They also engaged the services of A.R Ruhana Creations to help out with the food catering and decorations.
Mr Jumali said: “I left most of the decision making for the wedding to my wife. But when (this happened), I quickly engaged another bridal company because we didn’t have time to waste.”
The wedding ceremony was held at the void deck of Block 745, Jurong West Street 73, on Jan 17.
“I was so happy that the wedding turned out better than I expected. I am utterly grateful to my family and my husband,” said Madam Syafiqah.
Another couple who were supposed to wed on the same day suffered the same fate.
Berita Harian reported on Feb 1 that Mr Husni Mubarak Kamaruddin, 27, and Madam Nurshila Mansoor, 26, had paid Urbane Wedding Concept $33,000 and handed over wedding gifts worth $2,800.
Like Madam Syafiqah, Mr Husni was also scheduled for a fitting on Jan 5 but the wedding planner did not show up.
The couple engaged another bridal company just a week before their big day to help out with final preparations.
LESSON
Madam Syafiqah hopes the incident will be a lesson for other couples.
“It’s hard to differentiate wedding planners whom you cannot trust from the ones you can,” she said.
“But just be wary of the ones who are not punctual in fulfilling their promises.”
Both couples have reported the matter to the police and the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).
Case told TNP it received three complaints – including from the two couples – about the company last month.
An online search with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority revealed that Urbane Wedding Concept was registered on Jan 9, 2012.
But its licence expired on Jan 9 this year. The status of the business was listed as “live”.
When TNP visited the company’s registered address at Sindo industrial building on Feb 2, the unit had already been occupied by another tenant. Other tenants occupying units on the same floor were not even aware that there was a bridal company in the building.
A security guard, who declined to be named, said the couple who ran the business had moved out from the unit about six months ago for unknown reasons.
Madam Noorsidah’s flat at Bedok South also appeared to be vacant as flyers littered the gate.
A neighbour, who declined to be named, said he had not seen the couple for about two months.
“Just two weeks ago, there were four people knocking on my door, looking for them,” he said.
“The couple don’t usually mingle with the neighbours, so none of us know where they went.”
Tunku Aminah’s Wedding, A Timely Reminder To Preserve Malay Traditions
Details Published on Friday, 11 August 2017 08:30 Written by Hana Maher
We are just days away from witnessing what will be one of the most awaited moments for the Johor Sultan and his Permaisuri, as their only daughter, Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah weds the love of her life, Dutchman, Dennis Muhammad Abdullah this August 14.
The Johor Princess earlier relayed her father wanted the wedding to showcase the Johor royal family’s unique traditions and heritage for fear “that our uniqueness as Johoreans will be lost forever,” whilst also revealing her chosen attire, a traditional ‘Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga’.
In a time where traditions are often deemed as irrelevant in today’s modern society, we laud the princess’s appreciation towards her roots. But do all Malaysians feel the same way, and how significant is it to preserve such traditions?
Traditional Weddings Are Slowly Becoming A Less Popular Choice
Our curiosity led us to ask 50 young couples on their ideal wedding, whilst recounting on their parents’ and grandparents’ wedding, and our findings revealed that traditional Malay weddings are becoming less popular from generation to generation:
We also got in touch with 20 married couples, who got married between 2007 and 2017 and had a full-on traditional Malay wedding, whether it was their preference or on the behests of their elders:
We then spoke with Habibah Osman, who had a traditional Johor-cum-Javanese ceremony for her wedding in 1947.
“Aside from ‘merisik’ (asking for hand in marriage), engagement and solemnisation, we also had the ‘berpagar’ (blocking) custom, ‘ambo-ambo’ (money showering) and wore traditional Johor attire for the wedding,” the 88-year-old recounted.
“For my husband’s side, we had a traditional Javanese wedding where we wore traditional batik, traditional accessories and headgear, decorated the house with ‘tarub’ (plant decorations) and had the ‘kuda kepang’.”
Blessed with five children and over 20 grandchildren, Habibah lamented that she is distressed over the fact that the Malay tradition is slowly losing its grip in Malaysia and urged that preserving the heritage is of utmost importance as it is part of our history.
For 54-year-old Negeri Sembilan lass Mashitah Ali whom married her 56-year-old Kelantanese husband in 1989, she recalls her traditional wedding that honours her Minangkabau heritage, as well as a more Islamic inclined wedding for her husband’s reception.
