17.6.2011 - The Nikah (Part I)

So, 48 days ago (uhuh, it took me that long to write about this day hahah), I woke up...and it's my wedding day!! The day I have been waiting for so long have finally arrived. I woke up very early, because you can imagine the level of anxiety I was under right? Me and Syida slept at the bridal room, but we didn't sleep on the bed, we laid out comforters and slept on the floor. The night before was the Malam Berinai, and right before I fell asleep (and also while I was sleeping) my MOH retouched the innai on my fingers...oh my, she had to retouch a couple of times because Lulu ruined it the first time, then I fell asleep and brushed some of it off, I think she had to do 3 touch ups that night hahahha...so anyway, when I woke up, the innai had dried off and the color was just nice.

Took my morning shower and went down to finalise some last minute changes on the seating arrangements. Planned (again, emphasis on the word "planned") to go for a spa-massage and then teeth scaling+polishing...and also to get a corset, since I was anticipating that the nikah kurung would be quite tight...(didn't gain weight, actually lost a lot, but my designer botched the measurements and it was freaaaaking tight). He was supposed to alter it and make it looser, but how loose can he make it right? So, yeah, that was the plan. My nikah dress was supposed to come around 10am...BUT, as usual, lambat. So, ate breakfast with the family. While eating, somewhere around 11am, the dress came. My tummy was all tied in knots, hopefully, it will be loose enough for me to breathe in.

Tried on the dress...nasib baik I lost A LOT of weight, cause my body as it was before would not have fit it...but because I lost all that weight, it fit OK...a little tight at the tummy, so I still had to buy a corset. It was quite sexy, because the lining at the chest area was too low and the lace was too bare...so I asked him to add more lace to cover my chest area, since dah tak ada masa untuk letak lining. He said he'll bring it back around 2pm. OK.

Then went to Subang Parade with Ibu to get me the corset. Bought one in a shop called Bras and Things. Also got a skin color seamless underwear (my ABSOLUTE fashion faux pas is visible panty line!!) and a really cute lingerie (last minute purchase...it wasn't the kinky ones tho! cute and comfy :)). Then Bapak came and met Ibu for lunch. I had to skip the lunch because I had to go to the dentist to get my teeth polished. Haih, last minute kan? At that point, I didnt know whether the que would be long. Tried my luck at this dentist in SS15, a place where a friend of Syida always frequent.

Reached the dentist, Lim Dental Clinic. There were 2 people before me waiting, and 2 more already with the dentists. Told the receptionist it was my wedding day, with the hopes of cutting the que....tak berjaya, but she told me that all were there for polishing and scaling, so I had to only wait for about 15 minutes. She also told the dentist inside, so that they won't take that long with their patients..hihihi..atleast something. Went in, and went out after about 15 minutes. The dentist was really nice! Dr. Loganathan.

So, reached home close to 4pm. Shaitsssss. No time for massage then...My nikah kurung was already at home, thank god! Everything looks OK, altho with some minor issues (my attention to detail is very high), but no time to make a fuss dah (full review on the designer later in a seperate post)....

Grabbed Kak Huriah to pluck my eyebrows. While she was doing that, my mum put on innai on my feet...boleh tak terlupa pakai innai dekat kaki? Hahahah. Anyway, how last-minute-bride was I??? You know, I planned everything, but I forget that I was the bride, and forgot to plan for myself...anyway, yeap, the last few hours was quite chaotic. My MUA was supposed to come at 5.30pm, and it was already 5.15pm. Took a quick shower, and when I got out, my MUA was already in the room with the photographers and videographer. It was 5.30pm.

I put on my favorite shirt; Aliff's blue shirt which he gave me the first time he left for US, and my MUA started her magic. I still had trouble putting on contact lenses on my own, so my MUA had to struggle battling my super sensitive eyelashes. Hahah.

 

Then Que came and brought me my hand bouquet. He came all the way from Putrajaya, where he was setting up my pelamin for the reception dinner the next night. I asked him to make me the bouquet one day before...hahah boleh tak? I LOVE him!

