After many seasons together, we are marrying in Jakarta — in the dress and spirit of old Java. We would be honoured to have you join us.
A full day of Javanese ceremony and celebration. Family and guests travelling from overseas are warmly invited to the whole day — but join us for whichever parts you like. Here's the run of the day, with a little about each tradition so nothing takes you by surprise.
The Venue
A Jakarta institution for refined Indonesian cuisine, set in a gracious old-Batavia room — the setting for our reception, served as a generous buffet. Jl. Garnisun No. 47–48, Karet Semanggi, Setiabudi, South Jakarta. Air-conditioned throughout, with valet parking.
Try the rendang. Trust us.
View on mapThe actual ceremony — the official, spiritual bit where everything is made real. Expect prayers, tears, and the occasional Allahu Akbar.
Turn up, get settled and seated, and prepare yourself for something a little different. While you wait: High Tea — hot coffee and tea, ketan serundeng, risoles, klepon, dadar gulung and pisang goreng.
Unlike western weddings there are no "I do"s here. What you're actually watching is Josh negotiating with Mala's father on a price for the dowry. Once they agree, the deal is sealed with a handshake — and that's it, they're married. Simple, ancient, and surprisingly tense.
This is the good stuff. A sequence of Javanese customs that are equal parts beautiful and wonderfully awkward: the breaking of eggs, the washing and cleaning of feet, the newlyweds prostrating themselves in their parents' laps and asking for blessings. Don't worry if you don't know what's happening — nobody will judge you for crying anyway.
Food, music and merriment in the grand room at Kembang Goela. Come hungry.
A lively traditional welcoming dance leads the couple in and gets things rolling. Expect a bit of spectacle.
A generous Indonesian buffet — pile up a plate, find old friends and new, and come say hello to the newlyweds. On the menu: Rendang Uni Ida, ayam bumbu kuning, soto bandung, sambel goreng kentang, oseng brokoli, asinan sayur, and a full spread of sambals and kerupuk udang. Live pempek and bakso malang stalls, es doger kopyor, and jajanan pasar for dessert. Cold Bintang is available for those who want it.
We crack open the bar and get some music going while the band sets up. The gear-change into the evening.
Live band, full dancefloor. More below.
The band takes over and we dance it out. Bring the energy.
There are short breaks between sessions for outfit changes and a breather — it's a relaxed day, not a rushed one.
Also known as: the haram part.
7:00 – 9:00 PM
The prayers are done, the parents are satisfied, and the bar is fully open. The band strikes up around seven and we dance the evening out properly.
For anyone wanting to carry on afterwards, Boca Rica club sits beneath the nearby Mangkuluhur hotel. We'll help sort rides back to the hotels for anyone who needs one.
A song that must get played? Drop it in your RSVP.
It's a traditional Javanese celebration, so we're dressing the part — and we'd love you to lean in.
What to wear
Josh & Mala — full traditional Javanese, with a couple of outfit changes through the day (you'll see).
Local guests — batik or kebaya.
Travelling guests — smart cocktail attire. For the men, a batik shirt is perfect (no tie needed); a suit is as dressy as you'd ever need to go — no black tie or tails required. For the women, an elegant dress. Don't be shy with colour and pattern — when in doubt, lean dressy rather than casual.
Our own favourites near the venue, for every budget. Prices are rough per-night estimates in NZD — do check current rates when you book.
A big, lovely pool and comfortable rooms at a friendly price. The easy choice for staying right by the venue.
Sleeker and more modern, with the Boca Rica club on the ground floor — a ready-made after-party.
A reliably smart international hotel — an easy, comfortable stay close to everything.
The grand option — a beautiful cocktail bar and a wonderful spa and wellness centre. Treat yourselves.
Elegant and right by the major malls. Its Sunday free-flow brunch is a Jakarta legend — around NZD 90–120pp, all you can eat and drink.
A grand favourite, famous for its great-value free-flow Sunday brunch (around NZD 70–95pp). Near Josh's place.
Highly affordable apartment-style stays with far more space than a hotel room. Larger units (up to ~48m²) have separate living areas, double beds, kitchenettes and full bathtubs; studios (~42m²) are great value with a kitchen corner, AC and Wi-Fi. Clean, functional and very comfortable — a practical, no-frills pick, especially for families or groups.
Approximate positions & drive times to the venue (Saturday late-morning). Not to scale.
