How to Plan a Wedding in Malaysia Checklist

Wedding planning requires a lot of effort. From preparing the documents to register your marriage to the wedding reception banquet, it is important to have an idea what kind of wedding you want according to the budget.

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1. Marriage Traditions, Religious Marriage and ROM
2. Wedding Planning and Budget
3. Choosing the Wedding Venue for Reception & Ceremony
4. Shortlisting Wedding Vendors

Here’s all the topics of the checklist you need on how to plan a wedding in Malaysia:

Planning for Registration of Marriage (ROM) and Pre-Wedding

💍How to buy Wedding Ring

Shop for your engagement ring and wedding band

Option 1: Conduct detailed research on how to buy the most value for money diamond and ring setting online.

Option 2: Custom-make one according to your specifications from local jewelers (usually with good knowledge, can offer better price compared to retail chains and have mostly virtual inventories, few stocks in show room)

Option 3: Choose from the jewelry retail chains to pick a ready-made ring

Local jewelry retail chains

💐Proposal ideas

Plan a proposal

🍀Marriage Traditions and Religious Marriage Obligations

Ask parents for daughter’s hand in marriage
Attend marriage course and perform other religious obligations required before the wedding

Traditional Chinese Customary Wedding Rituals

Proposal, Betrothal gifts, wedding biscuits (ka lui peng), Installing bridal room, Hair dressing ritual, Pick the bride (door games), Tea Ceremony, etc.

Traditional Chinese wedding ritual guided by Dai Kum Jie (Cecilia from CYL Events)

Select an auspicious date (for Chinese weddings) done by Masters

Traditional Indian Wedding in Malaysia Checklist

Set the date and Book the Venue and marriage officiant (priest)
Verify wedding ceremony details – Pooja thali, flowers, rice, grains, coconut, etc.

Traditional Indian Wedding | Venue: Avillion Resort Port Dickson | Cinematographer: RC Studio

Hire Decorator, planner – Kolam, statue, mandap, flowers, etc.
Reserve Makeup and Mehndi artist, Rent or buy wedding attire, accessories.

Traditional Malay Wedding Rituals and Islamic Marriage in Malaysia

Malay wedding rituals are Merisik (Visit and observe) , Meminang (Proposal), Bertunang (Engagement), Adat Berinai, Akad Nikah (Ijab & Kabul/ Offer & Acceptance), Bersanding (Enthronement) and Kenduri (Wedding Reception)

Akad Nikah – Bersanding | Photographer: Qippy.com Photography | Wedding of Ally Mukhriz & Ezran Daud | Lace Gown: Lady Jane | Makeup artist: @norianathefacedesigner

Before the wedding the couple will go through Islamic Pre-wedding Preparation and Marriage Application,

Registration of Marriage

Submit an application to register your marriage for :

Non-Muslims at NRD office

Muslims at Pejabat Agama Islam.

For Pre-wedding Photography

💑Select Wedding Vendors

⛲Pre-Wedding Photo shoot Locations – List

From parks and garden full of trees to rustic architectures that remind you of memories of yesteryear here is: Where to have your pre-wedding photography in Malaysia

Location: Penang | Photographer: WLOON Photography

✋(Assistant) Marriage Registrar – List

Solemnization can be done at the NRD or religious houses/ temples/ churches/ associations (such as clan association)

Planning the Wedding

💲 Wedding Budget

You probably have to allocate about 50% of the budget for venue and banqueting. Fill in the budget percentage for each wedding checklist item and do an estimation: Wedding Budget Calculator.

📔 Wedding Planners – List

Shortlist a few Wedding Planners, ask for quotations. If it is within budget, get started with the concept, 💟Theme, requirements, timeline, guests arrangement and vendor sourcing.

