In the Betawi traditional wedding ceremony there are several processes that must be carried out for the bride and groom. Every traditional process or ritual carried out by the prospective bride and groom is called the bridal ceremony or pelihare pengantin. One of the rituals of this pelihare pengantin is the flower bath ritual. The flower bath is for the bride-to-be.

This series of flower bathing rituals will be guided by a ‘juru piare pengantin’. The bride-to-be sits on a chair with small holes in it and under the chair is placed a censer that emits smoke of setanggi or gaharu wood and stews of fragrant spices.

The goal is that the bride is clean and fragrant. The procession, which is usually called tangas, lasts about 30 minutes until she sweats. After a steam bath, the bride is bathed with flower water to remove sweat and come back refreshed.

The next treatment is ngerik and henna night. The ngerik tradition is to clean or cut the fine hairs on the body of the prospective bride. Followed by henna night, the bride reddened her toenails and hands with finely ground henna leaves.

During the treatment period, the bride abstains from certain foods, such as foods that are heavily spiced and fatty. They are even asked to fast, and consume lots of fruits and vegetables to keep skin glowing when the wedding day arrives.