I believe many of you have heard of Balinese wedding traditions, but you may not know much about what they are.
The traditional wedding culture of Bali is integrated into the large family and community called banjar. A Balinese wedding even requires the preparation of the entire village. It is grand and full of mystery. I believe that everyone is eager to learn more like me, so follow my footsteps!
What is a Balinese Blessing Ceremony?
The Balinese culture is a mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and local culture. If you plan to have a traditional wedding, you need to follow the order of the customary wedding. This is a wedding that needs to combine the religion and customs of Bali, wear Balinese wedding dresses, and enjoy traditional music and prom party.
Although many deletions and modifications have been made in modern Balinese weddings, if you want to understand traditional culture, I will talk about these in detail below:
When do the Bride and Groom Decide to Get Married?
The wedding time is also called Medewasa Ayu, and it is usually decided by the Sulinggih or spiritual leader. The date is usually chosen according to the Balinese Hindu day, which is a good day and a good day for you.
What Happens at a Balinese Wedding Procession?
In the past, there were two main processions at traditional Balinese weddings: memadik and merangkat.
memadik refers to the proposal at the bride's house. The groom's parents will go to the bride's house first to propose, bringing wedding gifts to show their respect. The bride's family and the bride will discuss. Of course, in modern weddings, the bride and groom know and respect each other, so this part is more like a meeting between two families. After the bride agrees, the families of both sides will discuss the marriage terms such as dowry, wedding date, etc.
merangkat is a procession at the groom's house after the proposal. The groom will pick up the bride from her home, and the newlyweds need to recite Vedic scriptures while throwing betel leaves to ward off evil spirits.
What are the Main Steps After the Procession?
Just like modern Western weddings often use rings as wedding gifts, in Balinese tradition the bride sits on coconut fiber and offers the item, while the groom tears a small bamboo mat as a symbol of his wife's purity. Next, the bride will take taro and turmeric and plant them to worship the ancestral spirits. The couple will also cut a thread from the dapdap tree and take a bath.
There are usually some small steps in the order. The Makala-kala ceremony is to burn tetimpug composed of three bamboos. People believe that there is a buthakala, a huge and terrible figure that will disrupt married life, and the Makala-kala helps to ward off the danger of buthakala.
The Metegen-tegenan and suun-suuman ceremonies are for the bride and groom to walk seven times clockwise around the sacred fire, praying in Sanskrit. Bringing offerings, they are tied together with a belt during the ceremony, with the groom in front and the woman following behind, as a symbol of the beginning of their lives.
The Majauman ceremony is a bridge to say goodbye to family and ancestors. During the Natab Pawetonan ceremony, the groom usually gives some jewelry gifts to the bride's mother. Then, during the tadtadan, the bride's mother will give her daughter a set of jewelry and clothes. This is a symbol of hope that she will always remember her mother's love and struggle.
Finally, Mejaya-jaya is the ceremony where the bride and groom become husband and wife in legal registration. According to this ceremony, the bride and groom are not allowed to go out or travel for three days and can only stay at home. The purpose is to increase intimacy and respect for the bride's family.
How Does the Bride Prepare for Her Wedding?
In traditional culture, the bride bathes with peacock leaves, flowers, turmeric and rice. In this process, the bride will also think about entering a new family, just like when we are doing a major event in life, we always have to do it well before starting, and the bride will also imagine what her wife looks like. She has done enough thinking and preparation psychologically.
How Long is a Balinese Wedding?
The traditional Balinese wedding lasts for several days, generally three days, and these three days will help the bride integrate into the groom's family. Of course, more modern changes are based on the ideas of young men and women. They may prefer to listen to their favorite music, pick up their own unique dances, and gather with guests in just one day.
What to Wear to a Balinese Wedding
As a wedding guest, no matter what you want to wear, remember one thing: please don't compare your wedding guest dress with the bride's. At least, it should be simpler than the bride's dress. This will allow you and the bride to have a wonderful day. If the bride and groom have a dress code, please follow the invitation. If not, dress as you like!
What You Should Know Before You Take Part in a Balinese Wedding Ceremony?
Some ideal locations for traditional Balinese weddings, please follow the planner's footsteps. Generally, the most common places are temples or ancient buildings. With this cultural background, you can immerse yourself in the cultural atmosphere of Bali.
Final Thoughts
In modern marriage values, freedom and romance are more respected, so for young boys and girls, choose some styles you like to add to your wedding, let tradition and modernity combine, so that culture will not disappear, and make your wedding more romantic and lovely. This Balinese cultural tradition is not just a combination of two people, but also a fusion of two families. Family culture is very close. Of course it's up to you to choose which parts to include in your modern wedding, be yourself, no one can do it better than you.