Syida accompanied me until my MOH, Miss Nelly came...she came with this little bag - which contained her MOH kit; powder sponge, tissues, a small comb etc...so cute!

Then one by one my bridesmaids in pretty pastels arrived. It was nice having everyone there...some people don't like a full-room while they are getting ready, but me, I prefer that the room be packed with people...I don't know why..it makes me less nervous I think. At that point, I was almost ready to throw up any time...so having people around me makes it less nerve-wrecking.

After the make up was done, my MUA did my hair. I got into my bridal attire...Hanna helped me zip the kurung (still a little bit tight, even with the corset, oh well...at that point, I was too happy to care!) My MUA touched up the make up and then I asked Syida to run down and get some left over white flowers that she could find...nasib baik ada the white eustomas! It totally completed the bun! By 7.30pm I was ready to get married!

At about 7.45pm I was told that Aliff and his entourage had arrived. Seriously, I was nauseous like hell, but I had to hold it in...don't want to smell like vomit kan? Then the bridesmaids was told to come down and bring the hantarans, left me with my MOH and Syida. Then, at about 8.20pm I was called to come down...OMG OMG that was the exact feeling...my stomach was tying into different little knots, butterflies fluttering everywhere...Made my way down, sat on the pillow and acted as gracefully as I can, while trying to control my huge grin from showing :)))).

my pregnant bridesmaid...hahha..I actually had 3 pregnant bridesmaid :)

Catched a glimpse of Aliff and threw him a HUGE smile...seriously, by this time I could NOT stop smiling! I don't even know what the qadi was saying..all I heard was mufflings and people calling my name for their cameras. The qadi made a few jokes that I think de-stressed Aliff a bit...Syida was massaging my feet so that it wouldn't go numb.

Then I heard the qadi asked,

"pengantin perempuan setuju?"

....at the speed of light I nodded and said under my breath...

"setuju..."

chehhhh..ayu gitu....nasib baik I remembered not to shout it out! Then the qadi asked whether my dad and aliff would like to have a trial run of the akad. They said yes. After the trial I remembered the qadi saying;

"kalau tadi tu betul-betul, dah sah dah kahwin"

hahhahaha...any second now...

They started with the doa, Aliff and Bapak shook hands and the the qadi pointed the microphone to my dad ...

"Aliff Omar bin Mohamad Omar ..."

"Saya"

Aku nikahkan dikau dengan anakku, Nadiah binti Abd Majid

dengan mas kahwin tiga ratus ringgit tunai"

I was clenching Nell's hands sooooo tight and held my breath to hear Aliff's words which followed ...

"Aku terima nikah, Nadiah binti Abd Majid

dengan mas kahwinnya tiga ratus ringgit tunaiii.."

my legs went numb ... even tho syida had been massaging it for the past 15 minutes....

immediately after that there was a chorus of,

"sah, sah..."

to be continued ...

16.6.2011 - Malam Berinai

The night before the wedding day, my family held a small Malam Berinai. I'm not quite well-versed with the tradition, and I can speak for my mum, she is as clueless as well...I think I am more aware of adat compared to her..ahahah...Anyway, so, we don't actually know what goes on on a Malam Berinai, other than the Bride-To-Be wearing some traditional outfit and sitting on the pelamin...I think some people say it is actually to familiarise the Bride-To-Be with what is going to happen on the wedding day...And for some families, the Bride-To-Be will be changing into a few different outfits...Entahlah...For Kakmira's Malam Berinai, she changed into 2 outfits; a Javanese ensemble and an Arabic ensemble. She sat on the pelamin and the elderly will merenjis. That's all. I went to one of my bestie's Berinai, Shyra, where she changed into 4 outfits and just posed on the pelamin for pictures. I've also went to my neighbor's Malam Berinai, albeit, it was the Groom's side, where the Groom-to-be wore a traditional baju melayu, sat on the pelamin and family members will stain his palm with inai.

