Javanese Wedding Ceremony

Hello friends, how was your week? Hope you had a good one! :)

Last week we went to Jakarta for my cousin’s wedding. The bride and the bridegroom are Javaness, so there was a traditional ceremony followed by the receptions at night. The ceremony was started with gamelan – the traditional music from Java. Then the bride and the bridegroom walked slowly from opposite direction approching each other. When they were about 2 meter facing each other, they started throwing each other with small bundels of leaves with lime inside. People believe that this will keep bad spirits away. Or to prove that the bride or the bridegroom whom they will be married to is not a ghost or someone who pretends to be the one. This meeting ceremony that took place in front of the garden gate called as “Panggih”.

Traditional Javanese wedding ceremony couldn’t be done without the role of Pamaesan. She is responsible to dress up the bride and the bridegroom properly. She also should leads the ritual ceremonies.

Photo below shows the Pamaesan helping the mother of the bride covers the couple’s shoulders with some kind of cloth, during the Sindur Binayang ceremony. Then the father of the bride led the couple walked to the wedding chairs while holding the corners of the cloth. It simbolized the father shows the ways of happiness. While the mother of the bride who walked behind the couple, gave a moral support.

The following ritual was Wiji Dadi. The bridegroom crashed a chicken egg with his right foot. Then the bride washed his feet using water mixed with several kinds of flower ( I think seven kinds of flowers). It showed that the bridegroom is ready to be a father – a head of the family , and the bride should submit and serve him faithfully.

The King and The Queen of the day!

Dressed in a special dress for the special day. Wearing golden and shiny jewelries.