When life as we knew it stopped for so many of us in lockdown, those who had planned to get married during this time were met with uncertainty – to postpone or cancel all together? And if they postponed their wedding, until when?
For this couple, as soon as the Malaysian government gave the green light, everything was quickly put in motion for a cosy, intimate wedding. No matter that it wasn’t the big soiree that they had originally intended, the most important people were there and that was all that mattered. Many thanks to Trees On The Moon for capturing this beautiful wedding.
Adeline: “Right after Andrew proposed, we immediately got to work preparing for marriage – renovating our home, attending pre-martial courses, sending out invites. Our hearts were set on a May wedding and we were excited to finally tie the knot! But on the day we completed the renovations on our house, the prime minister announced the beginning of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and thus started the downward spiral of our plans.
“MCO was a roller coaster of emotions as we were filled with uncertainty as to whether we could even get legally married (as all the government offices were closed). It felt like everything that could go wrong went wrong. It was heart-breaking to tell our family and friends that our wedding was officially cancelled, with no certainty of what was to come.
“I spent so much energy and time trying to salvage what was left of our wedding plans, but with no end date to MCO in sight, it was just a pointless endeavour. I felt like it was impossible to get married this year and we’d just have to sit in uncertainty until a vaccine for Covid-19 was finally found.
“Thankfully, Andrew never gave up hope and as soon as the announcement that gatherings of 20 people were allowed, he got to planning a small ceremony with just our immediate family and closest friends. The wedding was planned in a span of two weeks (thank goodness for an amazing wedding planner, Eventistry) in a local guesthouse with minimal décor. After months of worrying and anxious waiting, the wedding day turned out surprisingly stress-free! We checked in at the guesthouse around noon and spent a good few hours just lounging around, taking in the special day together. When evening came, we had a lovely ceremony in the common room, followed by a laidback Korean BBQ dinner after! With Andrew’s family residing in Australia, we also did a live stream so the family could be ‘present’ to witness our matrimony.
“We are both incredibly proud of our Malaysian heritage, and so it was perfect to find a location that embodied that sentiment. Sekeping Jugra is a heritage 1950s guesthouse that was renovated using recycled materials from all over Malaysia – PAM Building, Jalan Tangsi; Dayabumi; Mutiara Hotel, Penang; Brickfields Methodist School; Choong Kee Foundry, Kampar; and Kong Heng, Ipoh. Even the mud that was dug out to build the swimming pool was used to rebuild other parts of the house. The conservation of heritage buildings like Sekeping Jugra helps to keep the cultural heritage alive, and also provides social and economic benefits to the local community.”
Tips from the bride: “The both of us ended up scaling down our wedding to an intimate group of immediate family and close friends. It wasn’t the wedding we first planned, but it was perfect nonetheless. This season made us reconsider what was truly important to us on our wedding day, and in the end, we wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Andrew: “Posture your spirit with imagination and creativity. This is your chance to celebrate love in a way that has never been done before. The waves have cleared the sandcastle, so embrace the blank canvas and paint something you couldn’t have imagined before.”
ADELINE & ANDREW {Malaysia}
Photography by Trees On The Moon / Venue Sekeping Jugra, Kuala Lumpur / Number of Guests 20 / Wedding Planning by by Eventistry / Bridal Gown by Olivia Co. / Hair and Makeup by Mlab.co / Wedding Band by 3125 / Bridal Bouquet by Arranged Aura / Wedding Cake by Belledrey / Wedding Catering by Han Woo Ri
{Read more about this in the magazine}