On the day of the Holy Matrimony Yulia was up at 4 am for Hair, Make-up and Dress preparations!
Several women were there to assist in this activity.
About 8 am (one hour later than we expected) the women who were helping came to our hotel to help BOTH the men and the women with preparations.
I don't have and photos of the men getting assistance. But, they certainly did!
Putting on the sarong was quite a process, since they are worn quite tight and underneath there is a wrapping that serves like a girdle or a spanks!
Ann was quite concerned about having the opportunity to wear a lovely necklace that had special meaning ... But, it had gotten terribly tangled during the travel. Several of us took turns trying to untangle it.
But, it was Eva who finally succeeded! She brought it to the wedding and helped her put it on!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soooooo, given that we were an hour late getting started, guess who arrived late to the wedding!
We were excorted into the hall and seated together as the groom's family.
We sat just beyond a table central to the hall. At this table were Jamie and Yulia, Yulia's father and her uncle, and (as we where to learn later) the religious leader of the community, a representative of the city government and an official witness.
The ceremony was conducted in Javanese. Since Jamie is fluent in generic Indonesian, but not Javanese, Uncle Osman assisted where needed.
Most of the ceremony was directed at the groom, requiring only an occasional response. There was almost no participation from the bride, that we could observe.
The ceremony was conducted in a rather stern tone of voice (The groom getting his instructions?)
But near the end there was a lighter atmosphere.
The culmination of the ceremony consisted of several documents being signed.
Jamie and Yulia were apparently nervous enough that the traditional Western ring exchange was forgotten. (No worries, there was to be another wedding in Bali a week later ... More on that in another blog.)
And, there was no "you may now kiss the bride"!
Reception Photos:
Instead of the traditional reception line that we generally experience in the US, the bride and groom greeted the attendees and had their photo taken with nearly EVERYONE present!
You will notice that often the bride and the bride's family are rather sober in the formal photos. It is thier tradition, we heard AFTER the pictures were taken, that one does not smile with the teeth showing in these photographs!
During this time of picture-taking we were served Javanese foods and juice drinks.
Then, began more lovely rituals...
Sindur Binayang ceremony:
The mother of the bride covers the bride and groom with fabric.
Then, the bride’s father lead them to the bride and groom’s chairs. The bride’s mother walks behind the bride and groom. This ritual shows that the parents of the bride give their blessing to the bride and groom.
Bobot timbang/ Pangkon (sitting on Bride’s father’s lap):
The bride and groom will sit on the lap of the father of the bride. (In this wedding, they sat NEXT to her father).
The bride’s mother will ask to the bride’s father “who is heavier?” Then the father says “they are just the same weight”. This ceremony shows that both of the daughter and son in law are equally accepted in the family. Then, the father leads the bride and groom to sit in their arranged chairs.
Sungkeman:
The sungkeman ceremony shows the bride and grooms’ devotion to their parents. The bride and groom kneel in front of their parents and request their blessing for the marriage. The parents give their blessing and wish them a good marriage.
Upacara Balangan Gantal (throwing betel leaves):
From a distance of 10 feet, the bride and the groom stand with their parents, and the bride and groom throw betel leaves to each other. The philosophy of the ritual tells that this is a special moment that will never happen again. The betel leaves are rolled tightly and this shows that the bride and groom are bound and will face happiness and bitterness together. In Javanese culture, betel leaves are believed to have power to cast out bad spirits.
Then, the reception became less formal and the dancing began!
After the festivities, the bride and groom were carried to the hotel in a Javanese rickshaw:
Recent Comments