‘Today, I finally married you’: M’sian man holds late influencer’s standee during ghost wedding
The husband of a Malaysian livestreamer who died just months before their wedding held a ghost marriage ceremony in her honour, with photos of him next to a life-sized standee of his late wife going viral.
A ghost marriage refers to a marriage in which one or both parties are deceased, often involving the burning of offerings so that couples can be wed in the spiritual realm.
The influencer, who goes by SaKira Saw on Facebook, died unexpectedly on June 23. Her wake was held at a funeral parlour in Penang the following day.
Four days later, her husband, John, held a ghost marriage ceremony to honour her memory.
Videos of the ceremony, shared on his Facebook page on June 28, show an aisle decorated with flowers, balloons, and photos of SaKira, while offerings and joss sticks are placed on a table at the front.
The post also shows a video montage of SaKira with friends and family in the background, as well as attendees walking down an aisle.
John follows behind, dressed in a blazer and T-shirt with a bouquet in hand, while carrying a life-sized standee of SaKira in a wedding dress.
Breaks down before coffin
Another clip shows him turning to the standee, appearing to speak to it with a smile on his face.
Later, attendees bow their heads with their hands clasped together as several individuals, dressed in attire resembling that of Taoist priests, conduct the ceremony.
John slips a ring onto his own finger, before leaning over the coffin and breaking down in tears.
Afterwards, he takes part in what appears to be a tea ceremony, before cutting a wedding cake and popping a bottle of champagne, with SaKira’s standee placed nearby.
The videos also show paper offerings being burned in a car park.
The pair had originally planned on getting married in November 2026.
‘Our love has never changed’: Husband pays tribute to late wife
In a Facebook post on June 28, John shared photos from the ceremony along with a tribute to his late wife.
“Today, I finally married you,” he wrote in Chinese. “Although we didn’t have the wedding at the hotel we agreed to, and had to fulfil our promise in this way instead, I trust that you can feel the sincerity of my love.”
He added that meeting SaKira had been the “greatest blessing” of his life, and that he had cherished each moment they spent together.
“Our love has never changed, not even in separation,” he wrote.
In another post the following day, John expressed gratitude for family and friends who gathered for the ceremony.
“There are no regrets, only a sense of fulfilment,” he wrote.
“Moving forward, I will take good care of our child, cherish our home, and carry her love with me.”
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