Elia's Wedding

as reported in The Star.


"And speaking of beaming, the glowing bride Elia, eldest daughter of Datuk Raziah Mahmud Geneid and niece to the Chief Minister himself, is the face of this high society, complete with society-savvy fashion sense, corporate wisdom and enough professional qualifications to wallpaper her corner-lot office with. Plus, she is genuinely nice and polite."

"Granted, a young lady of her level should only deserve the best on her big day. With a fleet of stretch limousines (courtesy of business-man/cousin Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman), guests and family members were luxuriously ferried to the Kuching Hilton for what was to be the highlight of the city’s calendar."

"By dinner time, all guest congregated at the resplendent Kasuma Resort – a venue of such majestic proportions, you had to breast-stroke across the plush carpeting to get across to the dining area. Once there, one witnessed a multi-cultural congregation worthy of a United Nation summit, only with more chandeliers, tuxedos and estate jewellery than a Cecille B. DeMille epic."

"The father of the bride Robert Geneid’s Middle Eastern roots lent the presence of many Mediterranean luminaries which included Elham Al-Yasin, the mother of Queen Rania of Jordan, KL-based socialite Gilda Bejani and dashing Jordanians Gaim Paolo and Gerald Genta of the luxury timepiece fame. Not to be outdone, the Japanese invasion came in the form of Hirose-Muller’s family and friends, elegant in their elaborate kimonos while happily brandishing their pocket-sized Nikons relentlessly."

"Apart from the nuptials, the second agenda of the night was the engagement of Elia’s equally stunning sister, Esha “Shasha’’ Geneid to her dashing dearly-intended, Joseph Afaki. Not to be outdone, she appeared – almost sylph-like – in a frothy concoction topped by a Maharani Baroda rendition of rubies. I felt tears in my eyes as the two young couples solemnised their union in the eyes of God, their family members and loved ones."

"The next session is in Kobe, Japan, to be hosted by the Hirose Mullers. (And yes, we were all invited, in grand Sarawakian style.)"

"Looking at Datuk Raziah beam beside her husband that night, I could not help but feel equally jubilant and happy over the weekend affair. As elaborate as it was, it was clearly what every parent would want for their children – a good, positive start to life with their loved ones."

· Social observer Mansor Tun Abdul Aziz revels in the beauty and irony of city society in his fortnightly column.

(managed to search and found this on Staronline for the benefit of Beng who was Elia's university mate in Sydney. Another university mate married Elia's brother and the wedding was equally grand, attended by the previous Agong in KL and the PM in Kuching)