The Wedding Gown and the Pink House

Amazingly, 45 years after my wedding in Sibu, a Face Book friend and photographer helped me find my Bridal Gown and Dressmaker's house . He captured two views after a short search along Tiong Hua Road. I had told him about the bungalow with a stair case in front and a rounded living room upstairs. It was then also painted in pink.


Photos courtesy of Freddie Wong of Sibu - another closer view.

On 22nd November 1973 I came home from University of Malaya and was ready toserve as a trained teacher in Sarawak. And like many of my graduate teacher peers,before we were posted to our teaching posts which might be remote places in Sarawak I had a wedding to plan.

My weddingwas announced for 1.1.1974 and I was my own wedding planner with a budget of less than RM 2000.00

My bridal car was an engineer friend's Volvo (rent free). My pastor Rev Mutthiah was going to officiate at Wesley Church (no photography rule) , my "free" wedding photographer was arranged by cousin David for after the ceremony outside the church. It was to be a Mr. Lau (special camera promised) and my maid of honour, Ms. Maria Dris (who provided her own gown). Best man was Mr. Toman Mamora.(who also came with his own suit). The bride groom's jacket was paid for by his former Principal, Mr. John Nicholl.

Because the photographer was so drunk the night before, he missed my wedding at Li Ling (Wesley Church) and as a result I had no informal photos. We were not ready with a second photographer or second camera. Thus I did not have a wedding photo with friends, with the pastor, with my elders.

My wedding photos were only studio photos after the wedding. I was a little sad about this. 30 years later when cameras became filmLESS, I took photos of everything I saw, much to the annoyance of a lot of people and rightfully became a photo-journalist with publications in the local newspapers. But I will always remember my photo-less actual wedding ceremony.

The wedding banquet was booked at Yien King Restaurant which had four weddings to handle that day, and it only had space for 10 tables after a lot of negatiation by my Uncle, a Foochow Penghulu. The angpows to be collected, according to my Uncle, would definitely pay for the food. But my mother and I were ready with the basic budget.

One VIP and wife were invited but on the night before the wedding he was taken by helicopter to Kuching for a new political assignment.

The most memorable part of my wedding planning was the rental of the wedding gown.

My cousin Agnes, suggested the tailor/home dressmaker who worked from a Tiong Hua Road house. the dressmaker took out several gowns, most have been worn by several brides, a few were brand new from Singapore. And mentioned her own wedding dress.We looked at her gown made of white lace (pure cotton) and I fell in love with it. The amazing feeling was the perfect fit when I tried it on. I did not have any headache at all looking for a wedding gown.

I thought about my wedding gown recently because my cousin Agnes passed away at the beginning of this year. May her Soul Rest in Peace. She was a very loving and helpful cousin.

How could I , fresh from the uni and a total stranger to the tailor, have the same measurements? She was amazed too.

And we did not haggle for the price. My cousin said 60 dollars was good. And I could take the gown immediately, no washing was needed.

So on 1.1.1974 I wore the wedding gown, without the traditional gloves, stockings, and even corsets,after only one fitting!! Amazing coincidence.

Today the wedding photo is very faded and no one can see the beautiful lace any more. One can only see the lovely flow of the gown. But her house is still there in Tiong Hua Road, Sibu. Would she still be there?