“My husband’s side was pretty straight forward – we ‘berarak’ (marched) towards the ‘meja beradab’ (VIP table). We waited for the ustaz to recite prayers and proceeded to eat and mingle with our guests.
“For my side of the reception and solemnisation, we wore traditional Minangkabau attire and conducted the solemnisation process as per the Negeri Sembilan customary ‘poem:’
‘Pertama kerat pusat,
kedua upah bidan,
ketiga sunat rasul,
keempat khatam mengaji, tindik daing,
kelima nikah kahwin’
“Loosely translated, it speaks about what the groom owes the bride before they enter the fifth phase, which is tying the knot,” she conveyed.
Acknowledging that some of the Negeri Sembilan customs that is stipulated in their ‘adat perpatih’ goes against the Islamic teachings, she lamented that the state customs and traditions is disappearing and this is evident as even the elders are discouraging the continuation of some customs.
However for 33-year-old Nora, she opined that it is important to exude certain traditional Malay elements in weddings, but at the same time ensure that it adheres the Islamic teachings.
“Some of the traditional elements that we kept were wearing baju melayu and songket kurung modern for the solemnisation, traditional Malay cuisine during the solemnisation and both receptions, and played traditional music throughout all the events.
“I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, but my ancestors are from Perak, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan (Minangkabau Indonesia) and Thailand. Regardless if we are living in a modern age, I personally believe that every couple should either have a semi-tradition wedding or at least have a traditional Malay wedding for one of their receptions.”
Tradition Can Be Interpreted With A Modern Twist
With traditional weddings slowly becoming a less popular choice, we sought the experts’ opinions on the preferences of couples today – who enlightened us tradition is very much kept alive, but given a more modern and creative twist.
No stranger to majestic and captivating wedding setups, Reka Teemor made of husband and wife duo, Faiz Sabariand Rozana Mumtaz, has emerged as one of Malaysia’s top wedding planners since 2006.
Planning four to three weddings on a monthly basis, the couple revealed that a small population of today’s bride and groom do take their tradition and heritage into consideration when planning for their wedding – but not too elaborate.
“They love the Malay concept, but not too detailed. As a matter of fact, we’ve done a few weddings where the couple actually considers having traditional elements such as ‘majlis bersiram‘ (customary shower with flowers), henna night and ‘majlis khatam Al-Quran’ (Quran recital ceremony),” the couple recounted.
The couple believe the lack of knowledge is a leading factor that brides and grooms are foregoing their traditions and heritage.
“They’re not really aware of what a traditional wedding consists of, which is partly due to the evolvement of time as we now live in a more modern age.
“Other than that, majority of young couples often opt for garden weddings – so their preference may not blend with a full-on traditional Malay wedding,” the couple relayed based on their experience, adding modern couples prefer to keep their wedding “simple.”
While the couple conveyed that deeming traditions as a hassle is naught but perception, they emphasised that some elements should be maintained or modernised to fit with today’s modern time and to ensure that it does not go against the Sharia:
In short, most of the traditional elements that the Award Winning Wedding Planner advised that should be maintained are mostly arts and crafts as it symbolises our culture and heritage.
“But in the event that couples would like to go down a more traditional route, then they can consider adjusting it to modern times,” the wedding planners advised.
As an example, they said, for the ‘tepung tawar’ (blessing ceremony), rice can be replaced with flower petals instead as using rice may be regarded as wasteful.
“We believe that it’s important to preserve our tradition and it should be encouraged. Some of the events prior the solemnisation that our culture is blessed with, such as ‘majlis bersiram’ and ‘malam berinai’, should be kept as it encourages family gatherings and it livens up the atmosphere.
“In fact, don’t be confined with the word ‘tradition’ as we should embrace the culture and tradition, and interpret it in our own way to make it more appealing in today’s society,” they said, emphasising that tradition can be interpreted in various ways.
The couple pointed out, it is however important to plan weddings as per our five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch – as guests expect to use their five senses when they attend weddings. By doing so and when each element is cohesive, it ensures that the guests are bestowed with an entertaining and well-planned wedding atmosphere.
If We Lose Our Tradition, We Lose Our Identity
With Malaysia blessed with 14 states, it is understandable that the Malay culture is diverse – which honours each respective state.
In our enquiry to random heritage establishments throughout the nation, we found that there are at least 23 Malay wedding traditions:
To clarify further on the traditions, we spoke with a long-time member of Badan Warisan Malaysia, who is also an avid collector of traditional antiquities, but wishes to remain anonymous.
