Wedding Organiser Absconds Before Wedding, Couple Suffers Rp85 Million Loss

Couple Aldi (32) and Feny have formally reported suspected fraud by a wedding organiser (WO) to the East Jakarta Metropolitan Police. East Jakarta Metropolitan Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit Chief, AKBP Bayu Kurniawan, stated the report was filed on Sunday (24 May), one day after the couple held their wedding on Saturday (23 May). ‘The report was filed yesterday; the victims only submitted it late yesterday afternoon, and the police report has been lodged,’ Bayu said when contacted on Monday (25 May). Bayu added that the police are still investigating the complaint, having requested clarifications from three witnesses: the two victims and another witness who is the bride’s relative. Bayu said the police plan to visit the WO’s office in Jakarta Garden City (JGC) today. ‘We want to check what the office in JGC looks like; the victims said they had a fitting there, so we’ll visit to confirm if the office even exists there to gather information,’ he said. Bayu also revealed that before the wedding, the couple had contacted the WO owner, but received no response. ‘There was no communication before the wedding; they vanished, but the couple proceeded with the ceremony on the 23rd,’ he said. According to Antara, victim Feny said she initially hired Marwah WO after seeing promotions on Instagram. She was attracted to the wedding package offered and paid a deposit (DP). ‘I first found out via Instagram. After checking the price list and packages, I paid the deposit. Total losses amount to Rp85.5 million,’ she said. After the initial payment, the couple attended a food tasting session organised by the WO. During the event, Feny noted numerous staff members, including decoration vendors, makeup artists (MUA), MCs, and displays of bridal outfits and buffet food. They later underwent a fitting session for wedding attire at the WO’s JGC office. Payments were made in installments, fully settled by early April 2026. The couple even increased the guest count (pax) on 11 May 2026. Suspicion arose during an online technical meeting (TM), which was deemed unprofessional and lasted only 10 minutes. ‘The TM lasted just 10 minutes and lacked detail. When I asked about the schedule, venue entry flow, and guest session arrangements, they said all would be clarified the day before the event (H-1),’ Feny said. Suspicion grew after Feny learned of other victims complaining about the WO’s service, including delayed catering and incorrect food quantities. The situation escalated on 13 May 2026, around 10 days before the event. The Bekasi Islamic Center building management contacted the couple, stating the WO had not settled the venue payment. ‘The Islamic Center said around Rp17.5 million was still outstanding. It turned out the WO had only paid a Rp6 million deposit,’ Feny said. The couple repeatedly tried contacting the WO but received no clear response. On the day before the wedding (H-1), they visited the JGC office and found it empty. The couple then searched for the WO’s warehouse in Rorotan, where they met the management, who gave vague excuses regarding venue payment. The WO even signed a stamped statement regarding event responsibilities, but later left the location citing other matters. The situation worsened as decoration and catering staff reported receiving no guidance from the WO owner, with some leaving the venue due to lack of job certainty.