Wedding Bells at the Empire Hotel

Last year I went to my first Bruneian wedding, and last month I went to another!  They really are a fascinating experience for those of us used to the traditional British wedding.  Never mind it all being over in one day, the Bruneians make it last for days with lots of special food and outfits.

The beautiful bride at this wedding was the sister of the lovely Maya, aka Foodiva, my Bruneian blogger friend.  Maya has written a little about the wedding in this recent post, but I thought I'd add a few of my own photos too.

The party was held in a large hall, part of the fabulous Empire Hotel.  We went along with another couple that we knew (who are friends of Maya's brother) as we knew that men and women usually sit separately at these events.  Good to have someone to chat with as well as share some enjoyable people-watching at what is always a colourful occasion!

When all the guests were seated the happy couple arrived - here they are entering the Hall (a rather blurry photo in all the excitement).

As you can see, their outfits were simply stunning - I just love that vibrant turquoise blue.  In Western weddings the bride often outshines the groom, but I love that in Bruneian weddings the groom gets the chance to dress up in fabulous clothes too so they both look amazing!

A delicious meal followed, at which I was too busy talking and eating to take photos

I'm not sure how much the poor bride and groom got to eat as they seemed to be constantly having to smile for photos.  A down-side of being the centre of attention for the day I suppose!

I love seeing the Bruneians dressed up in their vibrant baju kurongs (the ladies' outfits), tudongs (ladies' head-dresses) and baju melayus (the men's outfits).  I can no longer fit into my lovely green baju kurong so I wore a more Western outfit for the occasion.  I think this made me a rather more noticeable guest, as several Bruneians asked if they could take my photo alongside them and their families! 

Here's me with Maya:

All best wishes for a long and happy marriage to Fida and Ardian - and special kudos for having the cutest wedding favours I've ever seen!