Annie and Timur were introduced by a mutual friend in 2007 and started dating four years after. "We first met on a tram back in Melbourne. Over the years, we often worked together to organize various student events," reminisced Annie. After three years of dating, they decided to take their relationship to another level and got engaged in 2016.
The couple had always wanted to have a traditional wedding infused with Javanese and Gorontalonese traditions. "My mother and Timur's parents are Javanese, while my father is from Gorontalo. We feel so lucky to have inherited such a rich heritage and we wanted to honor it through this wedding," said Annie.
After the engagement ceremony, Annie and Timur performed a Gorontalonese ritual called bontho. "We were given blessings to enter marriage life. I also learned the TidiDa'a, a traditional dance that symbolizes asking forgiveness from God that I would later perform during the mopotilanthahu ritual," Annie explained. "The TidiDa'a is associated with Gorontalonese royalty, but I was allowed to perform it because of my father and grandfather's honorary titles," she added.
Following that was the wedding ceremony held at Annie's house. Clad in colorful Gorontalonese attires, the couple looked even more radiant than ever. Afterwards, they changed into traditional Javanese wedding attires made of black velvet to perform the panggih ceremony.
The grand finale was a majestic wedding reception at The Dharmawangsa Jakarta. Annie had specifically asked her decorator, Airy Designs, to draw inspiration from the Gorontalonese tumbilutohe festival and prepare some sculptural spots for guests to take photos of.
Every ritual was completed so flawlessly, who would've thought that Annie and Timur had to plan their wedding from two different cities? "We were separated for four months because he was working in Melbourne, while I had to plan the wedding from Jakarta," said Annie.
Take another look at their festive celebration and don't forget to add your favorite images to the inspiration board!
