Chapter 6
Malay Wedding Ceremony
On my honestly view, Malay wedding ceremony is the best ceremony that I had attended. During the ceremony, I can notify and know about Malay culture that is my own culture. In addition, I can gain my general knowledge and increase my life experience when I'm as a guest. At the beginning of malay wedding ceremony starting with akad nikah ceremony which is a verbal contract between bride's father, his representative called "khadi" and the groom. Then the contract seals by "mas kahwin" which means a small sum of money. The second day of ceremony, the groom is accompanied by family, friends, relatives; including "bunga manggar" (palm blossom) went to the bride’s house. They are usually greeted with the sprinkling of water and scented water. Sometimes, the traditional Malay sword dance is performed. During the "bersanding" ceremony, the bridal couple will be seated on the dais. Both of them will be sprinkled with yellow rice and scented water by their family member's, relatives, and guests as a sign of blessing. Furthermore, each guest will receive a "bunga telur" which indicates a symbol of fertile union. After that, the bridal couple and their guest will attend a celebratory feast called makan beradab. The groom and bride feeding each other sweetened rice at that moment of "makan beradab". The celebrations are later included with poses of family members, relatives, and close friends. As a conclusion, Malay wedding ceremony is a tremendous and attracted because it has a unique and own characteristic than other ceremony.