Special big day: The gathering of 48 couples who exchanged kisses and loving moments during the mass wedding registration at the Penang Chinese Town Hall. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: It took nine years before project manager Tan Boon Kuan finally got his sweetheart to agree to marry him, and his perseverance saw its culmination on the day the Chinese community welcomes the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.
Tan, 25, said he did not give up and waited for the right time to pop the question to designer Ooi Jia Ying, 27.
“Since this is the ninth year we were dating and the Mid-Autumn Festival also falls on the ninth month of the year, which is September, I decided to make our marriage a memorable day,” said Tan, who is from Kulim.
He said that when he first got to know Ooi, he was smitten by her “cuteness and simplicity”.
“We also chose to register our wedding on this day because we wanted to get the blessings of our elders on this auspicious day,” he said.
Ooi, who was dressed in a blue cheongsam for the occasion, said her parents had let her and Tan pick a suitable wedding date.
“I decided to wear something traditional for this memorable day because I feel it is special and has ties to our cultural roots,” she noted.
Ooi had also brought along her pet rabbit Bean for the wedding.
“He follows me almost everywhere, including on my dates with Boon Kuan,” she quipped.
Present were Jia Ying’s father Ooi Kok Keong and mother Lee Oi Fah, both 59, who were happy to witness the marriage of their only daughter.
Tan and Ooi were among 48 couples who exchanged their marriage vows at the Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH) here yesterday in conjunction with the festival.
Business executive Chew Chin Hong, 34, and planner Tan Swee Im, 29, who have been courting for four years, chose to register their marriage on the anniversary of their first date.
“When I remembered that our courting anniversary was coming up in September, I realised that the date actually coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
“We are simply delighted that our marriage registration is taking place on such a meaningful day. This is indeed a unique experience for us,” Chew said.
Swee Im, who said she was feeling anxious before the event, did not expect so many couples to be getting married yesterday.
Present were PCTH chairman Tan Sri Tan Khoon Hai, PCTH women’s section chairman Datuk Ooi Siew Kim, and committee members.
Siew Kim also said that the PCTH had arranged an array of activities in conjunction with the festival such as demonstrations of mooncake-making, a lantern-making DIY session for children, a trishaw-decorating competition, and a procession participated by schools, festive delicacies for the public, and performances in the evening.
