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| Father-of-the-bride, Pastor Daniel, walked the bride [Left] Evelyn, up the aisle and shaking the hand of groom, Melvin. |
I was privileged to join the wedding celebrations
hosted for their two sons in previous years and I was looking forward to yet another
happy celebration for their daughter’s wedding.
Like many Malaysians in Johor, they have family
members living and working on both sides of the causeway.
With the border between Singapore and Malaysia closed
from March 18 due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), the family made a
decision for Pastor Daniel to stay in Singapore with their younger son and
family while his wife stayed in Johor Baru with their older son and family.
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| Pastor Daniel putting his daughter's hand into that of the groom |
As for the bride-to-be, Evelyn, and her then fiancé
Melvin, they were based in Singapore for work.
Upper-most in the minds of this young couple, was
their wedding plans and how it was being affected by the strict limitations of
the lockdowns in both countries.
When the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO)
came into effect from May 4 to August 31 and continued in the Recovery Movement
Control Order (RMCO) from June 10, it was still uncertain when the border
between Singapore and Johor will be reopened.
Meanwhile the family remained alert to the latest news
updates to stay informed about the Covid19 pandemic situation in the two
neighbouring countries, keen to see any changes or special conditions that may
allow cross-border travel.
As with many families who were separated from members of their family due to the lockdowns in various countries, this family stayed connected by using modern technology, taking advantage of video calls to see each other as they chatted.
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| "Hello!" Evelyn and Melvin waving to their virtual guests |
A great deal must have gone on behind-the-scene to
arrange the venue for the wedding ceremony (at home!), from the Pastor to
solemnize the wedding, the witnesses to sign the wedding certificate to
musicians and of course, the tech team to coordinate and ensure a hiccup-free live-broadcast.
Needless to say, I was delighted to receive an
invitation to witness their daughter’s wedding virtually and while I felt
deeply honoured to be among their virtual guests, I quickly confessed that I was
probably not tech-savvy enough to attend...
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| The solemnization ceremony begins |
The mother-of-the-bride graciously assured me that it
was all right if I decided not to attend but I guessed it was the least of her
concerns because at that point she was longing to be present at her daughter’s
wedding and still unsure if she could be there.
In fact, she had written officially to Putrajaya to
seek approval for cross-border travel specifically to attend her daughter’s
wedding in Singapore. When she received the reply, her application was however,
not approved.
Meanwhile in the weeks prior to the wedding date, I
did my “homework” by using Zoom to discover the video and audio features and
how to Mute and Unmute, just to prepare myself to witness this wedding solemnization
virtually.
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| It was the bride's turn to say her wedding vows |
These long periods of lockdowns have compelled me to
gain more knowledge and experience online and Zoom was another application I
was learning to use with more confidence.
On the day of the wedding, the solemnization event was
scheduled for 3pm and guests were welcome to log in from 2.30pm so I had plenty
of time to log in and sort out any hiccups – if any – on my side.
It was indeed an unusual experience to “attend” a
wedding virtually and for the first time ever, I did not have to dress-up for
the occasion because I believe the cameras would be focused not on the guests
but on the couple, their parents and the witnesses.
Around 2.30pm, I received a phone message from Phoebe to
check if I had any problems logging in. This reminded me that she and members
of the family in JB were also joining the solemnization via Zoom.
With one touch on the given link to the Zoom event, there
was a brief pause before I was welcomed into the event. From the Order of
Service posted on the screen, I read that the schedule was very much the same
as it was if it was held in church.
Besides their family and guests
like me in JB, I observed with fascination as guests in cities around the world were also logging in and
welcomed to participate by sending our greetings, messages, and emoticons
during the event.
In the next hour and a half, I witnessed the beautiful
wedding of Evelyn and Melvin as the bride’s father, Pastor Daniel, proudly
walked her down the makeshift aisle in their home and put her hand into that of
the groom.
From that moment on, I was locked into the event from
the solemnization ceremony to the signing ceremony that ended with a series of
speeches.
The first speech by the groom opened with words of
appreciation with a segment he spoke in Mandarin, affectionately addressed to
his grandmother.
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| "You may now kiss the bride" |
For me, the most moving part of the event was the
speech by the beautiful bride who addressed a segment to her grandparents in JB... in Teochew dialect.
The camera then switched to focus on their family
gathered in JB to witness the wedding and panned around to the bride’s
grandparents, aunts, cousins, her eldest brother, his wife and kids, and of
course, her dear mother.
I was amazed that I managed to grasp (most of) her
message in Teochew but I guess it was probably due to some familiar key words
and then it made perfect sense as she thanked her grandparents for their love
and care.
As I wiped my eyes and blew my nose, I must agree that
it was certainly a most meaningful and memorable wedding that I will never
forget because it was the first wedding I attended virtually in this lockdown
period due to the global pandemic.
My unforgettable experience is shared with warmest
wishes and prayers to the newly-weds, Evelyn and Melvin, as you start the next
chapter of your lives together.
Congratulations Mr & Mrs Melvin Wong. God bless!
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