Dimas and I first met in 2012 through Instagram. I was captivated by his artwork and asked my cousin to introduce us. His quirkiness resonates well with me, and we just hit it off right away! Ever since we have been through a lot of ups and downs, mainly through long-distance relationships, to the point of seeing each other only for 1,5 years at the time when I was studying abroad. When I came back, we decided to take the next step and tie the knot!
Having pondered the ideas on the dream wedding during my thesis (yes, this is what I do in my limited spare time), I have set my heart and mind towards planning for a less-waste wedding. Throughout my life, I have always been cautious about the waste we create on a daily basis. Moreover when I learn about the extensive waste generated from a common Indonesian wedding, from flower decor to leftover food, when these resources could be better repurposed elsewhere. Fully acknowledging that the particular journey will not be an easy one, I persuaded my family and Dimas to hop into this rollercoaster and thankfully they understand my decision on the matter.
"Throughout my life, I have always been cautious about the waste we create on a daily basis. Moreover when I learn about the extensive waste generated from a common Indonesian wedding, from flower decor to leftover food, when these resources could be better repurposed elsewhere."
Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of setting incremental targets on each wedding component and brainstorming approaches that would enable us to carry out the less waste goal. As waste is the focus of this conscious wedding, we decided to seek alternatives that would minimize waste contribution beyond the event itself. Several initiatives that we opted for were utilizing e-vites and minimizing decoration by selecting a venue that is naturally lush and riddled with flowers, to recycling bottles as centerpieces and choosing produce bags from leftover fabrics so that our guests can take part in minimizing single-use plastics when grocery shopping. The small amount of leftover food from the event was packaged and redistributed to those in need, partnering with the venue management team and a local NGO.
Meanwhile for the wedding attire, we chose ethically-sourced wedding pieces to ensure that the workers involved behind the process are treated fairly and environmental as well as social impact are taken into consideration during the sourcing process. Our rings are processed manually, different from the monopoly system in the market. Last but not least, we are more than delighted to have SukkhaCitta’s intricately beautiful dress and suit as part of our big day, knowing that we’re taking an active part in empowering local village artisans and supporting sustainability through this decision.
"We’re taking an active part in empowering local village artisans and supporting sustainability through this decision."
Organizing an environmentally-conscious wedding is still regarded as an uncommon approach, so it requires meticulous attention to details as well as mutual understanding with different vendors. During the process, we tried to share our understanding regarding the ‘less-waste’ theme and the mission behind it in hopes of motivating the vendors involved. It was challenging at first to break the status quo, especially when you are already accustomed to the notion of ‘buying more, having more of everything’ in a wedding. The planning definitely required extensive research and brainstorming sessions, but it was well worth it in the end. Majority of the guests appreciated the extra effort that went into the theme, and several of our friends are already asking for tips on how to replicate it in their own weddings. Small wins!
"Both processes touched me deeply as it gave us the opportunity to appreciate tradition yet also engage with our guests in a meaningful way. Up till this day, the valuable inputs we received are still etched in our memories."
For Dimas, the whole day was magical due to the picturesque setting and the warm ambience of guests. A lollipop sky set a stunning backdrop to the special day, enthralling us with its different hues and gradation. We are particularly thankful that the rainy season hasn’t started yet around these areas. My mother commented that the whole afternoon was just perfect, similar to that of a painting.
For me, it was how the customary and unconventional segments of the wedding interwoven well at the end of the day.
Instead of wearing ceremonial traditional Indonesian clothing , we decided to simply integrate a traditional fabric from my grandmother’s village in Kotogadang, West Sumatera. There is a ritual where the bride-to-be is given a hand-crafted silk scarf by the aunts to commemorate their wedding. We decided to improvise a little bit and utilize this scarf as a symbol of unity, while my mother provided advice to us in the afternoon session. Later in the evening, we came up with the idea to divide the guests to singles and married couples to ask for kind wishes and prayers from our single guests; and marriage guidance and tips from those who are married. Both processes touched me deeply as it gave us the opportunity to appreciate tradition yet also engage with our guests in a meaningful way. Up till this day, the valuable inputs we received are still etched in our memories.
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This piece is written by Aisha Marzuki to share the process and planning that goes behind her zero waste wedding in Bali, Indonesia. She wears our PAGI Structured Dress, ALUNAN Sylk Throw, and WULUH Sylk Kain. Dimas wears our PAGI Weekend Shirt, PAGI Traveller's Pants and WULUH Everyday Jacket. The couple still wears these pieces in their everyday today even after the wedding :)
