Bali 2010 - An Ubud Wedding

Our stay in Ubud coincided with one of the biggest events of the year - the wedding of of of the Prince of Ubud’s 2nd son to an Indonesian actress - Happy Salma. It was on Sunday 3rd October - the day we were to leave Bali. The wedding would take place around late morning, so in the early morning I decided to check it out before all the guests arrived and the traffic would chock up the streets. I was warned by the hotel staff that most of the main roads would be closed for the wedding and I should head back to the hotel before the road blocks in order to make it to my flight in the afternoon. One of the staff even offered to take me back by motorbike should I get caught in the traffic - what great service and care !

When I arrived in Ubud town around 8.00 a.m., it was still sleepy and just coming to life. The roads were still relatively empty as most tourists were probably still in slumberland. The guests had already started to arrive, and Ubud Palace was decked out in full festive decorations. Lots of congratulatory wreaths were placed outside the palace.


Inside, the Palace has been transformed into a beautiful wedding venue. We were told that the ceremony would take almost the whole day.


Guests arriving for the wedding.


For a Royal Wedding, the security was surprisingly relaxed. There were guides at the palace entrance, but they did not stop me from entering the palace compound to take some pictures. I would have loved the opportunity to witness such a grand and important event in the annals of Ubud, but unfortunately due to our schedule had to leave reluctantly. But this was definitely one of the best happy coincidences of our Bali escapade, after the heart-stopping experience at the beginning of our trip that almost didn't happen !

Comments

Popular Posts