Bali is a popular choice for a destination wedding. From the beach, to a restaurant , a hotel or a stunning villa with an amazing ocean or jungle view, the choices are endless. But where to start and what should you know….
Destination Wedding in Bali
- There are 2 choices when getting married here, legal or non legal. Some couples choose to have a legal ceremony in their home country, then have a commitment ceremony and wedding reception here. Why you ask? To be legally married in Indonesia, both parties must be the same religion and hold a religious ceremony, and if Catholic, then must hold a church wedding. These days as cultures and beliefs blend and change, many couples do not want to be bound by such strict expectations. Quite a few nationalities require a translation and legalization procedure be followed after marriage here for the Certificate of Marriage issued in Indonesia to be recognized in their country. Australia does not require such a procedure BUT, some countries who do require it, will not process the legalization/translation after the marriage IF you have chosen not to obtain your Certificate on Non Impediment to Marriage from their Consulate or Embassy in Indonesia before marriage. To change your name in Australia, you need to do it first through Birth, Deaths and Marriages before you can change with your identification and bank etc. Australians need to get the CNI in Bali prior to the wedding at the Australian Consulate (appointment required) Its costs IDR 900,000 must be paid in cash in local currency. They will automatically issue the CNI in Indonesian.
- As much as most brides want to have total control of a wedding, unless you will be on the ground and doing everything yourself in Bali, a wedding consultant/planner is definitely the way to go. This will save you hours of headaches as they can put everything together for you within your budget and you can then tweak your changes once they submit costings to you. They know Bali, they know the venues, they know the vendors. Do yourself a favour and try a company such as Bali Weddings International with 23 years experience and the first planner on the island, they know their stuff back to front.
- Set a budget and try to stick to it. Most services are quoted in USD, try to get your quotes in IDR instead as you will save money this way and also not have to pay multiple currency conversion fees. This is another area where a wedding planner is invaluable. Give them a budget and they work with it to give you the most bang for your buck.
- It is important to understand that Villa weddings have conditions imposed on them from minimum stay, to event fees and also security deposits which can take up a chunk of your budget. This is another area where a wedding planner can assist as they usually have a relationship and reputation with the villa and can negotiate on your behalf.
Villa Atas Ombak
- Fireworks, sky lanterns and balloon releases. Whilst these are wonderful to look at, they can create huge environmental problems from noise pollution to fires to destroying wildlife. A lot of areas are banning these now due to previous problems. You can still have a dramatic pyrotechnic display on the ground or maybe you would prefer fire dancers. These still give your wedding a WOW factor whilst allowing you to lessen your environmental impact.
Wedding Fireworks & Sky Lanterns
- Catering, if you decide to have your wedding in a villa rather than a hotel or restaurant, there are many fabulous catering companies to choose from here. ABC catering, Bali Good Food Catering and Dijon are some of the most popular ones. You can have a tasting before you decide and if booked the cost will be deducted from your invoice.
Dijon Catering
- Cakes , there are some amazing bakers and decorators here in Bali- Ixora and Butter are extremely popular for fancy creations whilst Ruth’s Cakes are sensational for taste and simpler design.
Bali Ixora Wedding Cake
- Furniture rental and props, there are some good companies handling these such as Supply and Demand and Bali Event Hire
Bali Event Hire
- Florists Gloriosa Flower House, Tirtonadi and Taraflorist Rayakuta all have Facebook pages and samples of their work. Using locally grown roses , frangipanis and other flowers will help to keep the costs down.
Gloriosa Flower House
- Music Sound and Lighting- You can book DJ’s , bands, acoustic singers, orchestras and more through your wedding planner or if you are doing your own planning, try Facebook pages such as Vision One Productions for sound and lighting and also entertainers/bands such as Maya Singer Bali, Cok De Ambra Singer & TrafficBlues for live music and Elite Sounds Bali for a DJ.
Elite Sounds Bali
- Photography, there are so many great photographers and videographers in Bali and you can choose from basic packages with just a couple of hours coverage , to intense coverage from go to whoa. Well known professionals with great reputations are companies such as Eyecon, Terralogical and Evermotion
Eyecon Photography Bali
- It is highly recommended that you make a quick pre-wedding trip over to meet your suppliers and fine tune everything. Also make sure you are in Bali at least 3 business days prior to the wedding for any official requirements.
Remember ,this is Bali, time is a little rubbery here so things may not always run exactly to time. Just relax and take it easy, most things will be run to within 30 minutes of expectation as weddings are scheduled finely. This is the day you have been waiting for…now go and enjoy your wedding in paradise!