Will You Marry Me
Nikon D300 13mm F/5.6 1/250s ISO400
An Underwater Malay Wedding
Napie Moksin
Napie Moksin is a 38 years old professional photographer from Malaysia. He started his career as a
photographer in 2007. His photography genre is wedding and underwater. In his country, he was known
as the pioneer underwater portrait photographer because no other photographer did so. His work has
been published in newspapers, local and international magazines, television and so on.
T
he divine tradition of marriage is one that
epitomizes the start of a family in
Malaysia. The Malay community is firmly
entrenched in customs and it comes as no
surprise that the wedding customs are equally
cherished and hold a lot of importance. Each
custom has its own significance and thus, is
carried out with much ardor. Each custom is
supposed to ensure the smooth running of a
marriage. bride’s side. Once the proposal is accepted,
they meet again to discuss the wedding
expenses and the dowry.
1. ‘Merisik’ or Review Tradition
‘Merisik’, which literally translates to ‘review
or to look’, is the initial step to a marriage in
the Malay community. In this ceremony, the
representatives of the families of the
prospective bride and groom meet regarding
the marriage. 4. ‘Berinai’ Tradition
This ceremony is held in 3 stages- The ‘Berinai
Steal’, ‘Berinai Small’ and ‘Berinai Big’. After
this ceremony, the groom is not allowed to
spend the night in the bride’s house. Instead
he is supposed to put up in the house of a
pennant, a house near the bride’s house.
2 .‘Meminang’ Tradition
Usually, the parents of the girls don’t
immediately give a definite answer to the
marriage proposal. This is done because the
customs decree that they should be given
sufficient time to consider the proposal. After
this is done, a male representative from the
elders is elected by the parents to stand for the 5. Solemnization Tradition
This ceremony is more of a sermon of the
religious teachings. During the marriage
ceremony, the father of the bride has to be
present as the guardian of his daughter. Toki
Imam or Toki Kadi meets the bride to inquire
about the marriage, read the sermon of
marriage and explains the responsibilities of a
3. Engagement Tradition
In conjunction with the engagement, a feast is
prepared at the bride’s house. A drop of tears
or a drop of jaws is given as the main package
along with a beautifully styled assortment of
sprouts, cakes, fruits, clothes, etc.
husband and wife and other matters
pertaining family and religion. After this is
done, the husband presents a ring to his bride
or puts a chain around her neck to symbolize
that they are legally wedded.
6. Marriage Tradition
The Malay wedding comes to a close with a
variety of ceremonies. After the marriage is
solemnized, the newly-weds are prepared and
are decorated by Mak Andam. In some places,
the groom has to go through certain obstacles
to get to the door or the throne to get his
bride. The guests are then called upon by the
bride’s representative to lay a bargain on the
bride and groom on the throne.
The bride and groom are considered to be the
King and Queen of the day by the Malay
community and thus each wedding tradition
is carried out with utmost dedication and
enthusiasm. Customs are, after all, a reminder
of the ancestors that they learnt them from
and whose blessings they seek on this
auspicious occasion.
Vol 5
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