Modern Malay Wedding

At the end of 2022. my neighbour's daughter got married, so mum and I received an invitation to their wedding reception. Been a while since I've been to a Malay wedding, and I must say that times have changed. Back when I was a kid, the typical Malay kenduri (banquet) was not done in a buffet fashion. Guests dined in quads, where when four guests sat down together at a long table, food would be served. Following the theme, there would be four dishes with a washing jug in the middle (food tastes better when you eat with your hands!). Typical dishes are ayam masak merah, rendang daging, acar, and papadam. And of course there would be rice, usually nasi minyak. At my neighbour's wedding, some of the traditional dishes were present in the buffet spread,  but there were many added bonuses. like an apam balik station, cendol station,  curry noodles station, and roti jala. Also the traditional door gift of bunga telur (hard-boiled egg decorated like a flower) which symbolizes fertility had also been replaced with more desirable items like brownies and popcorn. My neighbour saw my Facebook post lamenting about bunga telur, and she personally got me several different versions. LOL!  Paiseh.