Kartika Ayu Prawitasari and Bayu Airlangga were elementary school friends, but they only got to know each other while they were studying in Melbourne many years after. Long story short, their simple acquaintance lead to a relationship and last year, this happy couple got engaged. "It happened right after Bayu's birthday, around August 2015. It was just a simple yet meaningful gesture, Bayu visited my parents to ask for their permission," explained Kartika. They decided to get married on March 2016, giving them less than one year of preparation.
Every wedding element was arranged by Kartika's mother. "My mother is my hero, she's a perfectionist who is very detailed," said Kartika. She was so fortunate to have such a loving mother indeed. Her mother took care all of her needs; such as ordering the ceremonial knife, traditional Javanese accessories, headdress, and slippers. Not only that, she also double checked every single thing, including the decoration and lighting, invitations, catering, and venue! Even the traditional attires for more than 100 members of both families were done by her.
What made the traditional attires even more special was how they were made to honor each family's cultural heritage. Kartika's family was clad in traditional Javanese costumes, while Bayu's side was dressed up in traditional Balinese attire. To keep everything in perfect harmony, they agreed to use same color.
The first day was started with siraman, a symbolic ritual to cleanse the couple's body, continued with pecah kendi to symbolize that the bride is ready to wed. This morning procession was closed by cutting the tumpeng, a cone-shaped rice dish associated with celebrations. The midodareni procession, in which the couple restated their willingness to marry, started later in the evening.
The next day was opened with the akad ceremony at Kartika's residence, continued by the panggih and injak telur rituals. To end the morning ceremony, Kartika and Bayu were seated on Kartika's father's lap to determine which one was heavier than another. But for Kartika's father, they weighed the same, which meant that he has the same amount of love for the both of them.
For the night reception, Kartika was deeply inspired by her own beloved parents' wedding 37 years ago. Kartika and Bayu's elegant traditional Javanese wedding attires made of black velvet, and even their gold wedding rings looked like the ones had by Kartika's parents. To tie everything together beautifully, an enchanting butterfly garden theme was chosen to adorn every wedding element, from the decorations to the patterns on Kartika's kebaya.
Thanks to the talented photographers Diera Bachir Photography, Hendy Wicaksono, andAswin Satrio, you can witness Kartika and Bayu's celebration simply by scrolling down.
