Alia and Shaane, Jakarta, Indonesia

How we Met
The couple, Shaane and Alia Harjani, met ten years ago during a Disney-themed birthday party. Alia came dressed as Tinkerbell, and when Shaane saw her, he blurted out, “You look beautiful!” After that, the couple met at mutual friends’ homes over the years. In 2012, they turned into best friends and their love story began from there. They started dating on January 1, 2014, and two-and-a-half years, Shaane proposed to Alia. Eight months later, they tied the knot on November 25, 2016.

Wedding Venue
The couple and their families decided to have the wedding in Jakarta. They booked Grand Hyatt’s The Residence ONFIVE exclusive private spaces which was right in the heart of the city and offered an unfettered view of the skyline surrounding the hotel. The panoramic scenery gave the event an ambiance of a resort wedding. It was like a home-away-from-home wedding. The evening breeze was a welcome delight for guests, and the hotel’s closed air-conditioned spaces allowed people to mingle comfortably after the wedding and related ceremony.

Wedding Functions

Jewish Wedding
Alia’s father, David Abraham wanted to his daughter to also have a Jewish wedding ceremony. He and wife Ratna walked Alia to the altar, and this was a unique ceremony for everyone because no one had ever witnessed a Jewish wedding ceremony before. Alia wore a beautiful white wedding gown with a veil and carried a bouquet of white roses, while Shaane donned a classic black tuxedo with a bow tie. They made a lovely sight as they stood under a wooden canopy decorated with pink drapes for this event.

Welcome Dinner
The groom’s mother, Aruna Harjani, who is editor of the Bollywood Inside Indonesia magazine, wanted to create something different since this was the first wedding in the family. So the dress code was that everyone had to wear batik outfits for the event, including the couple. However, the maharaj (priest) who conducted the engagement ceremony could wear his regular attire. The tables were decorated with the Indonesian wayang and dolls. The cuisine served was all Indonesian, and guests enjoyed dance performances showcasing different forms from various provinces in Indonesia. Aruna believes, “In weddings, one should do as one’s heart says,” and she followed that dictum.

Mehndi
The mehndi was a pastel floral-themed event. The guest list was limited to only the bridesmaids and immediate family members. A table – beautifully decorated by Arty Daryanani – featured different flavors of cupcakes that were pinned with mini banners. On the other side of the room, to suit the Indian palate, different kinds of Indian chai (tea) were arranged on a table alongside lip smacking Indian snacks. Alia wore a gorgeous pastel color dress by Anjali Mahtani Couture.

Ghari
The groom’s parents – Prem and Aruna Harjani – wanted a well-rounded event for their son’s ‘ghari’ ceremony. After the ‘puja’, the parents organized a program where family members and close friends danced to their hearts abandon, aided by the Moshi Moshi club in Singapore

Wedding Ceremony
The weather forecast predicted rain and thunderstorms at the open air wedding ceremony venue, but the collective prayers made the rain gods stay away. Alia wore a deep maroon lehenga by Jade Couture by Monica and Karishma with ornate panels of motifs in gold, a lustrous blouse and dual dupattas – one maroon, and the other dull gold. Shaane’s wedding outfit by Anita Dongre, was closely matched Alia’s in the color scheme as he wore a golden sherwani with matching safa, alongside maroon trousers and a stole.

Wedding Reception
A Bollywood theme lit up the wedding reception at the grand ballroom of Jakarta’s The Kempinski Hotel.

Aruna wanted a classy look, so there were four ‘Walls of Fame’ set up in the foyer to for guests to pose with and take pictures. She also wanted the event to look like an Indian Film Awards event, so together with décor ideas and installations by Butterfly Event Styling, she managed to do just that.

Some of the highlights at the event was a magnificent eight-layer wedding cake, the Bollywood stars who performed and of course, the couple. Alia looked like a princess in her golden Manish Malhotra gown and Shaane cut a fine figure in his blue suit with a Chinese collar and elegant motifs by Sulakshana Monga.

Alia’s styling was done by Natasha Moor, and she made a splendid sight as she alongside Shaane made a grand entrance with their family members. The families were able to relax and enjoy the last day of wedding celebrations as the show was competently handled by Wow Entertainment and event organizers Inaaz Communique.

Advice for Couples to Wed
The couple says that it helps to start wedding preparations as soon as possible. For example, if you need a special or unique type of event, you will need ample time to design the decorations and book the entertainers.

Also, couples should relax and enjoy their wedding and focus on making memories that they will remember for a lifetime. The wedding won’t be perfect and tiny glitches will happen, but it really won’t matter at the end of the day because you are marrying the love of your life.

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Grand Hyatt’s The Residence ONFIVE, The Kempinski Hotel, Jakarta
Makeup Artist: Natasha Moor
Bridal Trousseau: Anaz (batik dress for welcome dinner), Anjali Mahtani (Mehndi), Jade Couture (Pheras), Manish Malhotra (Reception)
Groom’s Trousseau: Rekha’s Tailor (Welcome dinner), Anita Dongre (Pheras), Sulakshana Monga (Reception)
Event Organizer: Innaz Communique
Decor: Butterfly Event Styling
Henna Artist: Ima Habsyi
Entertainment: Wow Entertainment, Mumbai; Moshi Moshi, Singapore
DJs: DJ Kilogram and DJ Danny

Photos courtesy: Ali Ghorbani – Ali G Studios (Ghari, Mehndi, Wedding and Reception), Axioo (Welcome Dinner) and Cimmaron Singh (Jewish Ceremony)

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