Forests, Fate and a Wedding in the Pines of Bhutan
A heartfelt love story that began in Jakarta and culminated in an intimate, intention-filled wedding in Bhutan, where rain, monks’ chants and Himalayan peaks blessed a union rooted in purpose, sustainability and devotion.
(Source: VOGUE)
In the quiet rhythm of Jakarta, fate was already at work long before James Joseph and Tara Susanto-Joseph realised it. When they first met in June 2021, neither of them knew they were stepping into the beginning of something far greater. At the time, they were neighbours living just 50 seconds apart, introduced by a mutual friend, Andrew Hong, who simply couldn’t resist playing cupid.
“He thought it was hilarious that we lived just 50 seconds apart and yet had never met,” Tara remembers. “It was during the Delta outbreak, and Andrew knew James wasn’t easily convinced to leave the house, so he played both sides: He told James it was a business meeting because I’d be a ‘great investment,’ and told me it was a date with a very good-looking neighbour.”
That first meeting—part date, part “business discussion”—was anything but smooth. “Let’s just say it was not a great first date—borderline horrific, actually—but I didn’t give up easily,” Tara says.
And she didn’t. A second meeting followed, and this time the spark found its way. What began as a near-miss slowly unfolded into partnership—in love and in purpose. By 2022, they had co-founded Bumiterra, a company dedicated to reforestation efforts in Indonesia, building forests even as they built a life together.
A Proposal by the Ocean
On October 4, 2024, James chose Amanwana on Moyo Island for a proposal that almost didn’t happen. “I wasn’t having the best time,” Tara says. They nearly cut the trip short, but James persuaded her to stay for snorkelling and swimming—something they both cherished.
“After a morning of wondrous snorkelling and open water swimming by the resort’s quiet and gentle reefs, we took a nice sunset cruise to wind down, and James popped the question!”
He spoke words that would echo long after the ocean breeze faded: “Tara, you’ve taken care of me since the day we met exactly the way I needed to be cared for, and in the way only you could do it, and now I wish to do the same for you for the rest of my life.”
He presented her with a royal blue sapphire ring from Christie’s. He had once considered emerald to honour her birth month, but changed his mind. “He thought I had too much green in my life—green like the rainforests we built, and he wanted our love story to be much more than what we worked on professionally together,” she says. “So blue is for the ocean, for the safety, peace, and love it always brings me.”
Choosing Bhutan, The Land of Intention
Their wedding unfolded from October 4 to 7, 2025, at Amankora in Bhutan—revered as the Land of the Thunder Dragon. The couple, of Chinese-Indonesian heritage, chose Bhutan for its profound reverence for intention. Tara explains that it is “the land where we believe the intention you come with or you bring is more important than any other thing.” They also “fell in love with the pine forests” at the Amankora resort—and that sealed the decision. Alongside their Bhutan celebration, they also honoured tradition with a tea ceremony and a cathedral solemnisation elsewhere.
An open and staggered seating clusters—offering intimacy, shifting vantage points, and a sense of discovery.
Working with planner Cyrielle Mohara, sustainability anchored every detail of their Bhutan gathering. They sought to honour the land and its people, ensuring “making sure everything was 100% harvested and foraged in Bhutan” and “making use of as much Bhutanese craft and work” as possible, Tara says.
Held just before the autumn harvest, the florals were 100 per cent foraged and deeply seasonal—every element chosen not only for its beauty, but for its resonance.
The Buddhist ceremony welcomes a procession of seven monks, through the Amankora pine forest.
Fashion Rooted in Heritage
For the welcome event, Tara drew inspiration from Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema, wearing a design by Chuni Dorji Privé. James wore Kraton by Auguste Soesastro, paired with a brooch Tara discovered on 1stDibs. “It was actually a vintage belt, which I promptly turned into a brooch…and now I wear it constantly because I’m obsessed,” she says.
On their wedding day, Tara wore custom Hian Tjen, while James wore Barney Cheng. “Barney is a true master of weaving traditional artistry into modern craft—and his warm, witty personality is the most delicious cherry on top. Our lotus wedding logo was hand-embroidered in gold thread on the back of James’s Mandarin jacket, with vintage chased brass buttons for the finishing touch.”
