Setting Sail
Shazwan Fadhli and Syairah Abdul Malek tied the knot earlier this year with an excitingly themed ceremony that was sure to float everyone’s boat
Guests were welcomed aboard the yacht SS 294. The ‘SS’ represented the initials of Shazwan and Syairah and the number 294 signified the date that the two were to start their new lives together as husband and wife. Friends and family arrived to a setting bedecked in blue and white that complemented the couple’s chosen theme, ‘Yacht Race: Sydney To Hobart’. The night began with the emcees announcing the arrival of the bride and groom to the guests, but all went quiet as the pair did not make an appearance. A panicked family member ran over and informed them that the two were still on the yacht, and diverted their attention to the ‘live feed’ that showed video excerpts of couple on the vessel, before realising that they were both late for the reception. Guests were amused and entertained by the clip which showed the newlyweds’ adventure to get to the reception on time—running and dashing to the ballroom at the Top Glove Tower. As the doors swung open at the ballroom, sounds of a violinist playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D led the entourage comprising marine captains and marine maidens all the way from Australia, dressed in nautical blue and white, the bride and groom and their parents. The emcees explained the significance of the theme—the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is often described as the most challenging long ocean race in the world. This in turn, was used to describe the long-distance relationship between Shazwan and Syairah during his years studying in Australia. Following this, the organisers took great care to ensure that each of the guest tables carried the popular yacht names of the Sydney to Hobart races such as Abracadabra, Black Sheep, Jackpot and Hollywood Boulevard.