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.