"Let's Meet Again in the Next Life" Malaysian Man Marries Embracing Late Fiancée's Life-Size Standee

Entering with a Life-Sized Standee in a Wedding Dress
Traditional Rituals Including Cake Cutting Held
Posthumous Marriage is Legally Permitted in France

A story has emerged about a Malaysian man whose fiancée passed away just a few months before their wedding. He held a "spirit wedding" ceremony, embracing a life-size cutout of the deceased bride.

On July 3, Singaporean media outlet AsiaOne reported on the spirit wedding held on June 28 in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. Previously, the Malaysian man, John, and his fiancée, Sakhira Sau, had promised to marry. The couple originally planned to hold their wedding in November this year. However, when Sakhira Sau suddenly passed away last month, the wedding they had been planning together could not become a reality. In order to keep his promise to his fiancée, John decided to hold a "spirit wedding," a traditional Chinese ritual.

The video posted on social media showed John kneeling in front of his fiancée's casket, shedding tears. It was reported that he cut the wedding cake with the guests and held traditional tea ceremonies, performances, and a ritual of burning paper offerings. Screenshot from SNS

A spirit wedding is a ceremony performed when either the bride or groom, or both, have passed away. It symbolizes a marital union in the spiritual world and is often conducted as a blend of wedding and funeral rites. On the day of the ceremony, the venue was decorated with flowers, balloons, and photos of the deceased, with a central aisle set up as a virgin road. A life-size cutout of Sakhira Sau was dressed in a wedding gown. John, wearing a suit and holding a bouquet, entered the hall, embracing the cutout of his fiancée. The guests applauded and celebrated their union.

A video released on social media showed John kneeling in front of his fiancée's casket, shedding tears. It was reported that he cut the wedding cake with the guests and held traditional tea ceremonies, performances, and a ritual of burning paper offerings. After the ceremony, John wrote on his social media, "Today, I finally married you," and added, "Meeting you in this life was the greatest blessing. I will surely meet you again in the next life." He also expressed his longing by writing to his fiancée, "Our love has not changed at all because of this farewell." Sakhira Sau's funeral was held the day after the spirit wedding, on June 29.

Meanwhile, similar cases of posthumous or spirit weddings have been reported abroad. In 2012, a man named Chadil Deffy in Thailand held a wedding at the funeral of his long-time partner, Sarinya Kamsuk, who had died in a traffic accident. He fulfilled their unachieved promise of marriage by placing a ring on the deceased's finger.

There have also been similar cases in India. Last year, in Uttar Pradesh, India, a man in his twenties held a symbolic wedding ceremony for his deceased fiancée before her funeral. He performed Hindu wedding rituals, such as applying sindoor to the deceased's forehead and walking around her funeral bier, saying, "I wanted to fulfill her last wish."

In some countries, posthumous marriage is even legally permitted. The French Civil Code allows for marriage to a deceased fiancé(e) with presidential approval, provided there are special reasons and clear proof that the marriage was intended during their lifetime. In fact, in 2009, a woman in France became a legal widow by marrying her fiancé posthumously after he died in a car accident.

However, in some regions, such as China, the custom of spirit marriage has also been exploited for crimes such as corpse trading or grave desecration, which has fueled ongoing controversy. Experts point out that while this ritual may be viewed as a way of mourning and remembrance depending on the region and culture, when issues of consent or human rights arise, it can be subject to social criticism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.