Princess Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim and Dennis Muhammad Abdullah
The daughter of one of Malaysia’s most powerful sultans married her Dutch fiance on Aug. 14 in a tradition-filled ceremony during a day of lavish celebrations witnessed by crowds of excited wellwishers.
Princess Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim, 31, the only daughter of the Sultan of Johor, tied the knot with Dennis Muhammad Abdullah, 28, capping a romance of over three years.
The Dutchman, who has converted to Islam, and the princess wed according to Muslim Malay custom at the Serene Hill Palace, the royal family’s residence in the southern city of Johor Bahru. The private ceremony was attended by close family and friends.
The groom wore traditional white Malay wedding attire and the bride wore a white dress, with Dennis Muhammad placing the ring on his bride’s finger in a special room of the palace and offering a dowry of around $5, in line with centuries-old local customs.
More than 1000 members of the public were invited to attend the main wedding event, which involved a formal “sitting-in-state” ceremony. And others were able to watch the event on a large public screen in city squares in Johor.
The couple met three years ago in a café in Malaysia when the Amsterdam-born groom was named Dennis Verbaas.
In 2015, he embraced Islam and now works as a property developer in Johor. In a statement, the Princess said: “We will move into our own home and start life anew as husband and wife. It will be the first time I will be living alone and away from my parents and family.”