Speculation over the date of the wedding of President Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka to Miss Surakarta 2009 Selvi Ananda has been answered: June 11 will be the big day
peculation over the date of the wedding of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka to Miss Surakarta 2009 Selvi Ananda has been answered: June 11 will be the big day.
The news was revealed on Friday by Jokowi's mother, Sudjiatmi Notomiharjo, on the sidelines of a municipal event in the Pedaringan area of Surakarta in Central Java.
'The families have agreed to have the wedding on Legi Thursday, June 11. It's a good day for the wedding of Gibran and Selvi,' Sudjiatmi said.
She revealed that the wedding ceremony would be held at about 10 a.m. local time, with the reception in the evening. Ceremony and reception are both to be conducted at the Jokowi-family-owned reception building Graha Saba Buana.
Asked why June 11 had been chosen for the wedding, Sudjiatmi said she did not know.
'I have nothing to do with it. It's Jokowi's business. All I know is that it's a good day, especially because it's a Legi,' she said, referring to the day's name according to the Javanese calendar.
Sudjiatmi also said that the wedding ceremony and reception would be organized by Selvi's family and that Jokowi would not hold ngunduh mantu, a wedding reception organized by the groom's family.
The wedding procession, according to Sudjiatmi, will be conducted according to Javanese customs. As such, it will include rituals of siraman (washing), midodareni (eve of the ceremony) and dandanan (make-up).
Commenting on her granddaughter-in-law to be, Sudjiatmi said that Selvi was a good girl and a perfect match for her grandson. Selvi was patient, she added, while Gibran was firm.
'I just pray that they will make a good family, long-lasting and blessed,' she said.
Gibran, 27, runs a catering business in Surakarta and is known to be media-shy. He has two siblings, sister Kahiyang Ayu, 23, and brother Kaesang Pangarep, 19.
For the wedding dress, the first family has hired Surakarta designers Tuty Adib and Hanif Aisyah Nanjaya.
Tuty is working on Gibran's and Selvi's attire for the preaching, pre-wedding and midodareni processions, as well as for the wedding ceremony. She is also designing the outfits for the President's immediate family.
'[First Lady] Ibu Iriana wants a simple Javanese kebaya [blouse] with no modification. She has chosen a broken white kebaya kutu baru,' said Tuty, referring to the revived and currently popular style.
She declined, however, to mention the price of Gibran's and Selvi's wedding outfits, claiming that the process was still underway and the cost could not yet be calculated.
'What matters most is that everything is finished by mid-May at the latest. It's now already 70 percent finished,' said the owner of Bilqis fashion house.
Designer Hanif is working separately on the groom's and bride's wedding outfits for the siraman procession and wedding reception as well as those for Jokowi's and the bride's families.
Hanif revealed that during the reception, the bride would wear a classic kebaya kutu baru while the groom was to wear beskap (a formal Javanese shirt). Both will be matched with Sidomukti and Sidomulyo motif batik.
'The kebaya will be modified. It's a blend of the classic and the modern ' a meter long tail,' said the owner of Chili Kebaya house.
Hanif also said that the kebaya would be made of velvet for elegance. Velvet, she added, was also more comfortable.
'I aim to finish everything by mid-May, including repeated fittings,' the designer said.
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