A Blend of Cultures for Rhesa and Mita's Wedding

Behind the Vows
Aug 24, 2022
6 min read

Rhesa and Mita came from different heritage backgrounds. Our groom, Rhesa being of Chinese descent and our Bride, Mita of Javanese descent coming from Yogyakarta. With that in mind, they wanted to not only celebrate both of their cultures, but also showcase it on their wedding.

Starting with their invitation suite made by @parlerstudio, we wanted it to have a classic and luxurious feel. Hence, a suede material was used for the envelope. Featuring our rich colour palette of deep wine red, black, and gold also wanted to incorporate elements of their wedding decoration. Spot the lanterns, traditional Joglo, and flower garland detailing!

Here we styled the details with burgundy peonies (which was coincidentally in season!) and a classic black velvet ring box from @shmilybox, also featuring @houseofpapeterie’s gold acrylic place cards for our bride and groom.

Not stopping there, we also styled it with the bride's traditional hairpieces. We love how it fits perfectly and complemented the whole set up!

Her bridal shoes were by @sophiawebster, featuring a classic open toed design with lace accents. As lace is always an essential part of weddings, we loved these pair of shoes as it embodies a timeless yet modernised design.

Taking the design inspiration from the invitation suite, @uttaraforte designed this beautiful velvet box with illustrations from the invitation, and our bride picked the items herself. The result was a beautifully made gift box made even more personal with curated items.

To accessorise the reception table setting, we customised some extra papeteries and signage with @houseofpapeterie. For the menu card we went with a classic shape and gold foil detailing, while for the table numbers and seating list, we used acrylic material to match the bride & groom place cards.

Since this wedding includes many ceremonial rituals from two cultures, we also did a styling shoot for the Tea Pai ceremony detail. The jewellery worn by the bride is a delicate gold-pearl concoction matched with deep emerald green jade earrings.

The bride and groom also gave out hampers for after their Tea Pai ceremony, these furoshiki wrapped ones are from @kilo.gift. Along with that is another part of the customised papeteries especially made by @houseofpapeterie, which was the personalised ang paos, featuring the lantern detailing that was prominent in the reception decor.

Still wanting to maintain their classic and traditional elements while being fun and bold, we came up with a different colour palette for the ceremonial rituals. We felt that shades of blues and yellows were perfect for this occasion as it also brought in some modernity.

Take a peek at how we implemented the colours in the customised Holy Matrimony book made by @houseofpapeterie. Despite being entirely different, we love how the lantern detailing tied the whole thing with the whole stationery suite.

The perfect accessory to any Holy Matrimony procession, was of course this bouquet from @florebastille, it was made to match the ceremonial rituals colour palette, resulting in this stunning piece.

In keeping with the classic theme, our bride wanted something pure and timeless for her entire wedding attire. We chose a victorian lace H-line robe, with full front facing buttons for a more sophisticated accent. This robe was especially made for our bride by @hiantjen, and it definitely radiated her morning bridal glow!

Her attire from @houseofdhita used an all white lace with plenty of embroideries and embellishments, and her long skirt was in the pattern of Batik Sidomukti, or Sidomukti fabric, which is a traditional fabric from Yogyakarta used in weddings. It symbolises good prayer and hope that the marriage will prosper.

Matching along with the bride, our groom wore a matching traditional Yogyakarta wedding attire in white also from @houseofdhita 🤍

Moving on to the ceremonial ritual decoration, we actually utilised the same backdrop for three ceremonies-slash-rituals: The Holy Matrimony, Tea Pai Ceremony, and Panggih Ritual. To make it suitable for all three events, we focused on creating an all white-clean look, with bursts of blues and yellows. We used white textured backdrop and flooring to blend it seamlessly. The backdrop itself was intentionally created wide for added drama.

The Holy Matrimony featured an altar table with florals, while Chinese armchairs and the Double Happiness sign was added to the set up for the Tea Pai ceremony. Whereas for the Panggih ceremony, multiple chairs were arranged for the family to sit.

The whole set up contains elements that enhances each of the themes we wanted to carry. See the sticks on the backdrop? Those were bamboo sticks covered in Batik Sidomukti fabric, intended as a homage to the Yogyakarta culture!

For the aisle, we chose to highlight the Chinese heritage by placing multiple Chinoiserie patterned vases, adorned with florals of yellows and blues that not only gave it a classic atmosphere, but also made it unique.

