Ghost Marriage

Ghost marriage is the name of a Chinese tradition where the wedding is performed for one or both of the spouses is dead.


Previously engaged to be married

There have been a case in China where a couple were set to get married on February 4th, 2010 but on January 28th, 2010 the bride was stabbed to death by two heartless burglars. Although he's devastated and grief stricken by the loss of his bride-to-be, the groom still determined to proceed a sombre wedding at a funeral parlor for her.

On February 4th, 2010, at a funeral parlor in Zhangzhou, Fujian, the new bride lie in the crystal coffin in her wedding dress.  Family from both sides invited to act as witness to this unique wedding.

True Love Never Dies, It Only Gets Stronger With Time

So touching,  heartbreaking and true love is rare in this age. I can't help thinking it's like a tale in Romeo and Juliet but with a classic Snow White twist. 

It makes me wish they could have a happy ending where reminds me so much of Snow White. Prince Charming's true love kiss awakens Snow White, the two get married where they lived happily ever after.

In a real world 'Snow White' does not awake from her crystal coffin, she would remain asleep forever.

I feel sorry for the poor groom and the family of the bride.

“Be strong and brave because God is with you."

I want to believe, my heart says yes but my mind says no

Ghost marriages are often set up by request of the spirit of the deceased. I’ve got two stories related on this you might find this hard to believe. 
Story #1- A True Story From My Friend- Yeo Kim Hoe

A girl from my friend neighbourhood has passed away. A few months later she appeared to her mother in a dream saying she wished to marry a man who died recently. The girl gave her mom his name and address. The mother asked my friend if he knows the location of address her daughter had told her. My friend being inquisitive asked her why she wants to go to this address, she subsequently tell my friend the whole story.

Would you believe it? She found the address location and true to her words there was someone who died go by the name of...

During their “spirit wedding” at a flat house in Penang near Bayan Lepas the couple was represented in the form of two effigies made of paper, bamboo or cloth. 

On either side of them stands their respective paper servants, and items needed by the dead in "daily life", such as the dressing table (complete with a mirror), a table and stool, trunks of paper clothes and cloth. 

When the ghost marriage ceremony has been completed, all of the paper belongings are burned to be sent to the spirit world where it will be used by the couple in the afterlife.


Story #2 – From a recent story reported by local newspaper 


A FEMALE ghost has been infatuated with a 63years old man since his younger years. She has been trying to make sure he remained bachelor by spoiling all his matchmaking sessions.

He should considered himself lucky as she did not harm him physically but only breaking up any chances of him pairing with another girl. It was wrong for her to interfere with his match making affair but she did it in the name of love. 

Patience is a virtue even for a ghost as she could have takes it an easy way out by taking away his life.

Three years ago he died of a heart attack.

One day the man's sister said she dreamt her brother. In her dream her brother told her he wanted to marry the woman during the Hungry Ghost Festival last year.

Through the medium his sister was able to find out where the female ghost family was living. She already felt in love with him while she was still alive but did not reveal her feeling.

A lesson to be learned. If you love someone don’t hide your love, let it be known to the one you wish to spend the rest of your life with you.

It is better to have tried and failed than to regret for not trying.


So there it goes another happy ending story where she will live happily ever after in another world. She may not able to experience a life as a couple in earthly world but at least she redeem herself up as his spouse in a spiritual world.

 
Traditional marriage vows need to amend a bit to accommodate spiritual marriage which usually go something like 'blah blah.. Will you love her/him, comfort and keep her/him, and forsaking all other ... In sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, til death we won't part...'

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride,  2005 stop-motion animated  film about Victor, he is pledged to marry Victoria, a pre-arranged marriage by their parents. The two only meet the day before their scheduled nuptials, and Victor
conduct the wedding rehearsal  unknowingly in the presence of a deceased young woman,
she rises from the grave assuming he has married her!

Sometimes there are certain things are hard for us not to believe. It is when you have gone through certain experience than you will be a believer.

After All,  True Love Never Dies.