July 7 is definitely an unforgettable date for actress Vanidah Imran.
The 48-year-old got married to Arifabillah Idris at 12.12pm today at a location in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur.
Arifabillah, 43, is a civil engineer who happens to be a national silat athlete. In 2016, he and Shahril Mohd Shah clinched a silver medal at the Cheongju World Martial Arts Masterships, which was held in South Korea.
The Thursday wedding ceremony was attended by 50 guests including family members and close friends.
Although it was a moderate gathering, the ceremony was grand in the sense it had a professional touch of a wedding planner.
Furthermore, the bride wore a wedding dress designed by Rizman Ruzaini and her makeup was done by Syed Faizal Syed Noh, a well-known makeup artist.
“Only a few close friends outside the circle of my family knew of my relationship with Arifabillah,” Vanidah told mStar, The Star’s Malay language portal.
“I told several of my friends about (today’s) wedding ceremony only a few days ago. Some of them were surprised to hear that I was getting married but all of them were happy for me,” she added.
Both Vanidah and Arifabillah were married before.
Vanidah has two children from her 17-year marriage with actor Rashidi Ishak, while Arifabillah has four children from his first marriage.
The Daulat actress said: “When we wanted to come together as a family, our first priority was our children – what they thought mattered the most.”
The Malaysia Film Festival Best Actress added that having already gone through a marriage once means that they have a more mature understanding of it.
“I am truly thankful to have found a life partner with whom I have a lot in common with,” said Vanidah who also lectures at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Besides the afternoon ceremony, there is a wedding reception planned for tonight for family and close friends.
Meanwhile Arifabillah told a news outlet that he is thankful that he and Vanidah were solemnised without a hitch. He said that he hopes his union with Vanidah will last their lifetime.
He added that he has no plans to stop Vanidah from continuing her acting career.
“I respect and understand my wife’s career as an actress ... I will continue to support her in any way I can,” Arifabillah was quoted.