You won’t see a white dress. You won’t see a walking down the aisle moment, but you will learn so much about traditional Balinese wedding rituals in this one post. Bali Villas R Us explains what makes traditional wedding in Bali a unique commemoration that equally romantic and sacred as your classic wedding encounters all around the world.

A wedding is a sacred ceremony of uniting two souls into one by an oath of everlasting love. The tie the knot moment is always celebrated merrily and in Bali this might take up to three days.  This is because a marriage for Balinese people means they are part of the entire extended family for both the groom and bride. This is also a welcoming ceremony for the bride to move into her husband’s family.

In Bali, once they’re married, they continue living with the parents of the groom or else if a family only has one daughter, things can go around. This is what we called as ‘nyentana’. It is a situation where the family’s bride would carry a procession to ask the groom’s family for their son. Through rebirth, they believe that the lineage of a family has to pass down. Therefore, if the family of the groom, supposedly, only has one son, it’s going to be difficult to follow the tradition of nyentana. It is because mostly the family cannot fulfill the request of the bride’s family for the same reason.

Traditional Balinese Wedding Involves Marrying Two Families

The newlyweds wear grand wedding attire in traditional Balinese wedding. It is loaded with golden headgear and accessories, lavish traditional clothing, and heavy makeup. Together they make Payas Agung or the Grand Makeover. It used to be meant for merely nobility but today as long as you can afford it, it’s better to put Payas Agung forward on your once-in-a-lifetime momentum. The attire, moreover, symbolizes festivity and felicity.

On the first day of the ceremony began with the procession of Ngendek. This is where the two families officially met and decided on the wedding arrangement. Of course, the groom’s family will inform about the ceremony beforehand. After a mutual consent happening, the families will decide the good days based on their dewasa ayu system. It is done to perform the next wedding rituals Ngidih and Mekala-kalaan. The groom’s family will be asking permission to marry the bride and the peak of ceremony.

In the second day they conduct the procession of Ngidih. If translated in English, ngidih means ‘to ask’. The whole extended family of the groom and bride will come along to witness the ritual. Unlike modern wedding, the exchange of wedding rings happens on this day. The bride carries out her last goodbye to her house temple. This indicates that she will carry no more responsibilities to participate in religious rites with her family. It is the most emotional event for a Balinese woman as she has to adapt in a new environment. Later on, the groom’s family takes the bride to welcome her in his house. A priest will lead the procession of Byekawon in his family’s house entrance first. Afterward, they commence a prayer to the family temple and face the ancestors they believe residing on the temple.

The Peak Ceremony in Traditional Balinese Wedding

The peak ceremony begins early in the morning. The newlywed follows through mekala-kalaan procession that is the most vital in traditional Balinese wedding. Their God, ancestors, and both family members will be a witness to their union. Along the series of ritual, a Hindu priest will guide them in the aim of cleansing the negative energy out of the young couple. Kala means ‘energy’ in English that denotes an official marriage and purification of two souls to initiate a happy family in Bali. The reception for the invitees will be done in the late afternoon until evening.

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Yes, besides the rituals, what we often see on a traditional Balinese wedding is the newlywed’s families will prepare banquet meals for the guests who invited in the second and third day. Wedding is such a beautiful ritual in every corner of the globe. It’s not only a new union for the two souls, it’s also where all families work together hand in hand to succeed the procession.

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