Mixed Marriage Culture in Indonesia

Mixed Marriage Culture in Indonesia   
Text & Photos by: Dewi Ariesta

A transnational marriage is a marriage between two people from different countries. A variety of special issues arise in marriages between people from different countries, including those related to citizenship and culture.

Others are suspicious of transnational marriages, as they think the non-citizen spouse may use their marriage only to obtain legal status in the host country. One of my friends married with an American just because she wants to live in US. But, some of them were married because they're truly in love.

I only attended one transnational marriage, she met his husband at the hotel we work, her husband is from America, he's a teacher and my friend is a waitress in our hotel. They get married on last July at my friend's resident.

If you already married in overseas (outside Indonesia) you don't have to register your marriage again in Indonesia. Because it happened to my other friend, her family requested it since they could not come to Australia at that moment and they wanted her to do the marriage ceremony again in Indonesia. Believe it or not if you married with an Indonesian you must married their family too. I guess that's true and it's happened to some of my friends. At least it is legal in the front of God and also on the marriage paper.