GROOM PICKS UP BRIDE USING TRISHAW BECAUSE IT’S ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY

The trishaw is environment-friendly. We do not want to pollute the air on our wedding day. — Soon Hun Yang and Sally Peh, the newly-wed couple

KUCHING – A couple yesterday tied the knot with, in their own words, environmental preservation in mind.

The groom Soon Hun Yang could have driven a horse-drawn carriage to pick up his bride, Sally Peh, from her house near Rock Road but he opted for a trishaw.

“The trishaw is environment-friendly. We do not want to pollute the air on our wedding day,” the couple said later at their wedding reception.

Instead of the usual motorcade, Soon’s entourage, apart from the trishaw, consisted of six bicycles, ridden by close friends.

A train of tin cans was tied behind the trishaw, creating a jumble of clings and clangs as the three-wheeler made its way from the groom’s home at Penrissen Road to fetch the bride.

Motorists and other users stopped to take a look. After all, one doesn’t get to see a trishaw very often these days.

The ride to the bride’s house took about 20 minutes – and motorists co-operated by letting the trishaw roll along smoothly with the beaming groom holding a bouquet of roses, on board.

According to Chinese custom, the groom has to go to the bride’s house to ask her family for her hand in marriage.

Once her parents have given their consent, the groom and his entourage have to take part in quizzes or games planned by the bride’s relatives.

In Soon’s case, there were singing, and consumption of chilies, sugar, bitter herbs and wine.

“It was all done good-naturedly. This was supposed to be a happy day,” he said.

Once Soon and his entourage completed the “tasks”, the couple took leave from Soon’s house … on the trishaw, of course.

Arriving at his house, the groom introduced his bride to his parents as the newest member of the family.

Subsequently, in accordance with tradition, the couple paid homage to his parents and close relatives at a tea ceremony.

At the wedding reception later, the couple told thesundaypost they chose to use a trishaw because “it does not emit any fume and is thus environment-friendly.

“We don’t want to cause air pollution on our wedding day. We rented the trishaw from a shop in Padungan. We were told it was imported from Indonesia,” Peh said.

Soon, 30, the nephew of assemblyman and Assistant Minister of Housing, Dr Soon Choon Teck, is a chief executive officer of a company called Eco-Ideal while Peh, 32, is a consultant with a Kuala Lumpur-based company.

Both are from Kuching but working in Kuala Lumpur.

Asked why they chose to get married on July 7, the couple said the date (07.07.07) was easy to remember.

“There’s no auspicious meaning behind the date in Chinese beliefs but in the Bible, the number seven means eternity,” Peh said.

Moreover, since it was summer in Europe, friends could come to attend the wedding, Soon chipped in.

The couple were introduced to each other by friends and after goign steady for one and a half years, they decided to get married. They plan to visit Greece for their honeymoon.

Source: thesundaypost (July 8, 2007)

Click HERE to see how the bride and groom tied their knot the green way, and HERE for photos.