Dreams Come to Fruition
Zaida Ibrahim and Arif Zikri Azizi tie the knot thanks in part to the tale of a #brokenjuicer
Zaida Ibrahim and Arif Zikri Azizi’s love story blossomed after an incident with a broken juicer
It all began with a kitchen appliance meltdown. To make matters worse, the emergency took place on the opening day of Zaida Ibrahim’s new juicery business. Thankfully, knights in shining armour do exist, this time by way of Arif Zikri Azizi, who came to Zaida’s aid. He lent her his own juicer in a heartbeat, even though they had only met each other once. Today, they get a giggle out of recalling the event. The hashtag #brokenjuicer in their thread of wedding photos on Instagram is proof enough of the couple’s sense of humour.
A mutual friend, Izanna Salleh, is to thank for introducing the pair. They’d struck up a chat about the benefits of juicing at their first meeting. “It was actually because of healthy living that we started talking,” explained Zaida.
Their shared passion for fitness then brought them even closer over time.
“Even when we first started dating, we would go to gym together. It became a common activity. He even joined the Viper challenge because I had done it thrice and he needed to prove a point,” joked Zaida. “I am so proud of him though.”
“Falling in love was the easiest thing for me to do,” said the groom. A family man through and through, Arif knew that Zaida was the missing piece in his family because his son Adam adored her just as much he did. “When I think about the future of Adam and I, she is in every aspect of it,” he remarked.
“He was VERY persistent!” laughed Zaida when describing their initial courtship. “Arif is very caring—everything he does is for Adam and I. He will go above and beyond to make things comfortable for us.”
After a whirlwind of text messages, phone calls and dates, Arif artfully arranged the proposal by making reservations at Bakar, where they’d had their first rendezvous, and
even requested that they be seated at the same table. Needless to say, Zaida said yes when Arif got down on one knee. The couple celebrated their nuptials in grand fashion with not one, nor two or even three, but four ceremonies: an akad nikah, a Balinese beachside affair, a groom’s reception, and a ceremony in Penang. Zaida’s father, Tan Sri Ibrahim Saad, made sure that all hands were on deck by allocating specific tasks to each family member. Maids of honour Dato’ Puteri Muna and Adreanna Arjunaidi flitted around Zaida to keep her as stress-free as possible on her special day.
Malaysia Tatler was among the privileged spectators at the romantic akad nikah at Zaida’s family home, which resembled a scene straight out of a fairy tale. Bursts of white roses and wispy floral garlands provided an air of whimsy, while Zaida herself was a vision of elegance in her gown, fashioned out of lace and embellished with beads. The customised dress, a labour of love by Dato’ Sri Farah Khan, took three months to complete, since it was completely hand-beaded.
The bride had provided the design maven with a mood board detailing ideas for the dress. “It was everything I imagined it to be,” proclaimed Zaida.