Wedding in Bali – Where to Start

wedding in bali

How about wedding in Bali?

Wedding abroad is never easy and I can understand if many brides are concern about getting married in Bali. But please do not worry! Wedding in Bali has been starting since 1998-2000 and Government has good policy to make your wedding  ceremony in Bali dream comes true. There are now hundreds Bali wedding organizers to help you and also some hotels/villas/resort has their own wedding assistant to arrange your requirements as best as you can imagine. Deciding which one is best for you is bit tricky so please keep searching and keep compare the best and value agents for you.

From my experiences, the faster they reply your email and requests, account them in your top list. You can still searching and dont hesitate to bargain. You never get if You do not ask!
Okay, to get started your Bali Wedding, prepare your wedding book, sit down comfortably and ready to take some notes for you to know and consider below.

When Is Best Time For Wedding In Bali?

When you think about weddings in Bali, I am sure that you are thinking of outdoor event with warm weather, bright sky and nice atmosphere so date is important. As your may know that we have two season, dry and raining seasons. In the book, dry season is between April to end of September and raining season is between October to March. Although in my 14 years experiences, there were many couples getting married during raining seasons and there were not raining at all, I can understand that you can’t take any chance. This is your best day in your life and you want it to be special and memorable event. In other words that you can still get married at any date you want, especially if you plan to have wedding in the chapel and you don’t mind to have reception in the ballroom.

Other months you may need to be aware are during high (around 15 July – 15 September) and peak season (around 15 December – 15 January), some hotels and villas are charging additional surcharge and your wedding package may be higher. So booking in advance is always useful and advisable.

Where and What is the best venue for wedding in Bali?

As I mentioned earlier that Bali offers thousands hotels or resorts and hundreds private villas which could make harder to decide best venue for your wedding in Bali. With added few chapels, choosing venue is kind of stressing job. Before I explain the categories choices, you will need to start thinking of your budget now which I think this is the most important in Bali Wedding even though Bali can cater all wedding from very small budget till grand weddings. Always remember, everything is possible in here!

Bali Wedding Type:

Bali Villa’s Weddings

Hotel/Resort Weddings

Chapel’s Weddings

Bali Beach’s Weddings

Again start thinking about your budget and what do you really want for your day. Let’s start with bit of briefing to help you to step closer to your wedding in Bali.

Villa WeddingsWhen you search for Bali Villa’s Wedding, there will be list of villas with spectaculars view and amazing architectures which I am sure are dreamed by most Brides. Choosing villa as your wedding venue, will give you the most freedom way and full of privacy wedding and celebration, with your family and friends. When I say Freedom, it means that you can create your own wedding imagination, arrange your own catering, music and best thing is you can get your own drinks outside as much as you want without any restriction. However based on my experiences, this kind of wedding is most complex in all 4 categories.

You may guess that freedom could be very costly. For an event, some villas will ask you to book whole villas and they will charge minimum 3 nights stay during low season and 5-7 nights for high and peak season. On top of that they will charge one night extra as an event fee, Banjar or Community Fee and quite high refundable deposit (they will return it if there is no damage made by you and your guests during your wedding/stay). If you consider this type of wedding, a wedding planner is a must so he/she can deliver all your desires and requirements and put them together from you and your guests arrival till you depart Bali.

Hotel/Resort WeddingsNowadays Bali hotels/resort offer wedding and wedding packages, especially 4 and 5* hotels. Most packages are all inclusive packages but of course you can still negotiate with them anything you wish to have and do not. Normally the must to have from hotels/resorts are venue fee, decoration and catering. Other requests you may take from them or searching your own. However please make sure with them if you are allowed and also if there is any charge or no for those. Always be clear before you go ahead and book. I know that many hotels/resort are very flexible and that why this type of wedding would be easiest and less hassle Bali Wedding. You also may or may not need to stay in the hotel/resort to have wedding there so this can be useful if you got special airline and accommodation package from your travel agent.

The less desire about Hotels/Resorts wedding is lack of privacy. Wedding is great events so please be prepared that other guests of the hotels/resorts will watch, smile, say congratulation to you and also taking some photos of your event which may be brothering you and your guests. You do not need to worry though as I know that hotels/resorts will allocate special area for wedding and block the area as much as they can.

Hotels/Resorts Wedding are suitable for couple with low budget to grand budget, intimate or eloping wedding to bigger wedding with few hundred guests, depend on hotel/resort you choose.

Chapel WeddingsChapel Wedding are on demand now and its growing. There are about 20 wedding chapels in Bali, which are mostly part of a hotel/resort. This type of wedding is more less similar with Hotels/Resorts Wedding, all inclusive wedding package. When Chapel was introduced as wedding option about 15 years ago, they were charging fortune and couple could not make any taylor made package, you just stuck of what they offer. However now everything is changed and with few more option, location and prices, you can get what you really dreaming of.

Most chapel will have their own wedding planner so you may or may not need to hire wedding organizer to help you unless their package is lower than chapel itself. In most cases, the inclusions in the package are same or similar so do not hesitate to keep searching and comparing.

Best advantage of chapel wedding is that you will not need to worry too much about rain. Your wedding will still be performing inside the chapel without any changing.

Chapel Wedding is still quite costly so it is really for middle range couple to posh wedding.

Bali Beach WeddingsWhen we talking about Bali Wedding, it is always about white sandy beach and turquoise water. I am sure all brides around the world are dreaming to have this kind of wedding. Yes, indeed Bali offer beautiful beaches from South, West, East and North.

The fact that all Bali beaches are public and public beaches are not allowed to hold wedding ceremony. If you ask for beach wedding, your wedding planner will direct you to hotels, resorts, restaurants or villa with direct access to beach. Bear in mind that very rare beach wedding is very private. There will be always people walking around, watching and taking photos. As I mentioned earlier that the hotels/resorts or your planner will try to boundary the wedding area for bit of your privacy. Try to avoid these most busiest beaches in Bali, areas of Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Kerobokan and Jimbaran.

Please have alot of read and understand the area and keep searching suitable beach venue for you.

Similar with Hotels/Resorts Wedding, this Beach Wedding will be suitable for eloping wedding with very small budget to posh wedding with grand budget.

Do You Need A Wedding Planner?

In my briefing above, you may notice that in some cases you may or may not need a wedding planner or independent wedding organizer. You may also think that a wedding planner will cost you. It is not necessary correct. Most wedding planners/organizers will have very competitive packages. By using wedding planner, it will help you alot with overwhelming Bali venues. An experienced wedding planner will direct you suitable and perfect venue based on your budget and requirements. I would suggest you to contact few organizers to compare the prices and check best organizer for you. Please be active in the Google and other search websites to review those organizers, vendors or venues.

How Much Budget Is Right For Bali Wedding?

To be honest I can’t answer your question. I would rather ask you how much money do you want to spend. Again Bali can cater all weddings with any budget. So now time for you to sit down with your fiancée, discuss what you want and set a budget.

Remember make priorities and choose your vendors wisely.