Taking the headache out of wedding preparations

Triwik Kurniasari ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 07/21/2008 10:34 AM  |  City

WALK DOWN THE AISLE: In this file photo, a bride and groom walk into Immanuel Church in Central Jakarta, with family and friends in tow. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Weddings in Indonesia are not only about the bride and groom exchanging vows, but also a social event involving extended family.

Many couples in Indonesia prefer to prepare their weddings by themselves rather than hire wedding planners. Erika Tiara Kusuma, 29, said for her it was a family affair.

"I have my family to help me. A wedding is a very personal thing and I want my family to be involved. It would be weird having strangers interfering in your wedding," said Erika, who sent out 500 invitations for her big day on July 26.

"Besides that, hiring a wedding planner would be more expensive. I don't have any budget for that," she said, adding she had already spent about Rp 100 million (US$10,934) for the event.

Erni Setyowati, 32, expressed similar sentiments. She said she asked her family to help her plan her wedding.

"I trust my family and believe in their suggestions," said Erni, who spent more than Rp 90 million in the run-up to her wedding.

Tiara Josodirdjo, a wedding organizer, said professional planners could help couples realize their wedding concepts.

"Professional and prominent wedding organizers assist couples create their wedding concepts from A to Z, including the budgeting, catering, decorations and dresses," she said.

"A wedding organizer can also act as a buffer if there is a disagreement between the couple and their families. But in Indonesia, most couples still prepare weddings on their own because they believe it should be a family matter."

Tiara added couples ideally prepared for the event about eight to 12 months in advance.

"They should first set concepts for their wedding receptions, whether traditional or international. They should also suit the concept with the budget," she said.

Preparation list

Venue
Tiara advised couples to begin scouting wedding venues at least a year in advance.

"It is not easy to find a wedding venue, especially if couples want to get married on certain dates and in favorite venues. So it helps to start searching for venues about 12 months in advance," she said.

Weddings are usually held in hotel ballrooms and multipurpose auditoriums, which can accommodate hundreds of guests but are very costly; or places of worship, such as mosques or churches, which allow for simpler and cheaper festivities.

Erika, for instance, chose a church in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, to host her upcoming wedding.

"My mother actually wanted me to get marry in a big auditorium to accommodate 1,000 guests. But it was hard to find a venue that suited our budget," she said.

"My fianc* and I finally decided to hold our wedding at the church. It is more practical because the church also provides a reception room, which can accommodate about 1,000 people. And at Rp 15 million, it's also affordable."

The Santa Maria Cathedral in Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta, is also a popular place for weddings.

Those wishing to get married in the cathedral need to apply for a permit from the cathedral's secretariat at least six months in advance, said Yan, an employee at the cathedral.

"We also provide two auditoriums, which can accommodate 100 and 500 people, for wedding receptions. But they are only for the cathedral congregations. We don't charge extra for use of the auditoriums. We only ask the couples to donate for the electricity they use," he added.

Other couples choose to hold their receptions at home. Dhinie, 29, said she would hold her upcoming reception at her parents' home in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

"It's cheaper and simpler, because renting out other venues can be very expensive," she said.

Catering
Food is the most important part of a wedding reception. If the couple hold the reception at a hotel, the catering needs are much easier to fulfill.

Many venues now partner with catering services, with couples given the opportunity to test the food on offer.

Balai Kartini offers its own catering, alongside five other catering partners. It also partners with 42 decorating and 35 photography services.

"Our wedding packages, Mawar and Rafflesia, include decoration, dressing rooms, catering, guest books and front desks. The Mawar package costs Rp 93.25 million, while the Rafflesia option costs Rp 173.25 million," said Rita Rizal, Balai Kartini account executive.

"If the couples choose not to go with one of our catering partners, we charge them about Rp 7 million," she said.

Tiara said the food should stay true to the wedding concept.

Wedding dresses & makeup artist
Couple should also pay attention to wedding dresses, preparing them at least eight months in advance.

"In high season, it will be hard to get dresses made on short order. The long period will also give the couple a chance to choose suitable fabrics, designs, patterns and designers," Tiara said.

Makeup artists should also be booked about six to eight months in advance.

Decoration
Couples should ideally prepare their wedding decorations at least six months in advance, said wedding decorator Suryanto.

"It's not easy to find a good wedding decorator in high season. I myself, for instance, only do decorations for two weddings a day to maintain quality," he said.

Invitations and souvenirs
Invitations and souvenirs should be prepared about six to eight months' ahead, Tiara said.

"Again, it would be best if the invitations and souvenirs matched the wedding concept," she said.

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