We simply adored Mita's dress choices! For the Tea Pai ceremony, she changed into another dress by @houseofdhita this one had a dramatic touch because it was dominantly black! The dress featured a Shang-Hai collar with a mermaid silhouette, and had lots of Chinese elements like pagoda and bridges, all embroidered to the dress!

Everything was so beautifully conceptualised with our groom even wearing a similar Chang Shan (traditional Chinese menswear) for the Tea Pai ceremony!

Finally the last dress of the night, her reception dress beautifully created by @hiantjen. The neckline featured a very classic vintage look, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s era. The cut and material were modern, but with a traditional twist. The dramatic design was the long cape which swished with every step she took.

As we delve deeper into the embroidery of the dress, @hiantjen brought the Batik Sidomukti to life in a very beautiful way! The elements of Sidomukti patterns were hand stitched onto the cape-train, and used luxurious finished of gold treads and crystal beads, bringing the overall look a very personalised dress for our bride🤍

As guests entered the reception area, they were welcomed with stunning florals in red and peaches, alongside Chinese props scattered all over. The foyer area consisted of many decor sections, with a photo gallery first.

Their photo gallery was made from circular structures, filled with pictures of our couple, and finished off with a variety of Batik patterns.

Next up, their photo spot, which were slightly more influenced by Chinese culture but with a twist. The black and gold partition was a special one, with each pattern brought to life in 3D, making it pop. Red florals were placed around the partition, creating a very dramatic entrance point for the guests.

Onto the ballroom area, we had three types of centrepieces for the guest tables. We used a high structure overflowed with florals on four tables to frame the area, and we also had a medium and small sized centrepieces scattered throughout the ballroom.

Gold tiffany chairs were selected to create a contrast between the all black tablecloths, resulting in this elegant table setup for the evening.

The beautifully detailed cake was created by @lenovellecake ! The entire layer was made dominantly black with 3D illustrations. On the bottom layer, spot the Sidomukti Batik illustration, and as you make your way upwards, the illustration was mixed with Chinese patterns. The top most part replicated the decoration, being a small size replica of the Yogyakarta Keraton. The most jaw dropping part were, the lights on the Keraton actually flickered on and off, creating this lifelike illusion.

Red florals were made peeking out of the cake so as not to block the illustrations on this beautiful piece of art✨

The bridal table setup consisted of beautiful show plates by @se.meja , all complimenting the entire decoration perfectly. Crystal glassware also finished the beautiful table setup. The maroon velvet napkin were chosen to create a luxe and glam effect, with the supporting papeteries (menu and place cards) all designed carefully to match the tableware.

Custom hand sanitisers for the event was also provided by @houseofpapeterie 🖤

Finally the piece de resistance, the main backdrop of the night. The stage replicated Yogyakarta’s traditional house, the Rumah Joglo. The uniqueness of the Rumah Joglo, is the roof, from a wide design to going upwards to a narrower design, and it also has pillars in front to support the building.

Appreciation post to @steve_decor , for bringing our concept to life! This Rumah Joglo was nothing short of glamorous, and definitely the focal point of the decoration. The details of each door were laser cut in Batik patterns, and hanging black modern Chinese lanterns hung from the roof ceilings. Even the inner roof of the Rumah Joglo had distinct beaming and patterns!

Florals were made draping down from the roof, and creeping alongside each pillars. In short, everything was on point, and the lighting ambience from @etceteralighting created such a wonderful mystical ambience as well.

Their dance floor was a grand gazebo replicating the Jogja Keraton. The pillars were carefully carved to mimic the Keraton design and grand golden chandeliers were hung on the gazebo’s ceiling, creating this wonderful pathway to the main stage.

We mixed the best of both cultures in one wedding, with structures being mostly from Yogyakarta, and the floral colours were mostly red, the Chinese’s auspicious colour.

We’ll let the pictures speak for itself as we reminisce this beautiful wedding on November ✨🤍

Thank you Rhesa and Mita for trusting us! We are so honoured to be given the chance to explore and bring out the colours of two cultures for your wedding🤍

Credits:

Wedding Stylist - @behind.thevows

Invitation - @parlerstudio Stationery - @houseofpapeterie

Ring Box - @shmilybox

Bridesmaids & Groomsmen Boxes - @uttaraforte

Hampers - @kilo.gift

Teapai Accessories - @epajewel

Bridal Robe & Reception Dress - @hiantjen

Wedding Bouquet - @florebastille

Traditional Attire - @houseofdhita

Cake - @lenovellecake

Decoration - @steve_decor