Magnificent wedding for Brunei prince

The Sultanate of Brunei, located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, is one of the richest nations in the world. And the country flaunted its wealth without any restraint at the event. For the wedding ceremony, the couple - sitting on thrones made of pure gold - invited the guests into a huge ceremonial room.

Around 6,000 guests were invited to the festivities, including many government officials. On the guest list were also members of royal families from around the world, along with foreign diplomats, dignitaries and politicians from across Asia.

The bride Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah waits for her future husband. To sweeten her wait a little, she receives a bridal bouquet made of pure gold and studded with diamonds, as shown here.

Even the bride's shoes are adorned with precious stones. She also wears an anklet made of pure gold. Only the folds of the flesh-toned stockings above the ankle are a little distracting in the otherwise opulent picture.

A bit later, Prince Abdul Malik of Brunei enters the hall. The 31-year-old is second-in-line to the throne of the Sultanate. The bride's family has connections to the royal family, according to media reports.

Under the watchful eye of his father, the actual marriage ceremony begins. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is one of the richest persons in the world and he runs the small, oil-rich nation as an absolute Muslim monarchy.

The setting of the lavish wedding, the Istana Nural Iman Palace, is located in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The guests did not have to jostle for space here as the palace has 1,788 rooms, five large swimming pools, 257 bathrooms and a garage with space for 110 luxury cars.

For the royal banquet, the royal couple turned up in new outfits. Instead of golden robes, Prince Abdul Malik wore his gala uniform, while the princess wore a purple-colored, floor-length gown with woven silver threads.

The 22-year-old princess wore a ruby-studded crown on her head, the most valuable gemstone of which is the size of a 2 euro coin. Her magnificent necklace is also adorned with numerous rubies and diamonds. The princess was an IT systems administrator before her wedding. It is said that, in her spare time, she likes to read books on the role of women in Islam.

Prince Abdul Malik is the youngest son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife, Queen Saleha. The sultan has 12 children, five sons and seven daughters, from his three marriages. 31-year-old Abdul Malik is second in the line of succession to become the next Sultan of Brunei.

Islam is the official religion in Brunei. Sunni Muslims make up about 70 percent of the population. But although the country's Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, human rights groups have complained about increased restrictions for people of other religions.

In May 2014, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah began introducing Islamic Shariah law into the legal system. The Sultan, who is head of state and government and concurrently Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Finance Minister, also sees himself as the main custodian of religious beliefs in Brunei. For years he has been taking steps towards a more orthodox interpretation of Islam.

In the evening of the wedding ceremony, the 6,000 guests were treated to a multi-course banquet dinner. The wedding festivities began on April 5 and continued for 11 days. Where the royal couple will be spending their honeymoon, hasn't been made public.