Okay, I am still trying to comprehend this obscene amount of sponsorship, especially now when the country’s economy is under much stress. It isn’t exactly fine and dandy, what with the continuing downward pressure on oil prices, and the government having to depend on the collection of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Sheez.
It’s a whopping RM25 million for the wedding of celebrity couple Shaheizy Sam and Syatilla Melvin; just when I thought the RM13 million wedding sponsorship of popular actress Rozita Che Wan and hubby actor Zain Saidin’s in 2013 was an insane amount.
Sam and Syatilla must be over the moon knowing that their wedding, being the most extravagant “production” of their lives, is getting the much needed funding. I bet they are grinning from ear to ear as they imagine the amount they will be able to put aside for their post-wedding fund.
When news of the sponsorship deal went viral, it did not take long for netizens to offer their two cents worth. Some did not even bat an eyelid and reacted positively by congratulating the gorgeous couple, while most took on their self-appointed role as keyboard warriors to “whack” the couple till kingdom come.
The bottom line is this is none of our business. To each his own, and, Sam has decided to gracefully accept the offer. But, even Sam said he was pleasantly surprised by the amount, having left all the wedding preparations to his mother.
Their union will obviously go down in history as the “Wedding of the Year”. The string of local sponsors — Jakel, KL Wedding Ministry, Zaha Wedding Planner, Azasna Design, Altelia Amani and Lords Tailor — shows that, despite the sluggish economy, there are still many Malaysian companies that are doing well.
The jewellery sponsorship by international jewellery house Ceres alone is tagged at RM20 million, while the rest covers the cost of the receptions, attire, decorations, dais and door gifts for guests.
Sam and Syatilla’s wedding will see four receptions in total, with every little detail sorted out. If, he needs to fork out for anything, it would probably be the mas kahwin (dowry) and wedding gifts for his bride. With most of us having to resort to tightening our belts, I suppose, we should rejoice in knowing that there are those who are better off and who are keen to blow their money away for the sake of celebrities (note the blistering sarcasm).
But, then again, the companies probably don’t have a big marketing budget and are looking for another way to gain exposure, instead of relying on traditional advertising, as it only costs them time and materials. All they want to know is that they will get a good return on their ringgit with the intense branding they are bound to get.
But, for what it’s worth, celebrities also need to ensure that their desire for a free wedding doesn’t overshadow the point of the event. When every guest at your wedding is forced to wear an attire with Din Satay Enterprise written across it, you have probably gone too far. Surely, that is not most people’s idea of a chic wedding? Let’s just hope Sam and Syatilla’s lavish wedding turns out to be memorable for the right reasons.
Weddings nowadays are a costly affair. The average cost of a wedding here, in this case, a celebrity wedding, is probably more than RM200,000! And, in order to pay for this, many couples either take on debt, save like crazy, adopt cost-cutting efforts by reducing the number of guests, or even going DIY for the whole occasion.
So, yes, Sam and Syatilla are extremely lucky to have found their pot of gold; not having to suffer unnecessary stress that comes with planning their wedding and, on top of that, they don’t have to resort to making 1,000 pieces of bunga telur all by themselves (note the sour tone of envy).
Sponsoring celebrity weddings isn’t unusual these days. There have been other celebrity couples who received millions of ringgit worth of sponsorship.
Besides Rozita and Zain, there’s Lana Nodin and David McKienzie (RM2 million), Memey Suhaiza and Norman Hakim (RM12 million) and Mawi and Ekin (RM5 million).
I wonder, if there is a silent race among our celebrities to see who can lock in the biggest wedding sponsorship?
But, then again, there are also artistes who have politely turned down sponsorships, preferring to use their own hard-earned money. Among them are artistes like Erra Fazira (her second marriage) and Fasha Sandha, who were more comfortable with managing their own wedding receptions.
I remember an actor friend who was steadfast about orchestrating his own wedding as he “refused to kowtow” to any sponsors.
“I view marriage as sacred. It is a spiritual partnership that involves the joining of two who love each other with a third, who is God. Therefore, I prefer my wedding to be a small and intimate reception, with only our family members and close friends present. Also, I think using my own money is more berkat (blessed).”
Now wouldn’t it be nice to see big corporations spending millions to help poor mortals who need funds to undergo treatment or life-saving operations? Most of them do not involve millions of ringgit. And yet, there aren’t many in the corporate sector rushing to cough up the dough for those really in need. Let’s not turn a blind eye to the poor and destitute. The more you give, the more you gain.
Back to our celebrity couple. With all the brickbats Sam and Syatilla are getting, here’s a tip — would it not be commendable for them to put aside a portion of the money that they receive as wedding gifts and channel it to those in need of assistance or sponsor some unfortunate under-graduates at local public universities? Such acts would surely score them some brownie points. One thing’s for sure, that would be great PR for the celebrity couple!
With the gloomy economy, perhaps some smart aleck might suggest that we follow what the Indian government is proposing to do — impose a luxury tax on lavish wedding ceremonies with 1,000 guests in attendance. The amount collected will be pooled into a marriage fund to sponsor marriages for the poor or hold mass marriages.
Alrighty, let us return to congratulating Sam and Syatilla! Whether it is RM25 million or RM25,000, (or RM250) here’s hoping they will be eternally blessed in a happy marriage. Ameen.
Now, let’s see which celebrity couple will be able to top them.
The writer is a passionista with a keen interest in showbiz and pop culture (online shopping included!). And oh, she is also the editor of the Groove-iest desk ever