Two Worlds as One
The wedding of Muhammad Rahmat Geneid and Chika Tatsuzawa is a marriage of two cultures, apart from being a union of two hearts
The story of how Muhammad Rahmat Geneid met his bride sounded as if it belonged in a rom-com movie, complete with a good-natured Cupid to boot. The articulate lawyer was having his dinner at a restaurant when he overheard a group of women enjoying themselves a few tables away. Out of the laughing ladies, he had eyes for one of them, a bubbly Japanese beauty by the name of Chika Tatsuzawa. His interest piqued, he signalled a passing waitress to pay their bill. When the waitress returned to his table, she informed him that Chika and her friends would like his company as a thank-you gesture. Buoyed by this reciprocation of interest, Muhammad made his move soon after and won over his lady. It would only be much later that he finds out that Chika and her friends never actually invited him over in the first place. Out of her own effort, the waitress had actually played Cupid on his behalf by giving him an opening to woo the woman of his dreams. While the couple never found out the mysterious waitress’ name, they definitely had her to thank for the start of their romantic relationship. They underwent a period of long-distance courtship during the beginning stages of their relationship, with Chika working as an air hostess and Muhammad based in London for his studies at the time and then later in Kuala Lumpur as a lawyer. However, their time apart strengthened their bond as they cherished every moment they did spend together, culminating in Muhammad eventually popping the question to her while the couple were in Kuala Lumpur together, at Pavilion. The planning of their wedding, a celebration that spanned two cities and cultures, was made memorable due to the sheer effort and logistics required to execute it. With the help of their family members and close friends, the celebrations went on smoothly with flourish and style. Both ceremonies were organised with consideration of the couple’s cultural roots, with details like bilingual emcees and planned itineraries created beforehand for guests in both cities, to ensure the entire celebration was enjoyed by all. The first event for the wedding was the akad nikah ceremony. The groom’s private residence in KL was transformed into a floral wonderland for that segment of their union. Father of the groom, Dato’ Robert Geneid was beaming with pride as he welcomed every guest with a hearty handshake, with his equally welcoming wife Datuk Raziah Mahmud-geneid by his side. Chika’s parents Kazuya and Fumiko Tatsuzawa joined in for the ceremony as well, together with some of their family members and friends from Japan. All attendees were decked in their finest traditional outfits for this resplendent ceremony.