30 Couples Join Free Mass Wedding Program in North Jakarta

North Jakarta Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) Sub-agency held a Mass Wedding Festival for non-Muslim couples. The event, which took place at the agency's office on Jalan Berdikari in Rawa Badak Utara Urban Village, Koja Sub-district, was attended by 30 couples.

Making it easier for residents to obtain legal and official civil documents

North Jakarta Dukcapil Sub-agency Head Asep Mulyaman said the program is one of the agency's public service innovations aimed at making it easier for residents to obtain legal and official civil documents. The mass wedding program also forms part of the celebrations marking Jakarta's 499th anniversary.

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"All services are provided free of charge. This reflects our commitment to delivering fast, easy, and transparent services to the public," he said on Tuesday (6/30).

Asep explained that the event was organized in collaboration with North Jakarta Baznas (Bazis), which provided souvenirs as a token of appreciation and congratulations to couples whose marriages are now legally recognized by the state.

According to him, many residents still delay registering their marriages because they believe documents issued by places of worship or proof of religious marriage are sufficient. Limited time and a lack of understanding of administrative procedures also remain obstacles.

"A marriage that is valid under religious law is certainly important, but state registration is equally necessary. Without it, residents may face difficulties accessing various administrative services, such as updating their Family Card and other population documents," he explained.

To raise public awareness, Asep said the North Jakarta Dukcapil Sub-agency continues to promote its Population Administration-Aware Family (Kamsa) program.

The initiative is carried out not only through service counters but also through outreach programs targeting schools, houses of worship, and neighborhood communities (RW).

"We hope public awareness of the importance of legal population administration continues to grow so residents can access public services more easily and in an orderly manner," he added.

On the other hand, Menti Purba (61), a resident of Tanah Harapan in Tugu Selatan Urban Village, said the program had been extremely helpful. Although she and her husband had been married through a religious ceremony since 1995, this year was their first opportunity to obtain an official marriage certificate.

"We actually planned to take care of it in the early 2000s, but at the time my husband did not yet have a birth certificate. We were also concerned about the costs involved," she said.

According to Menti, the marriage registration process through the mass wedding program was easy. Participants were only asked to complete the required paperwork and provide two witnesses, without any fees.

"This service has been very helpful in completing our family's legal documents. We hope programs like this will continue because they provide tremendous benefits for the community," she said.