‘Malam Berinai’ is Malam Bergambar-Gambar

there’s a specific way of doing an ACTUAL ‘malam berinai’, but to us, it’s simply the night before the nikah or solemnization, when the bride has had her fingers, palm and toes painted with henna or inai – a night of fun, laughter and taking lots of pictures!

on that night of 19th dec, my youngest sis was about to get married. before the nikah the next day, she wanted to have a light, fun night of malam berinai. she was just so resplendent in this heavily beaded beautiful jalabiya I got for her from dubai. she was breathtaking. sob sob.

 

at the time of writing, she has already been whisked away by her husband on their mini honeymoon in penang. this is her on OUR version of malam berinai – dressing up just for pictures!

 

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she had her fingers, palm and toes painted earlier that day, and I was so fascinated that the inai-painter had her ipad on with pictures to guide her in painting the inai. hello technology!

 

before…

 

…after!

 

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azi looking gorgeous in cream-colored jalabiya, flanked by umi and my aunt cik. thanks for joining us in our craze and happy-fun-time!

 

…and then there’s US! azi, my eldest yong, me and syidot. we’re missing one more sister syimot who was still in confinement in her home in sri kembangan. she did manage to travel all the way to ipoh on the day of the reception, but we missed her during this malam berinai photoshoot, and the nikah too.

 

…and later that night it got even more crazier…

 

me and my boys : khaleef & kahfi

 

malam berinai is not a necessity, not wajib, not a must – to follow the procedure to a T is just following adat, and you’re welcome to do so if you like. for us it’s plain and simple – a gathering of close family members to just look pretty (or trying to haha) and take lots of pictures amidst lots of laughter and noise!