BETAWI WEDDING CEREMONY

The sacred ritual experienced by the Betawi society when reaching adult life is marriage. The marriage ceremony in Betawi society is one of the most important in life cycles. The ceremony itself is defined as a standardized official behavior to mark events not aimed at daily technical activities but related to beliefs beyond human control. Therefore, in every wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are presented especially, equipped with make-up, bun, and complete dress makeup, by the completeness of customs before and after the wedding.

According to Betawi society and culture, the purpose of marriage is to fulfill the noble obligations of every adult and meet the requirements. The Betawi people, who are predominantly Muslim, believe that marriage is one of the sunnah for the people as a religious order to complement the norms of human life as social beings and the creation of the Noblest God. The marriage system in the Betawi community follows Islamic law, to whom they may or prohibited from having marital relations. In finding a mate, both young men and women are free to choose their life partners. However, the consent of the parents of both parties is essential because it is the parents who will help carry out the marriage.

Marriage in the Betawi tradition has its uniqueness. In indigenous, Betawi weddings have various stages, ranging from proposals, engagements, and offerings, to weddings. On the wedding day, the groom-to-be came in a row accompanied by relatives to the bride's house. Nowadays, Ijab and Kabul are at the bride's place. The interesting thing in Betawi wedding customs is the welcoming procession by the bride as the host. Firecrackers and tambourine music welcome the 'great guest'. When the groom and his family arrived, a series of firecrackers were lit along with tambourine music, singing the shalawatan song, and then palang pintu. When he arrived, the groom still brought a variety of Betawi specialties such as fruits and crocodile bread. Crocodile bread is a symbol of loyalty. The bride and groom are expected to be faithful to each other like a crocodile that only mates once in a lifetime.