KUANTAN: Excitement was in the air as people from various races gathered at the Kuantan City Council Field 1 to witness the 'istiadat berinai' (henna application ceremony) of the newlywed Pahang royal couple today.
The ceremony was broadcast live on two giant screens at the field while another screen was set up at Tasek KotaSAS.
Members of the public gathered as early as 7.30pm with some choosing to perform their Maghrib prayers at the nearby Sultan Ahmad Shah 1 state mosque.
Many families found their own spots on the field with some laying out mats while others brought along foldable chairs to watch the event.
When the ceremony started at 8.30pm, many brought out their cameras and some set up their cameras on tripods to record the event.
Housewife Salmiah Johan, 40, said she brought her three children aged between 10 and 15 years as they were excited to watch the grand 'event live'.
"We came for the akad nikah ceremony here yesterday. I am not sure about bringing them for the 'bersanding' on Aug 25 as we will be travelling.
"My children captured a lot of pictures and asked a lot of questions about the ceremony. It was certainly a memorable moment to witness the presence of the Pahang royal family on screen," she said.
Meanwhile, lorry driver Kamaruddin Alias, 33, said it has been years since Pahang celebrated a royal wedding ceremony which became the talk of the town.
He said the giant screens and food stalls setup near the field allowed the public to enjoy the ceremony in a festive atmosphere.
Despite the heavy downpour as the ceremony approached an end, the public did not leave as many chose to seek shelter under the canopies which were setup for the stage performance on Aug 25 and only left after the rain stopped.
Yesterday, Tengku Puteri Raja, Tengku Puteri Afzan Aminah Hafidzatullah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah tied the knot with her partner, Fd Idzham Fd Iskandar at the Istana Abdulaziz here.