A wedding – complete with ring – for under $300? These Malaysian newlyweds prove it is possible

Starting from a ring, to the guests, to the venue and to the outfits, every detail matters when we think about getting married. 

It is never as simple as it seems because weddings are often tied to a long list of must-dos a.k.a customs that are practised in every society or culture. 

And not to mention the costs too, for we all know too well that weddings are expensive affairs.

Yet, one couple from Malaysia has proven that it is possible to keep weddings 'short and sweet'. And most importantly, cheap. 

The newlyweds by the username @wydsetan, recently shared their wedding expenses on Twitter, showing how it cost them less than RM$1,000 (S$300) in total.

And this includes the cost of the ring too. 

So, how did they do it?

The couple Ahmad Farith Zulkefli, 26, and Nur Ashiekin Johari Hamki, 25 shared their wedding hack in a follow-up tweet on March 5. 

Ashiekin revealed that she asked her friend to help with the photos, where they used a phone to take their wedding pictures while she did her own makeup.

In an interview with The Star's Malay-language portal Mstar, Farith shared that his family offered to cook the wedding meal, consisting of white rice and asam pedas dishes at a cost of just RM200 for the guests. 

"The total, including the ring, is under RM1,000," he said.

Ashiekin, who hails from Melaka, added that they did still abide by their Muslim customary practices and emphasised the need to get consent from both sides of the family.

“You have to slowly explain to them what’s important and what’s not,” she said.

"We got married at the Central Melaka District Islamic Religious Office on March 3. There was already a dais there, so we only took pictures there."

Many were curious as to why they decided to be extra frugal for their wedding as it is a special day for them.

Ashiekin further shared that as the eldest of nine siblings, she understands the difficulty of earning money, thus inspiring her to have a simple ceremony.

"He is self-employed. I only work part-time. So we focus more on life after marriage. Money to buy furniture, buy food and so on. There is a lot of money to be used after the wedding ceremony," continues Ashiekin.

"So I made the cost at just under RM1,000. It's not difficult. It's all up to us, as long as we're good at managing it. We have to separate what's important and necessary. We can also use what we already have," she added.

There were many mixed reactions to their budget-friendly wedding. 

Some questioned if it is even possible to spend so little on a wedding, and doubted if others would do the same.

While some wanted to know the full details of their expenses so that they can do the same for their own wedding.

Most netizens praised them for being wise with their money during these inflationary times and wished for such weddings to be the norm. 

In sharing their story, the couple hopes that newlyweds out there would not be entangled in debt for their grand ceremony.

Couple holds wedding banquet in coffee shop

Last month in Singapore, a couple - a 42-year-old Chinese beautician, and a 54-year-old local delivery driver, held their wedding banquet at a coffee shop in Bukit Merah, reported Lianhe Zaobao.

The couple invited their loved ones to a celebration of their union at Foodgle Eatery & Beer Garden with six tables in total and more than 60 friends in attendance.

The couple paid $3,000 for six tables. 

In comparison, the cost of a hotel banquet is estimated at around $17,420 to $40,540.

While that might seem off-putting to some, it was there that the couple first met and this added to the significance of the wedding venue.

ALSO READ: 'We are both pretty quirky': Couple pose with Haw Par Villa sculptures for their pre-wedding photoshoot