When I visited my friend Eko's village in early January, I had the opportunity to observe a traditional Batak Karo wedding. Batak Karo is the name of the ethnic group in this area of North Sumatra. This first picture is from the "wedding's eve" ceremony held the night before the wedding. The families of both bride and groom gather and, in an exchange of formalities, share the characteristics that make their relative a good candidate for marriage. This began with a huge meal around 6 in the evening, and didn't end until nearly 10pm.
On the actual wedding day, the bride and groom (on the right) approached the wedding place as the leaders of a long procession, flanked to the right and left by the groom's brothers and their wives, and trailed by nearly 200 relatives. When they drew near, they started a traditional dance, and danced all the way down the "aisle" (although its not a church building).
These are a few of the trailing relatives bringing rice and floor mats which will later be used in the "New Home Opening" ceremony/ritual for the newlywed couple.
Similar to America traditions, the bride's family sits on one side while the groom's family fills the other. The ceremony and meals last from morning until night. And you thought hour-long weddings in the States were long! In the background of this picture you can observe the groom and bride, along with the groom's brothers and their wives, preparing for a dance where people come and slip money between their fingers as their wedding gift.
When I visited my friend Eko's village in early January, I had the opportunity to observe a traditional Batak Karo wedding. Batak Karo is the name of the ethnic group in this area of North Sumatra. This first picture is from the "wedding's eve" ceremony held the night before the wedding. The families of both bride and groom gather and, in an exchange of formalities, share the characteristics that make their relative a good candidate for marriage. This began with a huge meal around 6 in the evening, and didn't end until nearly 10pm. 
On the actual wedding day, the bride and groom (on the right) approached the wedding place as the leaders of a long procession, flanked to the right and left by the groom's brothers and their wives, and trailed by nearly 200 relatives. When they drew near, they started a traditional dance, and danced all the way down the "aisle" (although its not a church building).
These are a few of the trailing relatives bringing rice and floor mats which will later be used in the "New Home Opening" ceremony/ritual for the newlywed couple.
Similar to America traditions, the bride's family sits on one side while the groom's family fills the other. The ceremony and meals last from morning until night. And you thought hour-long weddings in the States were long! In the background of this picture you can observe the groom and bride, along with the groom's brothers and their wives, preparing for a dance where people come and slip money between their fingers as their wedding gift.