In Hong Kong, they found jade beads that designer Rinaldy Yunardi transformed into a necklace. When Tara first tried it on, it didn’t quite sit right, so she wrapped it around her wrist as a bracelet—an improvisation that would later find its moment.
The bride is ready, in custom Hian Tjen
His last offering for his bride, before the ceremony. A double-ended bouquet of magnolia fruit echoed the closed buds of lotuses—also the couple’s wedding emblem—and was bound in a ceremonial Bhutanese sash.
A musician plays the dramyen, a Bhutanese string instrument.
A Ceremony Blessed by Rain and Sun
True to Bhutan’s name, rain graced their wedding day. Yet the setting was nothing short of transcendent: flaming red amaranth and marigolds set against Amankora’s pine forest, monks chanting the Tara mantra, trumpet instruments rising in harmony. And then, as if in blessing, the sun appeared at the final hour.
They exchanged cups of rice wine to symbolise their union, shared vows, embraced loved ones. “It was just us, walking down our path. It felt right,” Tara says.
A moment of humility as we sit on the floor, pouring each other cups of wine. The wine exchanged didn’t only signify abundance, but also meant servitude and honour to one another.
She recalls her vow through tears: “I teared up at the end of my vows, when I said ‘I see you, James Joseph, 姚清思 (Yao Ching-Sze), from the first moment we met, and I will see you for the rest of my time here on earth. Because when I see you, I feel the me, in me,’” Tara shares.
“It’s something I profess to James all the time,” she adds. “But saying those words at the ceremony, surrounded by all the world’s beauty and intention, only made even clearer to me that I was there with James, and that everything we’d worked so hard on was made possible on that day, because James’s love helped me meet a version of myself that I know is only grazing the surface of my fullest potential.”
As the ceremony closed, the fog lifted, revealing snow-capped Himalayan peaks. “At the end, the sun cleared the fog, revealing the snowy Himalayan mountains,” Tara says. Guests moved into cocktails and dinner overlooking the majestic view. “I honestly have never felt closer to God.”
“I have never had an experience like it,” James says.
The couples received many blessings from those in attendance.
A Night of Serendipity and Song
For the reception, Tara changed into a custom red Stella Rissa gown. And in a moment of serendipity, the jade necklace that once resisted found its perfect place. “And in a stroke of pure serendipity, lo and behold—the dragon jade necklace fit perfectly around my neck for the dinner! It was the truest cosmic moment and actually became my favourite look for the Bhutan leg, because it was the most myself I’ve ever felt,” Tara says.
The evening took an unexpected turn when guests requested backing tracks from the band, transforming the reception into a spontaneous karaoke celebration. The newlyweds joined in, laughter echoing beneath Bhutan’s mountain skies.
“Everyone was on exactly the right frequency,” Tara says. “All celebrating being present in Bhutan.”
All the images of the wedding are by Maritha Mae.
Why Bhutan Is Becoming a Dream Wedding Destination
Bhutan continues to emerge as one of the most meaningful and visually extraordinary destinations for wedding celebrations. With its sacred monasteries, whispering pine forests, dramatic Himalayan backdrops and deeply spiritual atmosphere, the kingdom offers something few places in the world can — a celebration grounded in intention, nature and timeless beauty.
In recent years, more couples have chosen Bhutan not just for ceremonies, but also for unforgettable wedding photography. Hong Kong icons Liza Wang and Law Kar-ying travelled to Bhutan for their wedding photos, drawn by its serene landscapes and spiritual charm. Meanwhile, Carina Lau and Tony Leung returned to Bhutan in 2024 — sixteen years after their own wedding in the kingdom — a testament to the country’s enduring place in their love story.
For couples seeking a celebration that is more than just beautiful — one that feels soulful, intentional and deeply personal — Bhutan is truly a unique and unforgettable location for wedding photography and wedding celebrations alike. Get in touch with MICE Bhutan to organise your unforgettable wedding in Bhutan.
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