It didn't take long for former 2013 Puteri Indonesia, Whulandary Herman to convince herself that Nik Ibrahim is the life partner she has been longing for. The couple started their relationship in 2017, after a couple of best friends tried to set them up. Separated by distance and a whole load of work, Nik and Whulan relied only on their smartphones during courtship. When the time finally came for them to meet for a lunch date in Kuala Lumpur, the meeting didn't go as well as planned. "I realized that I have lost my passport, right when Niki picked me up. I started to panic and cry. Fortunately, Niki was willing to accompany me during the whole process. He also succeeded in calming me down when I was angry," Whulan recalled.
The Malaysian gentleman's kindness and sincerity impressed her so much, that she fell in love and said yes to Nik's proposal that happened only a few months after they officially dated. "In accordance with the Malaysian culture, Niki's parents came to mine and asked for my hand in marriage," said Whulan. After an engagement ceremony in Malaysia, Whulan immediately started planning the wedding of her dreams.
"Actually, it has always been my dream to get married on a boat, with only my closest relatives and friends present. Our initial plan was a casual destination wedding in Komodo Island, in which I will be wearing a simple white gown and Niki in khaki shorts," said the actress and model. But this process reminded her that they should also consider their family's wishes and not only focus on theirs. After visiting Komodo Island, Bandung and Yogyakarta, their choice finally fell on Plataran Borobudur. "We fell in love with the tranquility of the whole city and we're sure our guests will enjoy their visit as well," Whulan said, explaining why she chose Plataran Borobudur as her wedding venue.
For the wedding day, Whulan picked a tropical-resort theme. Hence, Plataran Borobudur was adorned with assorted greeneries and clusters of white flowers. "I've always favored greens more than flowers," she said. Whulan also carried the Minang traditions while at the same time incorporating Javanese and Sundanese culture to even more showcase Indonesia's diversity. "This celebration is a fusion of traditions, as I wanted to show the richness of culture that our nation has," she added.
To bride planning a destination wedding, Whulan wanted to share her experience when planning hers. "Make a list. As a perfectionist and organized person, a to-do list and detailed schedule was my key to plan the wedding smoothly," Whulan advised. "Vendor picking is also very crucial. Get to know them first and if you feel anything unsuitable in work ethic or personality with a certain vendor, find a replacement immediately. I was lucky that my best friend, Vicky Shu, was also holding her wedding at the same city. So I got a list of local vendors that she recommended," she explained further. Whulan also shared a valuable lesson she got during the wedding planning process, it is to not be discouraged or stressed out when something doesn't go as planned, for there's no such thing as a perfect wedding. "Just plan the best and let God do the rest," she said.
