Within the tranquil haven that is Bali, Juliana Kumala and Ryan Tjahjana wed in a romatically splendid ceremony.
From the start of their friendship to the day of their wedding and beyond, it is clear that Bali holds a special place in the hearts of newly wedded Juliana Kumala and Ryan Tjahjana. The couple first met on a trip to the famed “Island of the Gods” seven years ago, to celebrate the birthday of their mutual friend, Meyrick. “Growing up, we’ve had a lot of mutual friends, but never officially met until our first trip together with friends to Bali,” reminisces Juliana.
After a year, their close friendship naturally transitioned into a romantic one, which flourished for five more years before Ryan popped the question in front of the couple’s family and close friends when they were vacationing at Amanika in Bali in June 2013. The idyllic island, thus, made perfect sense to the Jakarta-based couple as the venue for their wedding ceremony.
The occasion, which took place in March, was one of the first major celebrations to be held at The Ritz Carlton, Bali, which opened less than three months before. Its contemporary, retreat-style architecture captivated guests of the couple with unobstructed cliff-top views of the glistening Indian Ocean and lush landscape of the surrounding land.
From around the world, 470 guests in total flew in to join in on the newly wedded couple and their families’ celebrations, which spanned over two days.
The Theme & Concept
A traditional Chinese tea ceremony started the ball rolling as the couple paid their respects to parents Chiang Yu Lan and Haryadi Kumala, and Hernawan Tjahjana and Jenny Hendharto, as well as to relatives. The intimate affair took place at the couple’s sprawling ocean-view presidential villa, which was transformed with opulent, Old-World oriental décor. Coordinating their outfits according to the blue-grey colour theme, Ryan looked and tulle number by Indonesian couturier, and childhood friend, Budi Adji.
Later that evening, the couple welcomed a second wave of guests over a casual dinner buffet of local Indonesian and international fare at the resort’s Senses restaurant. The couple changed into more contemporary outfits –Juliana in a custom made Paolo Sebastian dress and Ryan, in a Dolce & Gabbana suit.
Their church wedding the next day saw the couple’s florist Dina Touwani of Flora Lines converting the resort’s oceanfront chapel into a romantic wonderland, with floating lanterns and pastel hued flowers carpeting the aisle and lining the front of the space.
Looking just as lovely was Juliana in another bespoke Paolo Sebastian dress, but this time with a princess cut, while her husband-to-be looked dapper in a noir Tom Ford suit. Completing the romantic moment, the couple, joined by their parents, released a flock of white doves in representation of true love and the beginning of a new journey.
Later that evening, twilight cocktails were sipped on a custom-built deck and alfresco lounge elevated to ensure an unobstructed view of the entire resort. Mixologists were on hand to blend the evening’s signature cocktail, a refreshing conoction of Pol Roger 2004 rose champagne and coconut water.
Next to the area, guests entered into a grandiose tent for the dinner reception. Planned by the couple’s wedding planner, Tiara Josodirdjo & Associates, with a lush tropical theme in mind, the vast space bloomed with colourful tulips and green foliage. One of the night’s talking points was a grand centerpiece made with silver mesh and raindrop crystals that hung from the ceiling. And for each guest table a clean-cut look was complemented with glass vases of pink and purple flowers, tall candles and gold detailing.
The Highlights
For the customary “picking” of the bride, Ryan and his entourage of groomsmen sparked much laughter when they appeared at the bride’s villa wearing lacy corsets over their suits. After passing through several rounds of games, the groom professed his undying love for his wife-to-be through a song before gaining access into the bedroom to meet her for the first time that day.
Throughout the two days of celebration, music was a constant. Energy was kept high at the welcome dinner with performances by up-and-coming Indonesian singer, Teza Sumendra and the band, and traditional Balinese and fire dancers, while Indonesian singer Angel Pieters harmonized to Juliana’s steps as she walked down the aisle with her father at the church wedding.
Notable Indonesian singer, Sandy Sandoro and Glen Friedly, with support from Andrew Lee Music, bought the mood to a greater height at the main dinner reception as they crooned passionately crowd. Three of the newly wedded couple’s closest friends also took to the stage to congratulate them with their own renditions of love ballads.
The finale of the dinner came in the form of a gorgeous display of fireworks that lit the night sky above the reception tent. But the festivities and music didn’t stop there. An after-party held at the resort’s bar and lounge ensued deep into the night. As a guests continued to sip on specially crafted drink, a DJ and saxophonist collaborated to get the crowd grooving with catchy dance tunes. And just like the rest of this well-thought-out wedding, nothing was left to chance as beach-appropriate dancing shoes-otherwise known as flip flops- and hangover kits were on standby for partygoers.
