There is perhaps no other place in all of Southeast Asia that is more popular for weddings than Bali. The romantic and exotic paradise makes the perfect backdrop for that special day. Such is the popularity of a Bali wedding that there are many services, locations and options to choose from. In fact, there are so many choices that selecting the "perfect" place for you may be a real challenge. Of course, there are people there to help you make the choices and organize your big event. See a partial list of wedding planners below.
Legal Formalities
While you can opt for a religious ceremony only, you can make your marriage completely legal as well. For non-Muslims, making your marriage legal involves registering it with the civil registry in the regency where you are staying on Bali. To file your marriage with the civil registry office, you will need a letter of "No Impediment to Marry" from your country's consular office in Bali. To obtain the letter, you will need to bring your passport, and proof of divorce if previously married, to the consular officer.
Once you have the letter and have had your wedding ceremony, take the documents along with your passports, birth certificates and four photographs to the registry office. You will need two witnesses as well. For tourists, the marriage certificate can be issued on the same day. You may need to obtain a certified translation to register the wedding in your home country.
Of course, a wedding planner or hotel can take care of most of the legal formalities for you as part of their services.
Planning the Big Event
Bali has become so popular for weddings that there are a wealth of people to help you plan the perfect marriage ceremony. Your choices basically fall into two groups: independent wedding planners and hotels. Hotels can take care of just about everything, for a price of course, although if you're planning on using several rooms for guests, you can often get quite a deal (even free rooms). It's best to contact the hotel directly to get the best rate. While many hotels can help with wedding arrangements, weddings are a particular specialty of the Ayana Resort (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) in Jimbaran, with not one but two wedding venues. The Astina wedding pavilion is an all-glass Asian modern chapel with seating for up to 50 guests in air conditioned comfort. The Asmara is a more traditionally styled open air gazebo set beneath a 350 year old timber canopy. The Asmara can seat up to 100 guests.
Wedding Planners
It's only natural that with so many people wanting to get married on Bali, there would be wedding planners there to help them. Listed below are services you may wish to consult. Please be sure to look into these companies carefully, and ask a lot of questions before committing yourself to anything.
- Bali Weddings International
- Owned and operated by an Australian / Indonesian couple. Member of the Association of Wedding Professionals International. Bali Weddings International has long history of helping couples from all over the world plan the perfect Bali wedding.
- Romantic Weddings
- Established in 2001 and features a multi-lingual team skilled in both English and Chinese. They can arrange any type of ceremony in a variety of locations.
- Bali Exotic Wedding
- Established in 2000. Can arrange weddings in hotels, villas and restaurants around Bali. Can provide full services such as photography, cakes, gowns and dresses.
- Spectrum
- Full service wedding planner associated with one of the island's most noted floral designers.
- Bali Carte Blanche
- "Bali Carte Blanche is the elite event management, elegant wedding planning and glamorous party organizers in Bali. We provide VIP services for the most selective clientele worldwide when they select Bali as their event destination."