Hollywood royalty’s got nothing when it comes to the real deal, especially when it comes to royal weddings.
The son of the Sultan of Brunei married 22-year-old Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah, a reported systems data analyst and IT instructor, in a dazzling ceremony on April 12 at the Istana Nural Iman palace.
The Prince is the youngest of 12children of the Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, and his wife, Queen Saleha. He is second in the line of succession to become the next Sultan of Brunei.
Prince Abdul Malik sat next to his bride-to-be on an opulent golden throne in the palace throne chamber as they exchanged vows. Though the 11-day ceremony isn’t over yet, here’s a breakdown of the wedding’s most lavish details below.
The Venue
The lavish Istana Nural Iman palace is situated in Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. Designed by Leandro V. Locsin, it is considered the largest residential palace in the world, with 1,788 rooms, five swimming pools, 257 bathrooms, and a 110-car garage. And if you thought lighting for your wedding was expensive, the vast expanse of the palace requires 554 chandeliers and 51,000 light bulbs.
The Wedding Attire
Of course the sartorial choices of the stunning couple were dripping in luxury. Wearing matching golden traditional Malay dress, the bride was decked head to toe in sizable jewels. A diamond tiara with teardrop-shaped emeralds adorned her head over a long, intricate lace veil.
Around her neck she wore a glittering diamond necklace with three egg-sized emeralds and a broach to match. Foregoing the traditional bouquet of flowers, the bride carried a bundle of even more jewels. And on her feet, Christian Louboutin heels with the recognizable red soles, but encrusted Swarovski crystals made the pair lavishly unique. A pretty pink lip finished the gorgeous look.
But why stop with only one stunning outfit? Later at the wedding banquet Prince Abdul donned ceremonial military dress, complete with diamond epaulettes and collar. Not to be outdone, the bride changed into an intricately beaded floor-length purple gown embroidered with silver thread.
Another long delicate veil made an appearance, along with a diamond tiara set with a central scarlet gem and rubies. This time she painted her lips a deep red to match the rubies in her broach, ring and twisted diamond and ruby rope necklace.
The Guest List
Seven Malaysian state rulers and the governor of Saudi Arabia were reported to attend the exclusive event, along with friends and family, other noble blue bloods and international dignitaries.
The Schedule
The elaborate 11-day ceremony began April 5, with the traditional royal marriage proposal ceremony. This was when a representative of the groom went to the bride’s family to make known the groom’s intent to marry, which kicked off the festivities. Next was a“powdering”ceremony, where members of the bride and groom’s families anointed the couple with powder and scented oils, followed by a gifting ceremony.
One can only imagine the registry for this extravagant couple!
At the exchanging of the vows, royal guards entered the hall carrying ceremonial shields and spears. The banquet that followed was held in the palace’s hall which can accommodate up to 5,000 guests. There will be more stage shows and religious performances to come.
The Sultan of Brunei is one of the world’s richest men, with Forbes estimating his wealth at $20 billion in 2008. This lavish wedding ceremony rivals the Sultan’s 32-year-old daughter’s wedding in 2012 to Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, also held at the monarch’s palace.