Getting around: download the Grab app before you arrive — it summons cars, motorbike taxis and food to your door, and takes credit cards. The MRT is clean, cheap and fast, with stations near every hotel option. Book hotels early, and allow extra time for Jakarta traffic on the day.
From the airport: Soekarno-Hatta is about 60–90 minutes from the hotels depending on traffic. At the airport, use the official taxi ranks — Bluebird (blue cars) and Silver Bird (silver/executive) are the trusted metered operators. Avoid touts offering rides inside the terminal.
Staying a while? Here's what we'd point you towards — from sweating out the night before to our favourite tables in town.
Every Sunday morning (~6–10 AM) Sudirman–Thamrin closes to cars and fills with joggers, cyclists, street food and aerobics. The day after the wedding, it's the perfect way to sweat out a few demons.
The old Dutch town — Fatahillah Square, museums, and a colonial-era coffee. Grab a drink upstairs at the wonderfully old-world Café Batavia.
The towering National Monument — Sukarno's last erection, crowned with a golden flame. There's a surprisingly good history museum in the base and a city view up top. Closed Mondays.
Brilliant, buzzy and a little rough around the edges — second-hand books and records, and loads of Japanese and Korean food and bars. Echigoya is a Josh favourite. Easy to reach by MRT from any hotel.
The city's best strip for bars and restaurants — buzzy, stylish and packed with options. Where to head for a big night out.
For a proper night out: Esa, SU MA, Kaum and D'Classic. Add Plataran for traditional Javanese in a beautiful old house, and SKYE (56th floor of the BCA Tower) for cocktails with a 360° skyline view.
Sarinah is the place for great batik, local arts and crafts and a heritage food hall. For cheap clothes and bargain batik by the metre, dig through Thamrin City.
For the real flavour of the city, wander a pasar (Pasar Santa is a fun one) and graze the street-food stalls wherever you find them.
World-class and gloriously air-conditioned: Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia in the centre, Pacific Place and Plaza Senayan / Senayan City out west. All have cinemas too.
The malls have cinemas and play areas, and there are big indoor playgrounds nearby — Playtopia, Nickelodeon Playtime and SuperPark Indonesia — all a reasonable hop from the venue and hotels.
Jakarta is a secret golfing paradise — a whole host of excellent courses within reach of the city. If you bring your clubs, you won't be disappointed.
For the more adventurous, a couple of trips worth the drive out of the city.
Head to the Bogor Botanical Gardens — vast, historic (founded 1817) and wonderfully cool. The natural history museum on site has a reputation for being bad, which somehow makes it good. ~1.5 hrs south.
A proper drive-through safari park up in the hills — a big hit with kids. Go midweek and the traffic out there isn't bad at all.
For the truly adventurous: fly to Kalimantan (Borneo) and spend a blissful couple of nights aboard a traditional klotok riverboat, chugging up the Sekonyer River to see wild orangutans at Camp Leakey. You sleep and eat on deck under the jungle canopy — relaxing, remote and unforgettable.
Josh has a trusted boat guy and can help arrange it — just reach out.
These are just a taste — there are loads more trips around Java and beyond. If you're keen to explore, just ask us and we'll happily point you in the right direction.
The wedding's done, the hangover's looming — so we're escaping to an island, and you're all invited. (Please RSVP by end of June.)
From Monday 2 November · a couple of nights
After the big day we're escaping to Pulau Pantara, out in Jakarta's Thousand Islands, for a couple of nights to swim, dive, snorkel, and do a glorious amount of nothing.
Let's be honest about what it is: a simple, old-school island resort — basic cottages, a little weathered, a ~2-hour speedboat ride from Marina Ancol, and charm firmly in the setting rather than the thread count. What it is: beautiful sand, warm sea, reef to snorkel straight off the beach, a pool, a dive shop, and nowhere to be except here. We'll get a backyard cricket set going on the beach, and BYO booze is very much encouraged — there's a bottle shop near the marina for supplies before you board.
Josh will book out the rooms for everyone — just say you're coming and it's sorted. Chip in towards your room if you'd like, never expected. Depending on numbers we may switch to a different island that suits the group better, but the plan and the vibe won't change.
We need to lock in numbers and book ahead — please RSVP for the island as early as possible and by the end of June at the latest.
↓ Let us know in the RSVP below
Kindly respond by 1 September 2026. One form per invitation is fine — just list everyone.
Your RSVP has been received — thank you. We can't wait to celebrate with you in Jakarta.