The village itself offers a charming slice of local life, a ‘living museum’, based in seven traditional houses. These are used to highlight the history and culture of the diverse racial groups living in Sarawak. Alongside displays of Malay life; Chinese and Dayak (the non-Muslim tribal groups of the area) cultures are also celebrated. The houses are surrounded by beautifully-designed tropical gardens and the village nestles in the foothills of the awe-inspiring Mount Santubong. In addition to the traditional feasts and celebrations on its cultural events programme, the village offers wedding and wedding renewal packages based on Malay, Iban (Sea Dayak) and Bidayuh (Land Dayak) traditional ceremonies.

Arriving a day early, we had the chance to explore the village ourselves before the festivities began. A taste of the area’s tribal past was offered at the Bidayuh headhouse – the traditional gathering place of the tribal elders and warriors. A display of human skulls was a reminder of the Bidayuh’s warlike past, and their gruesome war trophies. I then had a chance to display my (complete lack of) skill with a blowpipe at the Penan hut. The Penan are a nomadic people who hunted with the pipes – certainly more effectively than myself!

I also had a sneak preview of what the next day may hold at the Malay house, built on long stilts. It houses a display on preparations for a traditional Muslim wedding, and is also where the Malay marriage ceremonies take place. The village offers an overwhelming selection of handicrafts from the various groups. Declining my partner’s desperate pleas for one of the area’s stunning swords, Iban parang (we’d never get it through customs!), I opted for a reminder of the wedding as well as the village and bought a length of the divine Kain Songket (Malay cloth with gold inlay).

The next day brought the wedding itself and a dizzying feast of sights and sounds. Malays love brightness in their formal clothing and we felt positively dull and dowdy compared to the glorious brocades, colours and decorations of many of the outfits. The bride and groom are treated as king and queen for the day and the whole atmosphere was very special and unique – earnest and conducted with gravitas but also joyful and exuberant. The traditional ceremony took place on a saffron, green and red bedecked pelamin (bridal stage) within the traditional Malay home. The bride and groom donned golden wedding outfits, my friend completing his outfit with a keris (traditional Malay dagger) and a magnificent sultan’s hat known as a tengkolok. Heavy (and hot, if the groom’s glowing face was anything to go by!) and exquisitely detailed brocade also featured largely in both their dazzling costumes.

First of all, the happy couple were presented to their guests while seated on the pelamin. Their parents and relatives sprinkled rose scented water on them to bless them and their union. The guests were each presented with a bunga telur. Literally, this means 'flower and egg'. A helpful fellow guest told me that previously, the gifts were dyed and decorated eggs, the egg symbolises a fertile union and the hope that the marriage will produce many children. Tradition has now changed and other small gifts are also appropriate, secretly, I much preferred the bag of chocolates they had chosen as a substitute!

The highlight of the ceremony was the wedding feast. We were treated to delicious food including the ubiquitous Nasi Goreng (tasty fried rice). Throughout the feast, traditional music was enthusiastically played by a local band, beating kompangs (hand drums). As it was a Muslim ceremony, there was no alcohol allowed, this made no difference to the high spirits and delight that filled the room during the many hours of the celebration. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and the joy and delight on the happy couple’s faces was genuinely moving.

The next day, the bride and groom were off on their honeymoon to the Holiday Inn at Damai on the Santubong Peninsular, in the stunning main beach resort of Sarawak. My partner and I were off to the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, 32km south of Kuching, where orang utans, monkeys and honey bears, amongst other creatures caged illegally or orphaned, are reintroduced to the wild.

Before we departed, however, I gathered some information of my own on the wedding services provided. Who knows? I may be able to tempt my reluctant partner to marriage by doing it in this unique way; wearing a feathered headdress and being blessed by an Iban chief or donning a leopard’s tooth necklace for the rustic charm of a Bidayuh ceremony – both feature nightlong celebrations full of music and cheer, plus the drinking of Tuak (local rice wine) in potentially copious amounts. Perhaps this will charm my partner’s individual spirit into making an honest woman of me – it would certainly be a wonderful, extraordinary and memorable way to get hitched.