Hotels become preferred venues for wedding parties

Hotels become preferred venues for wedding parties

Sudibyo M. Wiradji
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Jakarta's top, star-rated hotels have become increasingly a
preferred venue for wedding parties because, in addition to
strategic and convenient location, the luxury accommodation
offers excellent and superb facilities, a wide selection of
quality food and professional and personalized services within a
pleasant ambience.

Even though the holding of a wedding party at a luxury hotel
is relatively expensive, the demand for holding a reception from
a husband-and-wife-to-be has been increasing over the last
several years. On weekends, hotel ballrooms at most luxury hotels
are usually reserved for wedding parties. In popular wedding
months such as September, certain hotels have their ballrooms in
use for these special events at least three times a week.

Hotels like Hotel Mulia Senayan and Hotel Bumikarsa Bidakara
Jakarta offer a one-stop shopping concept, providing total
solutions for wedding needs. Bumikarsa, for instance, also offers
wedding consultations free of charge and a makeup service, which
many others do not offer.

When a husband-and-wife-to-be have decided to hold a wedding
party in a hotel, their families will be freed from hassle
because the hotel can facilitate wedding arrangements tailored to
the individual tastes of the bridal couple.

The wedding's theme is among the major concerns to which a
hotel pays avid attention because for the hotel, it is directly
related to its responsibility for preparing the setting for the
wedding party, while for a husband-and-wife-to-be, it is closely
linked to their desire to make their once-in-a-lifetime event
unforgettable and memorable.

Therefore, particular hotels work in cooperation with a
decorator responsible for transforming the hotel room into a
wedding room catered to the individual taste of the couples.

The hotels will usually provide a list of themes and show the
would-be bridal couple a wide selection of themes that previous
wedding parties have used, to give a prospective married couple
an idea of what wedding theme it will take, whether Western,
oriental or traditional Indonesian. When a theme has been chosen,
all of the setting-related elements on the day of the wedding
party will refer to the theme, such as the backdrop, interior,
wedding chairs, decor, flowers, wedding cake, musical
accompaniment, waitresses' costumes and even the food.

"Every husband-and-wife-to-be usually wants something
different. They don't want themes that previous couples have
used," said the Hotel Mulia Senayan's director of marketing
Valentia Agustadi.

"Once a couple wanted a Venetian theme and the decorator
produced it in such as way that the room was transformed into an
impression of real Venice," she said.

Not all hotels work in cooperation with a decorator. But they
can assist the would be bridal couple in selecting which
decorator to hire.

Catering is another major concern that hotels treat seriously
to satisfy their clients' needs. Therefore, they provide a wide
selection of excellent food, ranging from Indonesian and
American-European to oriental food. Food available at the hotels
will usually ensure clients' satisfaction because dedicated,
experienced, highly skilled and professional chefs are involved
in preparing it.

With complete facilities available, such as restaurant, health
club and accommodation in one area, a hotel will allow couples
and their families living outside the city to stay at the hotel
on the day of the event.

Hotels vary in the facilities and service included in wedding
packages but normally, the standard package includes a one-night
stay at the hotel for the couple and their parents, flower
arrangement in the bridal couple's room, wedding cake, dressing
room for the couple and parents of the couple and complimentary
ice carving and guest books. Certain hotels also provide a
wedding car and hand bouquets.

If you are eager to hold a wedding party at a hotel, there are
many options available, depending on the taste, budget and number
of guests you wish to invite. Located in Kebayoran Baru, South
Jakarta, The Dharmawangsa offers different wedding packages for
minimum buffet orders of 500 or 1,500 people.

The Dharmawangsa's packages include the use of its Bentley
limousine and a one-night stay for the bridal couple in its
uniquely designed Rosewood Suite. "Bridal couples are also
entitled to savor a delightful spa experience in our private
suite," he said.

JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta, located on Jl. Lingkar Mega
Kuningan, Jakarta, boasts its Dua Mutiara Ballroom, the most
ideal place to turn your wedding dreams into reality. The
luxurious and elegant ballroom can accommodate up to 1,500 people
for a stand-up reception and 600 for a sit-down dinner.

The hotel offers two Pearl wedding packages, with minimum
buffet orders for 600 or 1,000 people. Mariott's prices are based
on the number of guests attending the party.

Its Diamond package is offered for a minimum order of 250
persons. "The newly wed couple is entitled to a first wedding
anniversary dinner voucher for two at Pearl Chinese restaurant,"
said Marriott's public relations manager Mellani Solagratia.

The Grand Ballroom at Hotel Mulia Senayan, on Jl. Asia Africa,
Jakarta, is very popular because it can accommodate up to 4,000
persons, with no drop in service quality.

Hotel Bumi Karsa Bidakara Jakarta, Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto,
has several rooms specially used for wedding receptions with
differing capacities. Its Bima Room is ideal for a party of 100
but its Birawa Assembly Hall can accommodate between 1,000 and
4,000 people.

With rooms having high ceilings and luxurious and elegant
decor, the hotel was an ideal place for a wedding party, said
Bumikarsa's public relations officer Nuke Prabandari.

It also boasts a spacious parking lot in the first, second and
third basement levels, which can accommodate 1,350 cars.

The hotel offers a variety of prices for its packages. The
Dharmawangsa's packages, for instance, range from Rp 54 million
to Rp 106 million. Certain hotels set their prices based on the
number of guests and the menu. Marriott's prices range from Rp
135,000 to Rp 173,000 per person. Hotel Bumi Karsa Bidakara
Jakarta's prices range from Rp 55,000 to Rp 75,000 per person.