Couples wed in mass ceremony

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Young couple Abdul Manaf, 23, and Elia Tanjung, 19, were happy that they could finally tie the knot in a ceremony in Medan they shared with dozens of other couples, held to mark the country's 60th year since its proclamation of independence.

The couple -- the youngest of among 63 couples from the city's 21 districts who got married in the mass wedding ceremony on Thursday -- were well-prepared for the event held at outside the office of Medan city's Religious Affairs Office.

Abdul said he was happy that his dream to marry his wife has come true. "We've been going out for eight years now. Actually we planned to get married five years ago but as we didn't have the money, it just did not happen, until now," Abdul told The Jakarta Post after the ceremony.

The junior high school graduate had in fact once tried to arrange for the wedding, but high costs put a stop to his efforts.

"Fortunately, there was mass wedding planned to be held ahead of the country's independence day celebration. I was once told I had to have Rp 250,000 (US$27) to get married; where would I get such amount of money?" asked Abdul, who apart from getting his marriage certificate also received a gift and Rp 50,000 cash.

Secretary of the mass wedding organizing committee, Burhanuddin Damanik, said the event was specially organized for poor families to mark the country's independence day celebrations.

"We want them to be happy for marrying the ones they love," said Burhanuddin, adding that the event was the fifth such event held by the Religious Affairs Office.

The oldest couple who tied the knot on Thursday was Tumiran, 41, and Karsini, 35. The couple were married in 1985 but lost their wedding certificate, which they need to arrange many other documents.

"We have to get married again to get the certificate. But frankly speaking, we feel happy getting married again and getting the certificate at the same time," said the father of three who works as a taxi driver.

"Until now our three children don't have birth certificates because we don't have our marriage certificate. But now, hopefully, we can take care their birth certificates."