A Dramatic Malaysian Wedding Full Of Colour & Tradition

Written by Fairy Bride Mother on August 9, 2018.
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A Dramatic Malaysian Wedding Full Of Colour & Tradition

We were truly wowed when we received the images from this dramatic Malaysian wedding, which came to us via one of our latest vendors, Weddings By Qay. Not only did this wedding take place in Malaysia, it incorporated Malay traditions (we love learning about different wedding customs) and featured some pretty dramatic weather that only added to the electrifying atmosphere!

Yuna and Adam were married in January this year in Malaysia, in a ceremony that saw some 300 guests in attendance. As you can see from Qay’s images, the tropical weather really made an impact that resulted in some incredible photographs of the couple. Below, we hear from Qay and discover what it was like shooting such a wedding, and we also learn a little about Malaysian wedding customs from our bride Yuna. We hope you enjoy this just as much as we did!

A Note From The Photographer

Yuna reached out to me after discovering my work on Instagram. She loved the idea of telling the stories via images and my tone. Since she’s a singer based in the US, we communicated mainly via email. As with my other couples, I do emphasise the importance of meeting up with the client, as this is an ice-breaking session for me.

Once Yuna was back in Malaysia, we met at a coffee house along with her fiancé, Adam. We instantly clicked and knew what we wanted from this wedding. Yuna’s dream wedding photos are ones that are personal to herself and Adam.

Yuna & Adam are an easy going couple who are always ready for the camera. We started with their henna night which was very colourful and featured lots of dancing and laughing.

The next day saw their solemnisation, which was very modest and simply elegant, with lots of flowers and greenery. The event was slightly delayed as it was raining heavily, so we needed to wait until the rain had stopped as the solemnization is an outdoor event. The bride stayed calm even though we were delayed, and we managed to continue a few hours later. Because of the rain, I managed to capture the most mesmerising image ever, when the fog passed by whilst the couple were having their portrait at the altar/dais.

Soon after the solemnisation, we rushed to the reception, which featured lots of lights, a sequin tablecloth and again flowers and greenery. The reception ended with fireworks and a party. I have to say that this is one of the best weddings I’ve ever shot!

Malay Wedding Customs

We follow the usual Malay culture for our wedding. First, we exchanged our ‘hantarans’ (meaning gifts) that we have for each other, decorated on trays with fresh flowers. The marriage is made official by my father and Adam as they do a ‘lafaz nikah’, which is an agreement between the bride’s father and the groom, as a passing over of the responsibility of care for the bride’s wellbeing after she is married to the groom. This is made in a vow, this needs to be vocalised by the groom, clearly and with confidence, and the witnesses, my two uncles, would have to agree that he had said it with confidence. Adam did wonderfully by saying the vow once, and hence the marriage was made official!