Couple celebrates by tying the knot this Valentine’s Day
KULAI: Char kuay teow, as it turns out, is the way to a woman’s heart.
“I was honestly impressed by how tasty his char kuay teow is. It has become one of my favourite things to eat,” said jewellery store sales assistant Tan Yu Hui, 27.
“He is such a young and hardworking person, which are qualities that attracted me to him,” she said, referring to hawker Lau Wei Kee, 30.
Both of them tied the knot at the Kulai Che Ai Khor Character Uplifting Association yesterday, joining 20 other couples who chose the romantic date to register their marriages.
Tan said she met Lau on social media about three years ago and they started getting to know each other.
“When I found out he sells char kuay teow, it made me even more curious. I wanted to try his dish,” she said in an interview.
Lau said much of their courtship took place at his stall in Mount Austin, Johor Baru.
“She often comes to my stall to help out while waiting for me to wrap up. I am touched by the gesture and her support,” he added.
After registering their marriage, the couple also walked away with a 40-inch television and a gold coin in a lucky draw, held in conjunction with the association’s milestone of having registered its 7,777th couple.
“We were excited to get married and did not expect to get lucky and win a brand new TV. It will be a great addition to our new house,” Tan added.
For another couple, Ng Boon Long, 33, and Chong Ting Huan, 35, their love story began on the badminton court.
Ng, who works as a logistics truck driver in Singapore, said he used to play badminton with friends in Johor Baru, where he first met Chong, a home baker.
“We started getting to know each other better during friends’ gatherings after our badminton sessions. Gradually, we fell in love.”
“We became ‘official’ on Valentine’s Day four years ago and decided to get married on Feb 14 to make the date even more special for us,” he said.
Ng said that the date was also auspicious as it was just days before Chinese New Year.
“It was a good opportunity for both of our families to get together. We went for a big meal and also tossed the yee sang to celebrate our union and Chinese New Year,” he added.
Association president Datuk Tan Ek Seng said Valentine’s Day remained one of the most popular dates for couples to register their marriages.
“Other popular dates include May 20, which loosely translates to “I love you” in Mandarin; the Mid-Autumn Festival and double-digit dates such as Aug 8, Sept 9 and Oct 10,” he said.
Such dates could see up to 40-over couples registering their marriages throughout the day, he said.
He added that four assistant registrars of marriage were on duty to conduct the ceremonies for the 21 couples yesterday.
