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http://thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/a-dream-venue-for-javanese-weddings/345524
December 04, 2009
Sylviana Hamdani
The spacious room at the venue, where wedding ceremonies usually take place.
(JG Photo)
A Dream Venue For Javanese Weddings
A wedding can be one of the most complicated events that you will ever have to
organize. In Javanese tradition, the big day is a major cause of celebration
for both extended families and their neighbors.
"Once in a lifetime" becomes a catchphrase for many future brides and
bridegrooms, as they make meticulous arrangements for their wedding day. But
the pressure for everything to be perfect can sometimes take away from the
newlyweds' enjoyment of the big day.
Roemah 7a is a wedding venue run by a young couple, Anthon Novianto and Dewi
Syarah, who have anticipated this problem by providing a list of wedding
organizers, photographers, caterers and decorators.
"Before, the bride- and the groom-to-be would come to us, looking lost about
how they should organize their special day," Dewi said. "Now, they can simply
choose from our list of vendors."
Located in a leafy residential area, Roemah 7a is designed like the home of a
traditional Javanese noble family. A magnificent Joglo (traditional wooden
Javanese house) stands by the terrace between a pair of stone gupala (mythical
creatures that guard the entry of a house) on each side. A delman (traditional
horse carriage) stands on the corner of the front lawn, accompanied by a pair
of old cars, a three-wheeled Reliant Regal MK1 from 1953 and a Mazda R 360 from
1960.
The parking lot in front of the house can accommodate up to 40 cars. "For large
weddings, we usually rent the vacant lot next door for the guests' cars," Dewi
explained. In total, the venue can accommodate up to 600 people.
In the foyer stands a magnificent teak table topped with Italian marble,
adorned with a fresh flower arrangement and old kerosene lamps.
The room also features a collection of old projectors for 8 millimeter, 16
millimeter and 35 millimeter films. "My dad used to play movies for my
birthdays with these projectors when I was a little boy," Anthon said.
On the right side of the foyer stand floor-to-ceiling cupboards featuring
Anthon's collections of Indonesian vintage comic books from the 1950s. Among
his collections are "Si Buta dari Gua Hantu" ("The Blind Man from the Haunted
Cave"), by Ganes T H, and "Jaka Sembung," by Djair. The prize of his collection
is the original manuscripts for a Medan comic book.
The dining room boasts of a long dining table made entirely of teak. An antique
crystal chandelier casts a romantic yellowish light over the room. On a side
table is a vintage Victrola phonograph from the 1920s, which Anthon said he
"bought from an old man in Japan."
One side of the wall features a brightly-colored 1950's enamel signboard for
Prijaji cigarettes, featuring a noble Javanese man smoking a cigarette, while
the other side of the wall is decorated with dada peksi (long
intricately-carved wooden beams often used for hanging crystal chandeliers).
"I salvaged them from ruined Joglo houses in Central Java," Anthon said.
Wedding ceremonies usually take place in the spacious room at the back of the
house. Adorned with an intricate teak panel from Demak, Central Java, and
antique hand-crafted Javanese doors with a Loro Blonyo (a Javanese sculpture of
a couple) standing in front of them, the room possesses a sacred and solemn
ambience.
The homeowner's collection of traditional weapons, such as kris, daggers and
javelins from around the country, is also displayed in this room.
"In this room, the couples usually perform temu [a Javanese ceremony in which
the bridegroom and his family meet with the bride and her family], ijab kabul
[the marriage ceremony] and sungkeman [where the bride and the bridegroom ask
both sets of parents for their blessings at the end of the wedding]," Dewi
said.
On one of the walls is a wide teak carving depicting an episode in the
Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic.
Two bedrooms are also provided as dressing rooms for the bride and her
bridesmaids. The larger one features Anthon's collection of handmade Japanese
dolls in glass boxes. The smaller one features an intricately hand-crafted
daybed from Madura Island, East Java.
"The Chinese influence show in the dragon and phoenix-like patterns on the
carvings," Anthon said.
The room also boasts art deco furniture from the 1920s and jengki furniture
from the 1950s.
Wedding receptions usually take place outdoors in the leafy backyard, which
boasts bamboo shoots, a giant rambutan tree, frangipanis and a large
traveller's palm tree. A Joglo gazebo from Kudus, Central Java, functions as
the center stage where the bride and groom are seated for the reception.
A tandem bicycle from the Netherlands and a pair of becaks (tricycle rickshaws)
stand by lagoon pools, as if promising to take the newlyweds safely through
their life journey together.
"The becaks are male and female," Anthon said. Brought from Solo, Central Java,
the steps of the becak wadon (female becak) is slightly lower than the becak
lanang (male becak) to accommodate women wearing a traditional jarik (tight
wraparound batik cloth).
"At Roemah 7a, we provide a unique ambience for your wedding," Dewi said. "One
that is homey and intimate, as well as rich in tradition and history."
Roemah 7a
Jalan Lebak Bulus 1 no. 7A
Cilandak, South Jakarta
Tel. 021 751 2332
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