Wedding business thrives in bustling city
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The wedding planning and organizing business is thriving as many young couples in the city have no time to prepare and organize their own weddings amid their tight work schedules. Wedding consultants are ready to organize any type of wedding, from the most opulent to something a little simpler. This week's cover story looks more closely at the wedding business.
Niken, 23, who works for a news firm in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, found herself under pressure recently as she struggled to get to grips with the preparations for her upcoming wedding.
"I feel dizzy. The more I ask people, the more apparent it becomes to me that I've an awful lot to prepare," she said.
"Not to mention the money I have to spend to pay for the wedding. I never imagined that it would cost tens of millions," she sighed.
Meanwhile, Yudi, who works for a radio station in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, was shocked when he heard that a friend had spent Rp 60 million on his wedding.
"I don't have much money. Will it ever be possible for me to pay for a wedding?" he asked dejectedly.
It seems that the confusion and anxiety experienced by young couples, who mostly are still in the process of building up their careers, has led to a boom in the wedding planning business over the last couple of years.
"Many young couples are too busy with work and have no time to prepare their wedding parties," said Amira of Semusim Wedding Planners, which has enjoyed robust growth in recent years.
Amira and some friends set up the firm in 2001 while they were still studying at university.
"At first, we did it as a part-time job as all of us were still studying. When we discovered that it was quite a promising business, we took it up full time," she explained.
The firm charges Rp 8.5 million for planning and organizing a one-day wedding party and Rp 17.5 million for planning and organizing a wedding party in line with the cultural traditions of the couple. All costs are covered by the couple.
"We can handle all types of traditional weddings, including the various ceremonies that take place several days prior to the wedding day," she said.
Another wedding planner and organizer is La Casa di Bella Donna, which has experienced similar growth to Semusim.
Diany Pranata Chandra, who owns the firm, said her company only received one order during its first year in business in 2000.
"The number of orders rose gradually to 25 in 2001, 30 in 2002 and now we handle at least 50 customers," she said.
"However, it seems that the market is already crowded so that growth has started to slow. It currently stands at about 10 percent per annum," she said.
Bella Donna charges its customers a flat fee of Rp 25 million.
That the wedding business is lucrative is evident from the number of companies now lining up to get a slice of the pie.
The website weddingku.com, which features links to lots of wedding-related businesses, lists at least 189 wedding planners or organizers. Not to mention hundreds of other companies supplying wedding-related products and services, ranging from wedding gowns, cards, makeup services, entertainment providers, florists, designers, photo and video shooting, hotels and wedding venues, decorations, wedding cakes, and much more besides.
The wedding planning business does not only thrive among the middle and upper income brackets, but also at the "grassroots level." Many wedding organizers are specially geared toward preparing and organizing wedding parties at home for couples on small budgets.
"The demand is high throughout the year, except during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan. We organize a wedding party almost every week," said Dea, who runs a small wedding planning business in South Jakarta.
"The charge can also be haggled over. If you have Rp 8 million, we can plan and organize your wedding party, but you must provide the food by yourself. Or, you can give us Rp 20 million and we will provide enough food for 250 guests. You decide," she said.