The self-proclaimed lady who “passionately appreciates the Malay culture,” gave us an insightful interview which shone the light about Malay wedding traditions.
“Each Malaysian state shares more or less the same traditions and customs when it comes to weddings but some are more distinguished with their traditions and customs than others, like Johor and Negeri Sembilan,” she opened up.
Sharing the history of certain customs, she reveals, “Back in the day, the Tepak Sirih and Sirih Junjungwas regarded as a sign of respect, used to greet the guests and as a token of welcoming the bride into the grooms’ family.
“While the Mak Andam is tasked with blessing the bride, telling her the facts of life and basically sending the brides to their rite of passage in preparation for the wedding,” although today is seen rather differently as the individual who ensures the bride is well-groomed.
She then pointed an interesting fact while parents these days are very much involved in their child’s wedding process and planning, in the past, parents were never involved and discussions only took place between intermediaries.
“They will always have representatives to conduct negotiations, agreements – especially in regards to the hantaran,” she detailed.
“Speaking from my own history, understanding and knowledge, traditions existed long before religion came into the picture. In fact, the Bugis people initially resisted Islam and only embraced the religion in the 1600s.
“Due to the absence of religion, each culture and race had its own tradition and elements played a vital role in planning or celebrating the wedding,” the enthusiast shared and opined that some of the minor customary events came to exist for get-together purposes.
“There wasn’t much to look forward to in the olden days – hence why the whole community often gets involved in the wedding preparation, to make the experience and atmosphere more exciting.”
Highlighting that traditional Malay weddings are slowly fading away in the mists of time, she laments this exclusion of traditions clearly signifies that we are losing our culture and heritage – and if this persists, someone else might claim that our traditions are theirs.
“Once tradition is lost, it will remain lost forever,” she stressed, adding that religion and tradition should also work harmoniously, and that religion should not be used as an excuse to forget our tradition.
Although she notes the younger generation view traditions and customs as old-fashioned, she ensures that her family and lineage maintain them in good faith of being proud of our roots.
“I understand that these elements will be modernised with the passing of time but I strongly believe that the original traditions, customs and rituals should be documented so that we have something to refer to help appreciate our culture’s history better.”
Aside the changing times, she blames the lack of knowledge which leads to the Malays often forgetting their roots as well as their unique culture and heritage.
“The Malays are blessed with rich and diverse culture, if we forego and forget our history or roots, we will not only lose our culture but we will lose our identity as well.
“For instance, in Johor we have Bugis and Javanese roots, while in Negeri Sembilan we have Minangkabau roots. So how can we acknowledge ourselves as Malays, when we know nothing of our history, traditions and culture?,” she posed the question.
“The Malay community has also moved from the kampung to the city and we cannot bring the camaraderie that we had (in kampung) to town as the community living – if there is any – it is different,” she added.
Emphasising on the importance of preserving the Malay traditions, she points out that in her observation, tradition is very much related to our ‘budi bahasa’ (mannerism) – which ultimately reflects who we are.
“Traditions and customs help shape the kind of person we are as it teaches us good moral values such as to respect our elders and modesty,” she concluded, stating her hopes to one day witness a Malay Museum which honours the Malay traditions and heritage.
At the end of the day our traditions and heritage makes us who we are, so together we should preserve and embrace it as part of our history and culture.
– Malaysian Digest
Wedding planner charged with cheating
JOHOR BARU, Dec 17 — Owner of bridal company “Zurin Jundi” was charged again in the Magistrate’s Court here today with cheating another client of RM5,000.
However, Zurina Ahmad Zundi, 34, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Magistrate Mohd Azlan Shah Mohd Allias.
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The offence was allegedly committed in March this year at a house in Jalan Jasa 7, Taman Mutiara Rini, Skudai here.
Zurina , unrepresented, was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides an imprisonment for up to 10 years and with whipping, and is also liable to fine, if found guilty.
Mohd Azlan Shah set bail at RM5,000 in one surety and fixed Jan 10 next year for mention.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Mohd Nasir prosecuted. — Bernama
Ubinites and boatmen help make unusual wedding bash a reality
By
SINGAPORE — It was one of the most unusual requests that the boatmen plying the waters between Changi and Pulau Ubin have ever gotten: Over several hours, they must ferry more than a hundred wedding guests, many of whom came from faraway lands and have never set foot on Pulau Ubin, to the island.
It took about 10 to 15 trips in all – each bumboat can take up to a dozen passengers – with several boatmen helping out. Others on the island, including van drivers and restaurant owners, were mobilised too for the wedding of artist Terence Tan, 37, and his Australian wife, which took place on Jan 28.