For grand weddings: My Wedding Planner

Wedding Planner: MY Wedding Planner | Concept & Styling: Weddingism x Wishing Tree | Venue: Mandarin Oriental KL | Photographer: MunKeat

For weddings of different scales: Elysium Weddings

Photographer: Adam Ong | Wedding Planner: Elysium Weddings | Venue: Intercontinental Hotel KL

🏠 Wedding Venue (Reception and Ceremony)

Decide the type of wedding and number of guests.

Type of wedding venue:

🌳How to Plan The Most Beautiful Garden Wedding

Garden Wedding at LMP – Lumi Marketplace Tropicana

🏖️How to Plan a Beach Wedding

Garden beach wedding at Parkroyal Penang Resort | Decorator: Lamour Wedding Decoration & Events

🏨Hotel

⛺Bungalow (usually with outdoor space)

Bayswater KLCC is a bungalow – see-through stand-alone hall overlooking a garden

🏊Club – Golf, Recreational, etc.

🍽️Banquet Hall rental and Caterers

Venue: Luna Grand Ballroom | Wilson.W Photography

🏢Convention Centre for big weddings

Visit your shortlisted ones from List of Venues to look at the conditions and packages. The price is usually determined by the wedding menu.
If the decorations provided by the venue is not able to meet your requirements, you can add decorative segments with your personal touch such as photobooth, photo display table, entrance arch. Some wedding planners are decorators as well.
Thematic wedding styling, stationery and invitations are beautiful representation of your wedding and are great for photography.

Shortlisting the Wedding Vendors

Wedding Entertainment

🎵 Wedding Live Band

Investing in wedding Live Band/ musicians is something you will never regret! Hire the one with

⭐Good Reviews – recommended wedding live bands in Malaysia

Right Tone Music – Facebook Reviews: 5 out of 5 ☆ (120 votes)
Beat Music Performance – Facebook Reviews: 5 out of 5 ☆ (16 votes)
Mangroove Live Band (Penang) – Facebook Reviews: 5 out of 5 ☆ (47 votes)

💖Top 10 Live Band Malaysia

The Raw Note, Rhumba Live Band, Right Tone Music, Jetaime V Entertainment, The Muse Entertainment, Kaho Music, Happy Fish Entertainment, Bling Voice Entertainment, RCE Live Band, etc.

Live performance by Debbie – The Raw Note

🎛️ Wedding DJ

Let the professional wedding DJ craft some special mixes for your first dance and set the tone for your wedding event; be it lively music or some romantic tunes. Javen from Good Noise

🥁Traditional Musicians

Indian

Josh Productions (traditional music and dance)
The Dholiz (dhol drum performance) | Facebook
Naka Sutra Music Event – Indian, Malay, Chinese or fusion musical band

Chinese

Malay

Jalal Kompang | Facebook

💄 Bridal Makeup Artist

Choose the makeup artist that specializes in the bridal style that you prefer or has special specific qualities;

– 👸Princess and glamorous bridal look

– Chic, exquisite glow and 👩Natural

– ㉽Korean bridal style is youthful with delicate hair designs

– Highly sought-after Malaysia’s 💖Top 10 MUA

– 🧚Magical transformation

– Good contouring technique with more dimension 🌟3D Makeup

3D Makeup by Bellinese Beauty

📸Photographer

Many couples choose to select their own photographers for their pre-wedding photo shoot to ensure the quality they get instead of signing a bridal shop’s package. Read the reviews first.

– Top photographers for 💑pre-wedding photography

WLOON Photography | Facebook – beautiful colors, breathtaking scenery, Wooi Loon is a trustworthy guy
HelloJaneLee Photography | Facebook | Instagram – artistic mood with lots of depth
Hafizudin Hamdan Photography | hafizudinhamdan.com | Facebook | Instagram – his style is incredible

– Actual day Wedding Photographers + Videographers

RC Studio | rcstudio.com – Very cinematic shots that showcase the details beautifully

Actual Day Photographers

Mun Keat Photography | munkeatphotography.com – natural expressions, great photography technique
Arch & Vow | archandvow.com – popular, images are simple elegant