So, how is it going to be for my Malam Berinai?

I didn't actually put so much thought into it...I just wanted to have a small gathering with close families and friends the night before "The" day...

I didn't want to change into different outfits, cause it's going to take time and I want to spend time with the guests. Because the theme of the decorations for the nikah was moroccan, I decided to wear a kaftan, while I asked the guests (men and ladies) to wear the jubah. I have been looking for the right kaftan for quite sometime, I think 2-3 months earlier. I had in mind a white kaftan with some heavy beadings. But the ones I found are either too expensive or not having enough moroccan vibe to it. At one point I thought of tailor-making it, but time catched up too fast and it was already quite late.

5 days before the Malam Berinai, me and Ibu went to Subang Parade to look for some wedding stuff and dropped by this shop called the Maisoinnette. It is located below Uncle Lim's. Have been there a few times and they have a selection of beautiful kaftans, but quite pricey. This shop carries a few brands/boutiques, and one of them is Faiz. If you live in Subang, you will know this boutique because come Raya, their baju kurung will sell like hot cakes. Anyway, while I was combing through the kaftans, I saw a Faiz kaftan - creme colored kaftan with heavy beading at the neck. What I like about this kaftan was the beading was colorful - very moroccan-ish. BUT, the it was toooo big. Alamak. The sales lady then told me they can alter it. YEAY! Then I brought in my mum to bargain the price. My mum is somewhat a regular customer and knows the sales lady, so she sold the kaftan at a small discount and free alteration! It will be ready 2 days before the Malam Berinai. This is what the kaftan looks like:

On Thursday evening, after we were done with cleaning and preparing the house for the wedding, I bathed and prepared myself for the Malam Berinai. I decided not to have any drawings on my palms, because the reception is somewhat modern-ish. But I did the henna drawings for Aliff's side which was more traditional. So, anyway, I bought the tube-innai and Kakmira put it on my finger nails at around 7pm.

Then me and Syida went to Cut N Blow, a saloon near our house to do our hair...they were already closing, but we managed to persuade them to blow dry our hair, since it was my wedding and all...we're quite close to them :)

Came back and Kakmira put on the contact lenses for me...yes, I don't know how to put them on myself...hahah...and it always stresses Kakmira out, because it will take atleast 15 minutes to put them on because I have very sensitive-protective-blinking-eyes ;) Then she started to do my make up...Half way through, my UIA besties arrived...Kakmira saw Atun's make up which was very pretty and asked her to do my make up instead...hahaha..so, Atun jadi bidan terjun and did my make up...and she made me looked pretty! Cheh..serious...loved her make up.

Then I changed into my kaftan. Seeing how pretty Atun made me look, Kakmira and Syida asked Atun to do their make up as well...hahah sian Atun.

 

Then I went down to meet the rest of the guests and eat. I poured out my wedding stories to the girls while we eat...haih...tak baik kan "these people" buat pengantin stressss...but I didnt want to ruin my night, so I said, whatever happens, I just have to live with it kan? I asked them to pray that "it" will turn out alright, and you know what, both of "it" turned out better than expected! So, to you girls who did pray for me, thanxxx a million!

Anyway, after we ate, I was asked to seat at the pelamin for the "Berinai". The elderly-family members merenjis and stained some innai on my palm. Then my uncle called out my friends to do the same. After the "Berinai" we took pictures and my aunts helped put in the kurma and chocolates into the boxes for the doorgifts for the nikah.

Kakmira had to miss the Berinai (and the Nikah the next night) because baby Ahmadi had the fever.......the best timing kan? Dugaan nak kahwin....but, Ahmedi is now ok. Kakmira came back after the guests left and we took some pictures.

So, that was my Malam Berinai...it was just a simple one, with close family and friends, the way I like it. My last night as a single woman...EXCITED + NERVOUS + HAPPY BEYOND WORDS.

NEXT: THE DAY I BECAME A WIFE - THE NIKAH

Toodles.