One of the blessings of being wedding photographer in Malaysia is to witness the diversity of cultures and religions. There is an extra bonus to be asked to photograph an non-Chinese wedding. It is like having a front row seat to a cultural festival.

We have the privilege of photographing Emma and Carl’s wedding ceremony in Sandakan and their reception in Kota Kinabalu.

One of my favorite part of a Malay wedding is to see the pomp of the “hantaran” (delivery of gifts) between the two families. Gifts come in the form of the Holy Qu’ran to PlayStation 3 and from fragrance to cash. Then there is the beating of “kompang” (traditional Malay skin drums) and the arrival entourage which add a carnival flavor to the wedding.

For Emma and Carl, their wedding is also bridge the political divide as both families are passionate supporters of rival political parties. Yet, love transcend politics and alliances. For one day, political tribalism gave way to love.

Carl is an avid 4×4 enthusiast. His 4WDs are equipped with giant wheels, fog lights, snorkels, definitely tough enough to rumble in the jungles of Borneo. How Carl manage to convince the petite and gentle Emma to climb up to one of these giants is beyond me.

As Malaysia is urbanized rapidly, it is always refreshing to see how my Malay friends are holding strong to tradition, respect for family and mannerism. For that I will always love photographing Malay weddings.