British-IndoChinese Christian Marriage

[Illuminasi]

May I ask where you are planning to get married and what religion you both are?

I got married about 8 months ago in Surabaya. We had a few stumbling blocks with the church requiring schooling for 6 months for a catholic ceremony.

At the time I wasn't sure I would still be in Indonesia for 6 months so my wife (who wasn't really so stuck on a catholic ceremony) got baptised along with me... Very simple and no bribes required!

After the baptism we had a 20min meeting with the minister and all plans were then out in place and we had a lovely ceremony in church. I expected some bribes to come at some point but it never happened... We gave a donation to the church for the religious ceremony and directly after had the legal ceremony... Which I think cost 500k IDR.

Both Christian Protestant and getting married at a nice church in Pondok Indah I hope. We have called the government guy to come and witness the wedding but he wants paying off aswell.

[naughtygab]

my friend got married in bali , blessed by the priest from a church who asked nothing about baptism etc.

[sirno]

May I ask where you are planning to get married and what religion you both are?

I got married about 8 months ago in Surabaya. We had a few stumbling blocks with the church requiring schooling for 6 months for a catholic ceremony.

At the time I wasn't sure I would still be in Indonesia for 6 months so my wife (who wasn't really so stuck on a catholic ceremony) got baptised along with me... Very simple and no bribes required!

After the baptism we had a 20min meeting with the minister and all plans were then out in place and we had a lovely ceremony in church. I expected some bribes to come at some point but it never happened... We gave a donation to the church for the religious ceremony and directly after had the legal ceremony... Which I think cost 500k IDR.

[Illuminasi]

Hey everyone. Thank you all for your great updates and info. You're all awesome and i hope this thread in the future can benefit anyone else with similar questions.

Let me give you guys an update on where I am right now.

Legal documents from the British embassy: Done
Catatan Sipil: Not yet began processing as my birth certificate is still en route from the UK
Local RT permission form: Done (Yes! Neighbourhood watchman needs to also give permission)
Baptism: No church is willing to help without a 3 month course (so have to slip some reds to an Indonesian church to get it done)
Ceremony location: Had it booked over a month ago with the church I visited for 4 years to this day but they just cancelled and won't help me now (happy new year) Now looking for another church who will probably want money too.

Lesson learned: Religious/Government/Charity all want hand outs. All think of themselves as holy and righteous, all want something.
Proverb Needed to be added to the Bible: "Put your trust in God this day, Not those that claim to teach his way"

23 days to go. Wish me luck.

And Happy new year everyone!

[PhilippeD]

The religion you can related me the most is protestant as it is the religion of my parent.

When it come down to get married with my Indo-Chinese wife who is as must christian than I'm protestant.... we tell the priest that I'm Catholic (Seriously! Who care!!!!)
While I was in Canada, my wife had to follow the marriage preparation... alone. I never had any kind of marriage course and the priest didn't bother about it.

The advantage to be in a nowhere city, I was the first and probably the last foreigner the priest had to marry, they didn't care to much about the rule!!!

Aaaah! my lovely Samarinda!!!

[Berlarutlarut]

Allow me to ellaborate what i meant was mixed marriages as in indonesian and non indonesian of an religious denomination.

OK, yes agreed

[sergei]

OK, so I did a bit of reading here, and it seems I was mostly wrong. Apparently I confused an exception with the rule: legal inter-faith marriage in Indonesia is indeed possible... but only if the guy is Muslim and the girl is Christian or Jewish. Otherwise, both spouses must be of the same religion to legally marry here.

@Illuminasi, it seems that you either have to go with the flow, or get married outside of the country and do only the church ceremony here.

[ScooterIndo]

Bali is part of Indonesia, and in Indonesia a mixed religion marriage is not possible. (in the sense of it having a legal status). Although they do know how to put on a good ceremony.

Allow me to ellaborate what i meant was mixed marriages as in indonesian and non indonesian of an religious denomination.

[sergei]

I'm not atlantis, so I can't quote specific law, but I know mixed religion couples that have married legally in Indonesia.

Only for couples where the girls is Muslim the man is also required to convert it seems.

[waarmstrong]

I think that what's not legal is for couples of different religions to marry in Indonesia. If a couple with different religions is married abroad and later comes to Indonesia, they are still recognized as legitimately married.

[sergei]

in Indonesia a mixed religion marriage is not possible. (in the sense of it having a legal status).

I don't think that's accurate.

[Berlarutlarut]

Bring your passport, and birth certificate and a letter of no impedment down to Bali and get it done within a day, there are companies specialising in mixed marriages here regardless of religion, nationality etc. Get married on the beach just the 2 of you and 2 witnesses and thats it youre legally married. Then to appease the family go through the motions back in JKT with a "blessing ceromony"

Bali is part of Indonesia, and in Indonesia a mixed religion marriage is not possible. (in the sense of it having a legal status). Although they do know how to put on a good ceremony.

[ScooterIndo]

I'm just having 1 problem with these churches, some are demanding me to be rebaptized and some are demanding we undergo a 6-12 month course. I'm just in awe of how some churches are run here and what they require. I don't mind doing the course AFTER we're married but we set the date to January and no Christian Church is willing to help us? IT just baffles me. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Reread my first post - looking a lot more apealing now isnt it ??

[sergei]

If you're not catholic, but want to marry one in the catholic church, they would usually require you to take a "marriage preparation" course, which can take anywhere from 2 hours to 6 months, depending on where you take it, and a recommendation letter from a father who taught that course. I managed to find a church in Canada that was offering a pretty short course, got my letter there and brought it to Jakarta to get my church wedding at the cathedral. My "legal" marriage was done in Canada, so I cannot advise on details of doing it here, I'm afraid. Perhaps, you could get the legal marriage done first, then take your time with the course and do the ceremony afterwards?

[Illuminasi]

Allot of things have been taken care of now, I'm just having 1 problem with these churches, some are demanding me to be rebaptized and some are demanding we undergo a 6-12 month course. I'm just in awe of how some churches are run here and what they require. I don't mind doing the course AFTER we're married but we set the date to January and no Christian Church is willing to help us? IT just baffles me.

Does anyone have any suggestions?