According to Reuters New Service, two Indonesians who never met face to face tied the knot Internet style. An interested observer can only wonder if such a union would be known as an e-knot and their promises as, perhaps, e-vows? Be that as it may or may not be, Wiriadi Sutrisno, who works as a physiotherapist in California, and Rita Sri Mutiara Dewi from Bandung, Indonesia, became man and wife till death do them part, thanks to the Telekomunikasi Indonesia.
The giant telecommunications company arranged for video screens, speaker phones and a web cam. The bride and groom, both in the 50s, exchanged vows last week in a twenty-five minute ceremony that cost 200,000 rupah ($21.30).
It was, at least according to the couple, only fitting that they who met over the Internet be married that way. The bride did wonder how they would be married when the time came, as two very big oceans separated them. According to the Jakarta Post, a Muslim religious official supervised the ceremony, which was conducted by using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). According to the bride, “we’ve exchanged photos, chat almost daily and often call each other, but we’ve never met.” (One can only speculate as to the rate of divorce between couples who have never met!)
This was no impulsive decision as the proposal came last year. According to Mahmur Suriadiredja, regional director of Telkom in Bandung, where the bride exchanged her vows to the computer screen, “I think they did it to cut costs. Such technology has made long-distance marriages possible.”
The happy couple will soon see each other in person as the bride is scheduled to fly to the United States at the end of the month.
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