Online chatting leads to virtual wedding for Indonesian
couple
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- From chatting online to a virtual
wedding.
Rita Sri Mutiara Dewi's fiance could not get time off from his job
in the United States. But that didn't stop the couple - who have
never met in person - from tying the knot on Thursday.
And a Muslim cleric who witnessed the ceremony between the
Indonesian lovers declared it legal, she said, even though they
were on opposite ends of the earth.
"We are happy that we're married now, even though we had to do it
via the Internet," said Dewi, 50, noting that the two used a video
link so her relatives could see her 52-year-old groom.
Dewi met Wiriadi, a physiotherapist who works at a hospital in
California, in an Internet chat room several months ago. They
exchanged pictures and contacted each other almost every day, she
said, speaking usually online but other times by phone.
In November Wiriadi proposed. Over the Internet, of course.
Dewi, who works as a teacher in Malaysia, returned to Indonesia for
the virtual wedding. Wiriadi, who uses only one name, was in
California. It was the second marriage for both.
Dewi said Friday she plans to travel to the United States next
month to meet her new husband.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ODD_INDONESIA_VIRTUAL_WEDDING_ASOL-?SITE=ASIAONE&SECTION=ASIA&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-01-13-03-32-49
