Brunei: The opulent wedding of Prince Abdul, son of one of the world's richest men

It was a wedding like no other and nothing less than you'd expect for the son of one of the world's richest men.

The son of the Sultan of Brunei was married to Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah in a spectacular ceremony at the monarch's 1,788-room palace in Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

Friends, family, royals and dignitaries attend the breathtakingly lavish nuptials of the crown Prince Abdul Malik, 31, as he and his 22-year-old bride-to-be, exchanged vows.

The wedding festivities, which began on 5 April, were to culminate in the 'bersanding' or enthronement ceremony, which is considered a highlight of the grand occasion.

The bride and groom were seated next to each other on gilded thrones in the Throne Chamber of the Istana Nural Iman palace for the ceremony.

The grandeur of the occasion was reflected in every inch of the opulent setting as well as the couple's traditional wedding attire.

The royals wore matching gold outfits, bedecked in diamonds and jewels. The bride, who worked as a systems data analyst and IT instructor, sported a diamond tiara studded with six teardrop-shaped emeralds. Her bouquet was made of dazzling gems, rather than flowers and her ornate veil was made of delicate gold embroidered lace.

She was adorned with jewellery, from head-to-toe, including a diamond necklace with a central pendant of three emeralds and a matching brooch of emeralds in a diamond setting. Even her Christian Louboutin heels were encrusted with Swarovski crystals, off-set by a solid gold ankle bracelet.

Part of the ceremony saw royal guards entering the hall carrying ceremonial shields and spears. After the ceremony, up to 5,000 guests will attend a luxurious banquet in the palace's hall.

The newlyweds changed into equally opulent evening attire for the wedding banquet with Prince Abdul donning a ceremonial military suit, embellished with diamond epaulettes and collar.

The bride changed into a beaded purple floor-length gown embroidered with silver thread and adorned with a diaphanous veil and diamond tiara, set with rubies and a scarlet gem. She dazzled in a matching necklace decorated with rubies, and a huge diamond and ruby brooch.

The Sultan has 12 children - five sons and seven daughters - from three different marriages. Prince Abdul Malik is the sixth child of the Sultan and his current wife, Queen Saleha, who wed in 1965 and is second in the line of succession to become the next Sultan of Brunei.

The location of the wedding, the dazzling Istana Nural Iman palace is situated in Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

It is considered the largest residential palace in the world, with 1,788 rooms, five grand swimming pools, 257 bathrooms, and a 110-car garage.

The wedding, which takes place over a period of 11 days, will end on 15 April, with a ceremony of thanksgiving prayers.