Tirtha makes wedding dreams come true

Tirtha makes wedding dreams come true

Chisato Hara, The Jakarta Post, Uluwatu, Bali

Long known as a paradise for surfers, beach-goers and
honeymooners, Bali is fast becoming a haven for couples wishing
to take that great leap forward into shared commitment.

Where better to bless such a union than the Island of the
Gods?

The wedding market in Bali is booming, with wedding
organizers, villas, restaurants and even five-star hotels
catering to the practical demands of love.

Among these is Tirtha Bali, established in 1997 by husband-
wife team Koji Koreyasu and Yuka Nishizawa, who have been
organizing weddings on the island since 1992.

As in many fairy-tale romances, in which fleeting beginnings
bloom into the unexpected, the birth of Tirtha was "a
coincidence", Nishizawa said.

"My husband had a garment manufacturing business here, and
became known among friends as someone knowledgeable about Bali.
One day, a friend mentioned that he would like to get married
here -- could Koreyasu arrange it?"

Seven years later, having survived the 1998 crises, Tirtha has
a showroom in Nusa Dua and a branch office in Tokyo to cater to
the Japanese couples, who make up 95 percent of their clientele.
Their most recent facility is Tirtha Uluwatu, just opened last
June, and the only wedding resort on the island.

Spanning 6,000 sq m atop a cliff overlooking the white shores
of Nyang-nyang Beach and the Indian Ocean, where dozens of
dolphins can be seen frolicking during fishing season, Tirtha
Uluwatu is a one-stop wedding facility that provides all -- and
more -- of a blushing bride's dreams -- except the groom.

"Tirtha" is a Sanskrit word meaning "sacred water". As
Nishizawa said, "We wanted to create a venue that embodied the
idea of water being the source of all life, a place imbued with
an ambiance that here was the beginning of all things to come."

The symbolism unfolds down the winding driveway leading to the
open entrance, where a pathway traverses small fishponds while
radiant water lilies and slender cattails wave in greeting.

The split-level compound holds 15 pavilions -- including
dining pavilions and an open bar -- designed by architect Glenn
Parker of Grounds Kent Architects, renowned for their Four
Seasons Jimbaran. Broad, airy structures in teak, glass and woven
rattan lampir ceilings stand amid courtyards framed in the sandy
tones of indigenous paras, palimanan and bengkirai stones.

The pavilions, cooled by a silent breeze from hidden air-
conditioners, provide sanctuary to bride and groom, family and
wedding guests, offering couches and vanity tables dressed in the
meditative hues of sage, pale ochre, salmon and sand in moiri
silk and fine cotton. Japanese-style sliding doors lead to
dressing rooms, and ornamental vases and bowls in mother-of-pearl
and Kalimantan mahogany reveal the touch of Ratina Moegiono of
Aman Resort International fame.

Hibiscus, bougainvillea and frangipani in shades of
vermilion, fuchsia, tangerine and white counterpoint the lush
green of the grounds laid by landscape artist Made Wijaya, and
descending deeper past sculptures carved by Made Cangker and Dewa
Japa, a vast reflecting pool of shimmering aqua stretches out
toward the cliff edge.

To the far right is the centerpiece: the floating Wedding
Atrium, an A-line structure of white steel, triangular sails and
teal-tinted glass panels, reminiscent of the brilliant Air Force
Academy Chapel of Colorado Springs.

Tirtha Uluwatu also has a fully equipped kitchen, and offers
Asian and French menus designed by Mozaic restaurateur Master
Chef Chris Salans.

That no expense has been spared in the design and construction
of the resort, which took three years to build, would be a gross
understatement. However, the care and attention to detail merely
begins with the compound, and trilingual wedding coordinators are
on hand to ensure that all is perfect up to the exchange of vows
and to the festivities beyond.

Tirtha is also unique in that it offers Balinese Hindu,
Christian and Muslim ceremonies, held under license by the
relevant religious associations. In the case of Muslim weddings,
Tirtha is authorized by the local Islamic religious office not
only to conduct the ceremony with an officiating imam, but also
to issue wedding certificates. Christian ceremonies are blessed
by a priest specifically appointed to Tirtha.

As for Balinese Hindu weddings, the ceremonies are of a
cultural nature for both foreign and Balinese couples, as
Balinese law dictates that couples must wed in their banjar, or
neighborhood community, of origin.

In fact, 80 percent of Tirtha's staff is employed from the
local banjar, and it is the Karang Borma villagers -- including
village elders, children and gamelan performers -- who grace each
ceremony with flower girls, footmen, dancers and musicians, as
well as stand in as witnesses.

All arrangements are made at the Nusa Dua showroom where, upon
their arrival, couples are guided through every stage of
planning, from the rental of handmade Italian wedding dresses and
tuxedos to flower arrangements, from booking violinists to
professional photographers and cameramen, from selecting guest
registries to souvenirs, even scheduling salon treatments for the
big day.

"Once, a couple requested piano accompaniment, so we carried a
grand piano all the way down to the Atrium for their wedding
day," said assistant general manager Muhammad Gusri, smiling.

Whether a traditional wedding or a simple formal exchange of
"I do", it is clear all at Tirtha are attendant hand and foot to
make the dream wedding a reality, under the azure expanse of a
Balinese sky.

For more information, visit www.tirtha.com or contact Tirtha
Bali International at: Tel. (0361) 772255; Fax. (0361) 777252; or
gusri@tirtha.com.