Congratulations: Some of the 47 couples taking part in the mass wedding at Wisma Tiong Hua in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: After postponing their wedding for two years, Teo Ruey Yang and Lai Kim Mei finally exchanged their vows in front of their loved ones on a romantic date.
They were among 47 pairs who got hitched on May 20 or “520” in short form, an adapted homonym for “wo ai ni” (I love you) in Mandarin.
It was the first mass wedding celebration at Wisma Tiong Hua here after a two-year hiatus.
Teo and Lai, who have known each other for over seven years, said they were glad that the day finally came despite the long wait due to Covid-19.
“We wanted to get married in 2020 but had to postpone it due to movement restrictions and also because we both work in Singapore.
“At one point, we even considered just getting married in Singapore but our families could not be there as the border was still closed.
“I am glad that we waited until the border reopened. Now, we get to share our special day with our families here,” said Teo, 32, a logistics officer.
Also there to seal their union were Lai’s cousin Ong Zhang, 31, and his partner Tang Sin Waiy, 29.
“I did not know that my cousin was also getting married on the same day. What a lucky coincidence!
“My fiancee and I chose May 20 because it’s a special and romantic date,” said Ong.
The engineer added that he too had postponed his wedding with Tang, an agent for domestic helpers, for two years due to the pandemic.
“We had initially planned to get married on May 20, 2020, and even booked the date earlier,” he said.
Music teacher Lee Rou Sheuen, 26, also tied the knot with her high school sweetheart, programmer Woo Bin Wei, 26.
“We have known each other since we were classmates in secondary school. Our friendship later blossomed into a relationship and now, a marriage.
“I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with my best friend.
“We chose this date not only because of the romantic notion behind it but also because it is the anniversary of our courtship,” she added.
Johor Baru Tiong-Hua Association president Ho Sow Tong said this was the first time a mass wedding was held after two years.
“Before the pandemic, we would organise such mass weddings about four times a year.
“We are thrilled to once again welcome couples to exchange their vows on such a grand occasion,” he said.
