Congrats! You have decided to get married and even better you have decided to get married in Bali? Well what’s next? What do you do now? How are you going to organise everything so the day goes off without any hitches? First things first.
So why do you really want to have your wedding in Bali? Are you 100% certain.
Of course you are Bali makes for such a spectacular destination wedding. You have been there before countless times on holiday so why not have your wedding and honeymoon there? It’s a no brainer.
Also, there are so many fabulous destinations and gorgeous villas and venues where you can have the ceremony and honeymoon. Luxury private villas with magnificent cliff top views over the ocean with infinity pools, lush rice fields with working farmers as the backdrop or even a beachfront wedding ceremony right on beach, it covers the lot. It’s such great value. Try doing this at home and see how much you end up paying. For these reasons, you should be locking in the date and start to look for the right wedding planner.
For most newbie’s the task of organising a wedding planner especially in a foreign country might seem daunting. So I am sharing our insights as one of Bali’s largest wedding agencies with you in order to make the whole process as easy as possible.
Should you be hiring a wedding planner or organize it yourself?
You should organize it yourself if: you are prepared to take a huge risk, if you know local providors and are able to deal with them and are confident that what you want is what you will receive, can speak a tiny bit of Indonesian, are happy to spend the time and headache dealing with people via phone, skype and email in another country. If you are confident that this is all well within your ability, go for it. All I can say is Good Luck.
You should hire a Bali wedding planner if: you are a busy person with little time to handle all the small details and don’t have the attention to detail that will make sure the day goes without any issues. Wedding planners WILL take away the stress and headaches that are certainly going to happen. If things can go wrong, they will go wrong, especially in Bali. This is why a wedding planner is so vital.
What are the advantages of hiring a wedding planner?
Unless you have strong ties to Bali and find that you are flying back and forth 2-3 times a year and as said previously, you can speak the language then you need a wedding planner. They are like your eyes and ears on the ground and are there watching your back, looking out for your best interests and making sure nothing goes pear shaped.
This is their job, they have all the right connections with all the suppliers and unless you want to spend days driving around in the Bali traffic and heat trying to organise things, then I suggest you seriously look at getting a planner involved. Getting things done in bali just takes far too long. Even a small trip from 1 supplier to the next can take hours…..gridlock Bali traffic jams etc. The money you might save upfront will be gone once these Indonesian suppliers add their mark ups. Local knowledge means you are going to get more savings. They will spot a newbie a mile away and no matter how hard you try to bargain, you still end up loosing.
Also in regards to the venue. Do you really know the ins and outs of the place? Does it get the afternoon sun, is it next to a noisy school, road or mosque. These unknowns can destroy a wedding day and with a DIY approach these minor details will. Your local wedding planner will know all the pitfalls and let you know about these.
Related post: tips for choosing the best wedding planner in Bali
What does a local Bali wedding planner do?
Your wedding planner is you go to person for anything related to your wedding and this includes the accommodation for you and your guests. Their job is to make sure that all is OK and there are no hiccups. They must also deliver things within your budget.
Choosing the right wedding location
At Your Bali Wedding our wedding planner will be happy to meet with you and show you all the fabulous venues; beach, rice field, jungle, villa weddings or even mountain weddings. Anything is possible…this is Bali. You just need the imagination. If you cannot make it over, everything can be done via skype and email.
Remember, your wedding planner has done all of this before in Bali and will be able to present at least 5 options for venues and styles of weddings.
Do you research and homework. Check out as many social media sites as possible to get as much information as you can about the wedding venue, what the weather is like that time of the year, past reviews of people who have had weddings in those venues. Take it all on board. Google as much as you can before you commit to a venue. Even better you should visit some venues if your in Bali to get a better idea of the area and what to expect.
Why use a Bali wedding planner and not one from your country?
Because they have the best local knowledge and can pass all savings on to you. They have dealt with all the suppliers and have ironed out all the issues. You do not want your wedding to be the first that you Australian wedding planner has done. If they are confident that they can handle it, then give it a go…but personally we wouldn’t risk it.
How to find a decent, honest and reliable wedding planner?
Check out the website of the wedding planner and see the response times to their first email. What is it like? Are they friendly and helpful in the first instance. If there are problems at this stage I would look elsewhere.
Look at their social media such as their Facebook page and see if they are actively doing weddings. You want to work with a busy planner and not someone who does weddings sporadically. Also see if they have an office you can visit. You definitely want this type of service. Make sure they have an actual visible office where you can go to meet with them. Anything else is simply no on!
Make sure that your wedding planner is on the front foot with constructive advice and information. You do not want a shy / order taker that relies on you for everything. Get one that has a proactive positive attitude.
How should you communicate with your wedding planner?
Via skype or email. Even better get on a Garuda, Jetstar or Virgin flight and meet with them. Some flights are dirt cheap, like $450 return so it’s worth the investment. Face to face meetings are always the best, but we do recognise that this is not always possible, so thanks to the digital age, you can organise everything remotely. Some planners ( like us – yes we love to boast about this) have a wedding planning online portal which makes planning and communication super easy and in real time.
What is a realistic budget for a wedding in Bali?
A realistic minimum budget for a Bali wedding package in tropical Bali of 50 to 150 guests including venue, staff, music, lighting, food & alcohol is from $10,000 to $15,000 even up to $25,000 or $30,000 AUD.
There are also flights to add on top of this as well as all the villa accommodation. Plus you may want to add the flights to and from Bali to meet with your planner.
Let me say that if you go through a hotel these costs can seriously escalate (if you make any changes to their packages) so be careful. This is where a wedding planner can save you heaps of money with a customised wedding.
Related article: How much does a wedding in Bali cost
What is the lead time for your wedding in Bali?
This is up to you but generally speaking a time frame of 4-6 months is ample. Having said that, a lot of the brides we come across start planning this a year in advance. Not wanting to be rushed they like time to think about the venue, their accommodation, the colour theme of the wedding, their dress, shoes etc. It’s a big deal and they like to draw it out so there are no rushed decisions at the end. This is probably the best option. OH…let’s not forget the wedding invites and RSVP’s ..this has all got to be sorted out and locked in early…OK – lets say 12 months!
How to pick the right wedding location in Bali
All you need is the budget and imagination. The rest will follow. At Your Bali Wedding we like to take a hands on very proactive approach to wedding locations by gathering as much information as possible in the beginning and presenting solutions. What parts of Bali do they like, are they in doors or out doors kind of people, their age, how many guests, have they been to Bali before and what are their expectations? Do they like beach, villa, jungle, villa, river or cliff top locations? What season are they coming in; wet or dry? Are they religious, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu…what ever their religious faith this may dictate a certain style of wedding that needs to be accounted for.
If for example the couple is Catholic then they must get married in a Church in Bali. This is a requirement.
So if you have made it through this document and still need more information please get in touch with Cindy and her team of wedding planners – we are more than happy to assist in any inquiry you may have.
Natalie is a seasoned expert in the wedding industry with over a decade of hands-on experience. She regularly writes for esteemed servers like “Bali Wedding” and “Wedding Venues,” offering her insights on Bali’s best locales for nuptials. With a deep understanding of the Island of Gods’ diverse landscapes, Natalie is the trusted voice for those seeking the perfect spot for their dream wedding.