Newlywed Norliyana Noor Ariff is not yet a mother – but she lovingly mothers a group of special needs children from an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur.
And while weddings are usually all about the bride and groom, it wasn’t the case at Norliyana’s wedding: the Malaysian invited over 30 orphans to celebrate with her.
Having shot wedding photographs for over three years, photographer Asyraf Musa, 22, is used to big smiles. But on June 23, he was especially touched by the huge, heartwarming smiles on the faces of the children.
He was also moved to see the kids embracing the bride tightly, whispering well wishes into her ear and giving her loving kisses on the cheek. As he photographed them, he observed that their huge, beaming smiles were directed more at the bride than at his camera.
He told The Pride: “Her wedding was full of special kids, and full of love. When I asked her about it, she told me she visits them frequently at their orphanage.
“It’s inspiring and heartwarming to see her do good things for others, especially on her big day. I’ve seen many other couples invite artistes, performers or VIPS to grace their wedding. But instead, Norliyana invited these orphans to be her guests of honour.”
“I am inspired to be more like her – someone who spreads love so those most in need, like these orphans, will encounter kindness and empathy. When I was working with Norliyana, I realised, for her, kindness is not an afterthought, but a norm. When we chatted, her interest and involvement with children was apparent. She cares for them, no matter where they come from or what status they are.”
“I genuinely loved seeing the smiles of the children.”
He shared the photographs on his Twitter, which received over 18,000 ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’ in total.
Many on Twitter were quick to applaud her pure heart and kind-heartedness, with one user highlighting how she was made “more beautiful on her beautiful day because of her beautiful heart”.
To the newlyweds, The Pride wishes you a lifetime of bliss. We hope that you continue to keep touching others in your life with your thoughtfulness and kindness.