Top model's wedding became a hometown extravaganza

Top model's wedding became a hometown extravaganza

NGAWI, East Java (JP): She was no Lady Di, but Indonesian top
model Ratih Sanggarwati created a royal atmosphere last Saturday
when she waved back to a crowd which lined the streets of Ngawi,
a small town in East Java.

It was the day she married businessman Budi Septa Zen, 39.
Dressed in a long white brocade kebaya (traditional costume), to
match her long Sidomukti prada batik cloth, designed by Iwan
Tirta, Ratih glowed with happiness as she and her husband rode in
a richly decorated traditional horse carriage to a mosque for a
religious marriage ceremony. A happiness that infected the whole
town, as well as her Jakarta guests.

It was by no means a commonplace wedding, especially for the
urbanites of Jakarta. Unlike the usual Jakarta wedding reception
of the rich and famous, usually held in sophisticated halls or
ballrooms, Ratih's wedding was held over four days in her
hometown, which is about 80 kilometers from Surakarta in Central
Java.

Before the wedding, the couple vowed not to see each other for
40 days, as required by traditional Javanese customs. "But we
talked on the phone because we had to manage the invitation
lists. We had to!" said Budi.

However, one must admit that it was really the remote and not
easily accessible location of the ceremonies that made this
wedding special. The invitation was much like a tourist brochure. Quite
an effort had to be made to get to Ngawi, and attending the
celebration became a unique touristic trip.The hotels where the
guests were expected to stay -- either in Surakarta (Solo) or
Madiun -- were also listed, complete with listings of addresses,
telephone and facsimile numbers. There was a Jakarta-Solo
airplane schedule, and an indication of the distances from Solo
to Ngawi and Madiun. In many ways, it was even better than the
practicalities of most guide books to Java!

The wedding ceremony was conducted in front of an audience of
thousands at the Mesjid Jami of Ngawi. Prominent literary figure
Umar Kayam and former ambassador E. Suryanegara were also present
as official witnesses. Jakarta celebrities, who attended the
reception in the evening, included top fashion designers Iwan
Tirta, Poppy Dharsono, and Itang Yunas; models Enny Sukamto and
Kintan Kumari; film makers Eros Jarot and Gotot Prakosa; and
dancer/choreographer Sardono W. Kusumo.

The celebration became a spectacle for the residents of Ngawi,
who were notified through a number of banners placed at several
strategic locations in town. Ratih had a stage built in front of
her house for her large audience. Among the events was a
traditional reog (masked) dance from Ponorogo, and a ketoprak
(traditional Javanese play) performance by Ketoprak Gaya Baru
Siswobudoyo, supported by artists Reny Jayusman and Harry de
Fretes from Jakarta.

During the reception, designers Chossy Latu and Itang Yunasz
even went on stage and presented some songs, accompanied by a
local band. On Sunday night, the celebrations were concluded with
a wayang kulit (leather puppet) show by Sujiwo Tedjo, a reporter
of Kompas daily.

Ratih's guests from Jakarta were really "dressed to kill,"
even by Jakarta standards. The reception was filled with the
glittering costumes worn by the Jakarta celebrities.

As a model, it is usually Ratih who presents the creations of
local fashion designers in their shows at urban centers around
Indonesia. This time, it was the turn for those who usually
patronize her and her acquaintances, to be placed on her stage.

In many ways, it was Ratih's own extravaganza. But then she
deserved it, given her national and international achievements as
a model.

Ratih's career started in the 1980s, when she appeared in a
fashion show organized by the Muhammadiyah Orphanage at the
Madiun Public Hall in East Java. A few years later, in 1983, she
was chosen as the None (an appellation of the women of Jakarta)
in the Abang and None Jakarta contest.

A few years ago Ratih was contracted for a year by a modeling
agency in New York, appearing in international magazines such as
Vogue and Women's Affairs. After New York, her career continued
in Milan. Shots of her photographed in Morocco appeared in the
September, 1992, issue of Italian Vogue.

The wedding was an experience that both guests from Jakarta
and residents of Ngawi enjoyed. Most guests commended Ratih's
decision to hold the wedding back home. It shows that even though
Ratih has become part of cosmopolitan Jakarta, and has attained
an international reputation, Ngawi, her home town, is still a
very important part of her life.

-- Amir Sidharta