Wedding souvenirs: Gifts from the hearts

Wedding souvenirs: Gifts from the hearts

Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta

For most people, the wedding day is one of the most exciting and
important days of their life. It is almost impossible to describe
the thrill -- and of course, the weariness -- of the whole
procedure; from deciding the date, the place, the guest list,
cake, food, gown and last but not least, the wedding souvenirs.

Today, wedding mementos come in various sizes and shapes, from
the cheap, simple little notebook to the chic and expensive
silver picture frame, ranging from the cheesy to the elegant. The
choice is all yours.

One of the oldest ways of expressing love and affection is
through flowers. Flowers enhance the romantic mood of your
wedding day. They can be arranged in bouquets or used to decorate
the bride's and her bridesmaids' hair. You can make a simple
floral pin or a pretty tiara of fresh flowers.

You can also decorate tables with flowers in small tumblers,
using either fresh flowers or dried ones. They smell heavenly and
create a romantic ambiance.

Pleasantly scented potpourri in pretty tiny pouches is a
beautiful gift too. You can always be creative with flowers.

Countryside is one of the flower shops in Jakarta that sell
floral wedding souvenirs as well.

Countryside, Plaza Indonesia, Jl. Thamrin, Second Floor No. 31-32,
Tel. 335 608. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

Countryside offers both fresh and dried flowers. If you love
flowers, especially dried flowers, you will love this little
shop. Beautiful fabric and dried flowers fill the shop including
baby's breath, Casablanca, perzi, gerbera and roses.

Countryside sells fresh bouquets as well. A standard one costs
Rp 350,000. It consists mainly of carnation, rose and baby's
breath.

I saw some beautiful dried bouquets with elegant golden
frames. If you want to keep your wedding bouquet as a memento,
you can dry it and then frame it. The special drying process
costs between Rp 250,000 and Rp 300,000. The classy golden frame
goes for Rp 300,000. In total, it will cost you about Rp 900,000.

Countryside also sells imported fresh flowers especially for
wedding bouquets.

As for the wedding souvenirs, you can play with your
imagination here. Most couples usually ask the florists to design
the wedding mementos for them. But, if you have some ideas in
mind, you can create your own little gifts -- after all, this is
your wedding. Or, if you want to copy other people's souvenirs,
just show a sample to the staff.

The cheapest -- and standard -- wedding souvenirs (with some
dried flowers and cinnamon stick) are Rp 3,500 a piece. The
minimum order is 200 items. A souvenir that uses Australian gum
nut as one of its items is Rp 15,000 (for each souvenir).

If money is not an issue, you can give your guests an
expensive memento worth Rp 125,000 per item: some small dried
Indian roses in a tumbler. The sweet scent comes from the roses
and the potpourri underneath. The price is negotiable if you
order a sizable number.

If floral is the theme of your special day, you can also order
your invitation cards at Countryside. They will decorate your
cards with some dried flowers.

So if you're in the mood for flowers, Countryside is one of
the places that can bring your fantasy to life.

Nana Collection, ITC Mangga Dua, First Floor Block B No. 6,
Tel. 6014326, 6016486. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily

Nana collection is one of several shops that sells wedding
souvenirs at ITC Mangga Dua. All the shops, however, sell similar
merchandise.

At Nana's you can find many souvenirs that come in various
shapes and sizes. There are the simple and cheesy little gifts to
the more elegant ones. They sell both cheap and expensive
souvenirs.

Many of the souvenirs are fridge magnets -- teddy bears, bride
and groom, a colorful cross (with the word Jesus on it) and
sunflowers join the range. Each is sold at Rp 1,000. But if you
buy a minimum of 50 magnets, the price is lowered to Rp 600 each.

Among the items offered are jewelry boxes, from small ones to
super mini colorful boxes. Jelly candles, key chains, little
batik fans and tiny candle holders are also among the merchandise
here.

My favorite are the silver souvenirs. They are pretty and the
price is reasonable -- considering it is real silver. For silver
goods, the minimum order is 100 items. They do not sell them per
piece. Pretty flower brooches go for Rp 5,000. A cute mini box is
Rp 7,500. A large picture frame costs Rp 13,000.

The cost of having your name written on the souvenirs is Rp
100,000 (for a minimum order of 500 pieces).

Alisha, Pertokoan Stasiun Cikini Blok A/7 - A/8, Jl. Pegangsaan
Timur, Menteng, Tel. 3158127. Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

This shop sells high quality handmade merchandise. At Alisha,
you can find many things that relate to the wedding party such as
items for Srah-srahan, a traditional celebration on the eve of
the wedding, when the groom gives some presents to the bride.

Colorful satin trays, pretty satin jewelry boxes decorated
with tiny ribbon roses and mirrors wrapped in satin decorated
with mini ribbon roses are among the items for srah-srahan
offered. A set of rattan trays wrapped in satin (two or three
trays) start at Rp 140,000.

You can also design your own tray. Multicolored, silver, and
rattan trays, as well as those with golden ribbons and colorful
fabric roses are sold here.

Meanwhile, various kinds of wedding souvenirs are also on
offer. Candle holders (Rp 1,000), mini hangers (Rp 1,250),
colorful rose-shaped soaps (Rp 5,000), bottle openers (Rp 1,000),
little batik fans, key holders, wooden and ceramic jewelry boxes
are among the merchandise.

You can give your guests a large rose-shaped soap that costs
Rp 10,000 per rose. Or, a Rp 40,000 (each) glamour mirror. The
mirror is wrapped with satin and embellished with tiny ribbon
roses.

Alisha does not sell its goods per piece. You must buy at
least 100 items. You have to pay an extra Rp 200 for each piece
to have your name written on it.

Ayu Kreasi Parcel & Souvenir, Kompleks Polri, Pengadengan Barat
VI, Blok P12, Pancoran, Tel. 7943752. Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
daily

Actually Ayu is a two-story house-cum-mini souvenir shop. At Ayu,
for srah-srahan needs, you can either buy those goods or just
rent them. To rent a set of trays, the cost is about Rp 12,500.

Here, if you find something that you like, you can buy it per
piece. However, the price is cheaper if you buy your little gifts
in a big quantity. A tiny jewelry box is Rp 5,000. If you order
100 boxes, you just have to pay Rp 3,500 per box.

Colorful dried flowers in tiny pouches, little picture frames,
golden or silver unique beaded toothpick cases and mini hangers
are among the goods. Or, if you have some ideas in mind, you can
talk to the owner.

If you want to embroider your name on your wedding souvenirs,
the price is about Rp 2,500 per piece.

The shop owner, Elly, said her daughters and some employees
make most of the merchandise here. When you buy the souvenirs
from Ayu, you can always depend on their quality. She said she
always checks her products carefully before they are delivered to
the clients. No wonder, Ayu Kreasi is well known for its high
quality merchandise.

The couple can also ask Elly to decorate their bridal suite
with her merchandise. It will cost some Rp 3 million, but it is
worth it, as the bride can keep all the fancy stuff for herself
as a personal memento.