Like most royal weddings, when the king and queen of a far off land tied-the-knot, in a breathtakingly extravagant ceremony – complete with a guard of honour – it was the stuff that fantasies are made of.
But this was no ordinary blue-blooded union.
Rekhaza Panji Riawan, 28, aka King Joffrey Baratheon made Sista Mauli Wulandari, 27, aka the Elven Queen, Galadriel, his wife and queen at a quirky Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings-themed wedding, with all the glitz and glamour of a lavish TV production.
Sista Mauli Wulandari marries Rekhaza Panji Riawan at their £10,000 Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings themed wedding in Jakarta (PA Real Life/Numoto Photo)
Instead of a traditional white bridal gown, brand strategist Sista wore a sumptuous floor-length cape and creative director Rekhaza accessorised his costume with an impressive sword.
They were even flanked by their own army – wearing handmade brown robes and carrying wooden swords – as they arrived for the traditional Muslim ceremony.
“We had such a fantastic day,” said Sista. “I loved being dressed as the Queen of the Elves and Rekhaza made such a handsome King Joffrey. Even though he is cruel in the series, we loved his costume.”
Sista Mauli Wulandari marries Rekhaza Panji Riawan at their £10,000 Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings themed wedding in Jakarta (PA Real Life/Numoto Photo)
She continued: “I feel really thankful for everything because it went so perfectly.”
The wedding invite even included a coin from Westeros, the continent where most of the Game of Thrones’ action takes place, and their wedding banner was inspired by the Baratheon crown.
Fans of both fantasy dramas, the couple are particularly hooked on Game of Thrones, adapted from the series of novels, A Song of Ice and Fire, by American author and screenwriter George R. R. Martin.
Married couple Sista Mauli Wulandari and Rekhaza Panji Riawan with their ‘army’ (PA Real Life/Numoto Photo)
Sista said: “Me and my husband can spend a day, a week, a month, or a year talking about Game of Thrones, and we don’t get bored at all.
“Rekhaza is a major fanboy and I am a complete fangirl. He introduced me to it when we first got together and I was addicted.”
Hugely popular, the TV show is set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos and chronicles the violent struggles amongst the realm’s noble families for the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, other families battle for their independence.
The wedding awaits for Sista Mauli Wulandari and Rekhaza Panji Riawan (PA Real Life/Numoto Photo)
But there were no such warring factions at the couple’s fairy-tale £10,000 wedding last October, held at a beautiful outdoor restaurant near their Indonesian home of Jakarta.
“No expense was spared, but, luckily, things aren’t as expensive here as they are in the UK,” said Sista.
“We are both very creative, too, which helped. It took us less than a year to organise it all. And all our 600 guests were very keen to fit in with our theme.”
Sista Mauli Wulandari marries Rekhaza Panji Riawan at their £10,000 Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings themed wedding in Jakarta (PA Real Life/Numoto Photo)
Sista, who also loves Lord of the Rings, which became a hugely successful film franchise after being adapted from the J.R.R. Tolkien book, first met her husband at Binus University, west Jakarta, where she was studying marketing communication and he was doing visual communication.
She continued: “Rekhaza was my first crush in college. I thought he was much cooler and older than me when I first went to the orientation day in 2008.
“I didn’t have the guts to talk or even smile at him, and really forgot all about him. But then, in 2010, the universe brought us together again when we met at a college event. Thankfully, one of our friends introduced him to me and, since then we became friends and then a couple a few months later.”
Happy bride Sista Mauli Wulandari (PA Real Life/Numoto Photo)
Typically unconventional, rather than receiving a romantic proposal, the couple made a mutual decision to get married and hit on the fantasy theme.
But Rekhaza was keen to let everyone know that he’d been struck by Cupid’s arrow, with a symbolic gesture after the traditional speeches from family members, prayers and wedding feast
“Instead of me throwing my bouquet, Rekhaza shot an arrow across the pool, so a guest could catch it,” said Sista. “It was so romantic!”
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