Professing a love for the rustic life on Ubin, Mr Tan, founder and executive director of social enterprise Artsolute, said the chance to hold the wedding someplace “off-the-beaten track” came about by chance last year, when an Ubin resident called Ah Kok had offered to his house to hold the wedding celebrations. In the weeks after, the event quickly became the “talk of the town” among the Ubinites and the boatmen, who till today could not believe he managed to pull the wedding off.
Mr Kit Kau Chye, a 70-year-old boat operator who heads the Changi Point Ferry Association, recalled: “(When Mr Tan first broached the request with the boatmen), everyone was quite puzzled because it’s not common for people to organise their wedding on Ubin, so it was something quite unusual.”
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Mr Tan noted that even as wedding preparations were underway, many were sceptical and initially thought “it was a joke”.
When the big day arrived, the sleepy island – which is currently inhabited by fewer than 40 residents – was transformed into a flurry of activity with a big wedding bash being held there, possibly in recent years.
To the amusement of the Ubin residents, who were also invited to the wedding, some 120 wedding guests turned up, comprising a mix of nationalities with people from Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Japan, South Korea, India, and the United Kingdom.
A no-frills wedding ceremony, where the couple exchanged vows and their rings, was held by the sea. The area was decorated with sprigs of baby’s breath, candles, ribbons and colourful bunting.
Later, a tea ceremony and the cutting of the wedding cake took place at an Ubinite’s house, near the famous Ah Ma Drink Stall on the south side of Ubin. The party continued into the night, accompanied by the soundtrack of Chinese oldies, ethnic Malay music which played out on speakers powered by generators.
The wedding would not have been possible without the generosity and warmth of the Ubinites.
Mr Tan had gotten to know Ah Kok and his family a decade ago on a television shoot. Subsequently, he was invited by the Singapore Heritage Society to do volunteer work on Pulau Ubin, which involved getting to know the island’s residents, doing portraits of them and collecting their stories.
Mr Tan had met his wife in 2013 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She was traveling in Southeast Asia to learn puppetry, and had volunteered for a youth puppet arts education programme which he was leading, after she had heard about it through a friend.
The couple jumped at the idea of holding their wedding on Pulau Ubin as it was also economical, even though they had the uphill task of getting everything ready within three to four months.
As he had not heard of anyone holding a wedding on the island in this day and age, they “couldn’t exactly get a wedding planner”, said Mr Tan, who noted that planning the big day themselves made it “much more authentic”.
Among other things, he had to negotiate the costs for the catering of the food for example, and there was a lot haggling and working things out from scratch as there was no template or precedence to speak of.
There was also a lot uncertainty, with the wedding coinciding with the rainy season, and the couple could not be sure how many guests would turn up or what time they would arrive. As a result, they had to reassure the van owners and boat operators that things would work out, Mr Tan recalled.
The zi char (cooked food) restaurant on Pulau Ubin catered the food while chairs were borrowed from the temple. Guests were free to don casual attire to beat the humid weather, and some showed up in sarongs, for example.
Some friends were stationed at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal and the Ubin jetty to hold up a picture of him and his wife, and to help direct guests to the party venue. During the dinner, the Ubinites reminisced and traded stories about weddings held on the island in the distant past.
Mr Tan recalled that because of a flight delay, a guest had to come to the island straight from the airport. As he was the latest to arrive at 10pm that day, a boat trip had to specially arranged for him at the last minute.
“That’s what made (holding the wedding at) Ubin very easy because everyone was so nice… As long as you needed help, someone will help you,” said Mr Tan.
He said the experience has brought him and the Ubinites “closer together” and helped them strike up a kinship.
For Mr Tan, Pulau Ubin offers a respite and change of pace from the stressful city life.
“It’s a culture that is familiar to me even though I wasn’t born in a kampung… The second you step in, seeing (people of different ethnicities and nationalities working together) … This is precisely what our forefathers talked about…That is the lifestyle I am trying to protect,” he said.
He has since been invited back to Pulau Ubin for steamboat during the recent Chinese New Year festivities. In appreciation of the Ubinites’ hospitality, he gave hongbaos and oranges to the villagers and the businesses.
Adding that some of his friends have expressed interest in holding their weddings on Pulau Ubin as well, he said with a laugh: “I hope we’ve started a trend… Hopefully another brave soul will turn up and do the same!”