Monday November 8, 2010
Groom goes horseback to collect his bride
GEORGE TOWN: There was a festive air in the Hong Seng Estate here when a businessman wedded his childhood friend in an event steeped in old Chinese tradition. Instead of picking up his bride in a luxury car, Yeap Seng Hwa went to his sweetheart’s home on horseback, followed by four men carrying a sedan chair for the bride. Yeap, 32, drew cheers from villagers yesterday morning as he and his entourage went from his house to student Lee Tit Kun’s home, one street away.
The dashing groom: Yeap riding on the horse to his bride’s house for their wedding ceremony at Hong Seng Estate, Penang Sunday.
A drizzle midway through the five-minute journey was like showers of blessing for the small procession. The groom’s horse, which had a red flowerball adorning its head, was well-behaved and unperturbed by the noisy firecrackers lit along the way. Yeap, who also had a red flowerball in front of him, had rented the horse for RM3,500 from a private company in Batu Ferringhi.
A caretaker was present to guide the horse. The short journey was made more festive with the booming sounds of a gong hit by two entourage members. After the tea ceremony at Lee’s house, Yeap and his bride circled the sedan chair three times before she was seated on it for the trip back to his house. The groom rode on horseback.
Yeap’s mother, Gooi Ah Lan, 62, said her son and Lee, 28, had registered their marriage on the auspicious date of 10/10/10. “They were neighbours who grew up together and dated for over 10 years. “They decided to have a wedding that is similar to traditional Chinese weddings, where the groom would go on horseback to collect the bride,” said Gooi, adding that it was her son’s first ride on a horse.
