Must Attended Event: Wedding Ceremony

Starting to write this topic is like a backfire for me but generally I thought almost people have a same opinion with me. The biggest lifetime event is wedding ceremony no matter how fancy that event is held. I want to share my little experience attending that event in several places, how can culture and religion make that event become more and more unique.

Javan Wedding

Modern Javan Wedding

Now a day, almost Javan people like to hold their wedding ceremony in modern style. When I was kid, my family wedding ceremony was decided based on elderly calculation of a good day. There were many rules that must be followed to hold wedding ceremony included several kind of ritual for the bride and the groom before-on-after the wedding ceremony. But now, wedding ceremony is held based on the day that rented building for the ceremony is not yet fully booked, the bride and groom busy schedule, and the availability of unique date. My old friend from high school separated her consent granted and her wedding party because of her tide work schedule. 
She held her wedding party on March and consent granted on January. Rented building and catering become primary need for weeding ceremony to make it practical. Maybe if I want to see truly javan wedding ceremony, I must go to the villager wedding ceremony in their house.

Minahasa/Sangire Wedding

Bridal Couple and Their Groom Maid

In 2009, I attended wedding ceremony at Batu Putih village in Bitung District, North Sulawesi.  It was completely different from wedding ceremony in Java. Maybe because in there, they like party, dancing, and drink much than in java. The wedding that I attended for example was held nonstop for several days. Formal party in the morning and dancing party in the night (of course with alcohol for free).  I just attended their first day wedding ceremony. Generally they adapted western wedding style for their wedding dress, bride maids, and best man. The funny thing for me were a speech from village representative at that wedding ceremony, and the receptionist that made a note for guest money gift right in front of them.

Baked Pork (Always Available)

For food, maybe because they are villager so neighbor help them to serve the food. They displayed the food into two main tables to separate food for Moslem and Non-Moslem guests. For guest who allowed eat pig, the hosted prepared several whole baked pork.

At dancing party in the night, they have special menu called ‘cap tikus’, a fermented sugar palm that contain up to 70% alcohol. I never taste ‘cap tikus’, but the smell already made me dizzy. Batu Putih village is tourist destination so when the villager hold dancing party like that, many foreigner come to join and hold the party till dawn or if their electricity suddenly off.

Mentawai Wedding

Bride Parade after Sunday Service

To make it clear, Mentawai is an archipelago so maybe they have several kind of wedding ceremony. Mentaway wedding that I attended was in village at northern part of Siberut Island. At that village suddenly I felt like old lady because the bride always younger than me. Wedding ceremony in remote area like at that place was new for me so that I always asked the bride to invite me. For the return of their invitation I and my friends made a cake or did photo shoot for them. Most of their wedding ceremony is hold at Sunday because of most of them are Christian and the ministry officers only stayed in village on weekend coz they must go to their farmland far from the village at weekday or because their pastor not live there and only come to the village every Sunday.

The Wedding Desk

The wedding ceremony start from the Church, there were 2 Protestant Church and 1 Cathedral there.   Fortunately I was able to come to 3 wedding ceremony there both on Protestant and Catholic Church. After their blessing of the Church, the bride and the groom went to the groom house in a musical parade. The choir sang some psalm along the way followed by all youth at that village. If you notice, there is unusual thing on wedding ceremony at this island. Yup, the hosted for the wedding is groom family. At the groom family house, the bridal couple sat in front of decoration table with tent while welcome the guest.

How about their tradition wedding ceremony? Of course they have tradition wedding ceremony called Pakande. Pakande is an expensive ceremony so that they hold that event separately with their wedding ceremony. At least the bride family must prepare 20 pigs for the groom and the groom family must prepare farming equipment and kitchen utensil for the bride. Because of expensive reason, many married couple not yet held their Pakande.

Every culture has different wedding ceremony. Realizing that Indonesia has many cultures is a great blessing for Indonesian like me. So, who want to invite me to her/his beautiful wedding ceremony?