Nuptial Mass and Wedding Luncheon (Part 1)

Here's a realistic conversation Noel and I have weekly:

I whispered, "What time does this mass end?"

Noel replied, "Soon. Be patient."

"Okay."

Noel asked, "What's for lunch/dinner?"

"No idea. What do you fancy?"

"I'm thinking of chicken. What do you want?"

I chided, "We're in church now. Stay focused."

Noel and I sacramentally tied the knot on December 26th, 2022! Woohoo!

First of all, let me show you some snippets from our nuptial mass that took place at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Island Park, Penang.

The mass began at 10:00 am. Noel and I reached the church at around 9:15 am to take pictures with guests who came early. 

Look at my brilliant smile. Enjoy it while you can because as the day progressed, I turned from a jolly bride to a stoic Humpty Dumpty and the photos showed!

It's actually not compulsory for the father to walk the bride down the aisle. In fact, in many modern weddings, the bride and the groom walk down the aisle together to symbolize their equal commitment and total free will to enter into the marriage. 

Nevertheless, I was very happy that my dad could walk me down the aisle. It was definitely a heartwarming moment.

Noel and I exchanged our vows. Prior to the mass, Father Henry reminded us to read slowly, not just for clarity, but to really mean what we say and to soak in the moment. 

I think Noel and I did okay...? At least I didn't say the wrong name like Ross did.

Yay! All done for the most nerve-wreaking part.

After the mass concluded, Noel and I followed the Chinese traditions and offered three bows - 

the first bow to God (一拜天地), 

the second bow to parents (二拜高堂), 

but the third bow was to the guests instead of with each other.

Noel and I marched out of the hall at 11:00 am. 

Then, we took more photos with the guests in batches.

A photo with the Ng clan (Noel's dad's family) and a photo with the Lee clan (Noel's mom's family).

Noel and I did not set a particular dress code for our wedding but some of the ladies coordinated their outfits and showed up in Nyonya Kebaya together. I love it. Just look at how gorgeous everyone looked!

A photo with the Tans and Yips and a photo with our TFM friends.

We took pictures with most of the guests, then at 11:30 am, off we went to Elite House in Jelutong, Penang for our wedding luncheon. It took us about 20 minutes to reach there. 

The luncheon started at 12:30 pm, so we had about half an hour for the tea ceremony. Thankfully, the capable aunties who were in charge of the tea ceremony had everything ready by the time Noel and I arrived at the scene.

To be continued...