A lavish 10-day celebration has begun in Brunei to mark the wedding of Prince Abdul Mateen and his longtime girlfriend Anisha Rosnah.
Prince Mateen, the fourth son and 10th child of the Sultan of Brunei, has often been regarded as one of Southeast Asia's most eligible bachelors. The wedding is believed to be one of the grandest in the tiny nation state in recent memory.
On Monday, Malaysian designer Teh Firdaus, who's known for his bridalwear, shared images of Rosnah at a pre-wedding ceremony.
“Honoured to play a role in the Brunei royal wedding,” Firdaus posted on Instagram, along with pictures of Rosnah in a dazzling white Baju Kurung, a traditional dress worn by women in Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
The custom dress was made from tenunan Brunei, an intricately woven textile and the country's main handicraft, while the sleeves and skirt edge came heavily embellished with crystals.
Rosnah completed her look with a white hijab and natural make-up.
Held a few days before the official 10-day celebration, the Khatam Al Quran ceremony is practised by some Muslims as a pre-wedding ritual. In it, the future bride reads the entire Quran before she enters into married life. Prayers are also performed for the coming nuptials to go smoothly.
Rosnah wore another Firdaus creation for her engagement ceremony on Tuesday.
Also a Baju Kurung, albeit a shorter version, the opulent all-white ensemble had intricate embroidery, pearls and lace.
“This was the first look I designed for her wedding. In fact, she bought the French lace from London and expressed her love for pearls. Her only request to me was to hand bead pearls throughout the baju kurung, which took us three months to complete,” Firdaus told Harpers Bazaar Malaysia.
Firdaus says he first met Rosnah in June when she asked him to design a dress for her. Impressed with his work, she again reached out to the designer to craft looks for the 10-day wedding celebration.
Rosnah is the granddaughter of one of the sultan's special advisers, Pehin Dato Isa.
She and Prince Mateen have been dating for a few years and have been seen together on numerous occasions, including at the wedding of Prince Mateen’s sister, Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah, early last year.
Their engagement was announced by the sultan in October.
On New Year's Eve, Prince Mateen shared a photo of himself and his bride-to-be to his more than 2.4 million followers on Instagram, with the caption: “Wishing you all the best for 2024.”
In the photo, Prince Mateen wears a sharp blue suit, while a smiling Rosnah stands beside him in a chic cream pantsuit, her hands crossed to show off her large diamond engagement ring.
Celebrations in the next few days will include traditional as well as Islamic ceremonies, musical performances and a glittering banquet with top international guests in attendance.
The guest list is rumoured to include Britain's Prince and Princess of Wales as well as Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa.
January is a special month for the Brunei royals.
Prince Mateen's sister, Princess Azemah, married their first cousin, Prince Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah, in January last year. The lavish 10-day celebration was preceded by the wedding of Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah in January 2022. Princess Fadzilah married her Iraqi partner, Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi, also in a 10-day ceremony in Brunei.
