Choosing your life partner is undoubtedly one of the most important decisions in your life. Deciding to marry that person is another. And then on top of that, there’s deciding where to celebrate the special occasion.
Bali has always been a bit of a trendy spot for destination weddings. Celebrities that have tied the knot on our Island of the Gods include former Aussie Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins, Malaysian superstar Amber Chia and cantopop stars Sammi Cheng and Andy Hui. More recently, Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin supposedly held his engagement party to Indonesian beauty (and brains) Elaine Andriejanssen, in Bali. Oh, and there’s also Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, but their situation is pretty unusual (and definitely not your typical) Bali wedding case.
And while celebrity trends have been known to die down, it doesn’t look like celebrating your wedding in Bali is going to become un-trendy anytime soon. A quick search for “wedding in Bali” will yield numerous results for wedding packages, all with the lure of ensuring a beautiful tropical celebration. If you’re still not convinced, here are our top seven reasons for why you should think about celebrating one of the happiest days of your life in Bali.
1. Doubles as a honeymoon destination
What people don’t typically tell you about weddings is that if you’re planning to leave for your honeymoon soon after, it can get quite stressful. The week leading up to your wedding will be a blur of re-arranging seating charts, chasing up outstanding RSVPs, and making sure that you and your fiancée’s parents are still talking to each other. You can’t wait to leave on your honeymoon, oh but wait, you’ve got to pack and get yourself sorted.
If you’re in Bali, you can wake up and start your honeymoon the day after your wedding. There is no need to double up on the logistical stress.
2. Also doubles as a “buddymoon” destination
Ok, “buddymoons” aren’t for everyone, but for those who like the idea of sharing your post-wedding trip with your closest friends, Bali is an awesome place to do it. If your guests are planning to make it to your Bali wedding, chances are they’ll be down to stay an extra few days if you’ve got some epic outings planned, whether that’s just lying around your villa sipping cocktails or something adventurous like climbing a volcano.
3. Fun place to conduct your pre-wedding parties/rituals
There is also no reason why you can’t start the Bali celebration before your wedding. Bali’s reputation as a tourist mecca means that there are a lot of great ideas to make your bachelor/bachelorette party or stag/hens do as unforgettable as your wedding itself. Unless you want them to be forgettable—which you know, some people do.
If you want some ideas regarding some of the awesome activities you can plan for your pre-wedding rituals, check out our guide to holding a bachelorette/hens do and bachelor/stag do in Bali.
4. Take photos with every tropical backdrop you could want
Beaches and villas might be what come to your mind when you think of a Bali wedding. But don’t forget that Bali is a tropical island with differing landscapes. If greeneries are more your thing, there are plenty of beautiful venues located in the middle of the luscious rice paddies and rain forests of Ubud. If you’re more of a mountain guy or gal, Bali has many venues high up top too. If you really want, you can even have your wedding at the zoo or on a yacht. How’s that for an original wedding album?
5. Find many experienced vendors
Yes, the popularity for Bali weddings has resulted in many locals and foreigners cashing in on the opportunity, making it a tad overwhelming to choose your vendors (which you want to do carefully, because it’s your special day and there are unfortunately scammers in this industry). However, the upside of this is that the established and trusted vendors will be highly experienced and also familiar with holding destination weddings. You can leave most of the stress to them.
6. Get luxury at a fraction of the cost
While you might think that you’ll have to shell out more $$$ (or rupiah) by flying to Bali, you’ll be surprised at how much you can get for cheaper, particularly if you are coming from Western countries, or even neighboring Singapore. Of course, this does depend on your taste and expectations. A wedding at the Four Seasons or St Regis for example, will probably involve you shelling out a fair bit of cash. Nevertheless, if you’re coming from a country where the cost of living is higher, you will probably find that the cost of holding a “luxurious” wedding celebration will be cheaper.
7. “Keep the guest list compact”
Deciding on your guest list is probably the next hardest task after choosing your wedding venue. No other celebration is fraught with as much emotional politics as weddings, particularly when it comes to invitations.
If you’re traveling to Bali for your wedding, chances are those who will make it are those who are the most important to you (and who consider you a significant part of their lives). A destination wedding is one of the best ways to keep your guest list limited, if that’s something that you want to do. Of course if what you’re looking for is a large and extravagant bash, Bali can deliver that too. It is Indonesia after all, the lands of 1000+ guests weddings.
Photo at the top: Instagram @stregisbali
