LOCATION

| Hotel & Villa Venues | Restaurants |

It is absolutely not possible for any couple who are not genuinely of the Balinese Hindu Faith to be married either in the Balinese Hindu way or, to be married in a Balinese Temple.

The best you can do is select a location which has a Balinese Temple in it. This temple can then form the backdrop for your ceremony and is a fine alternative. All hotels in Bali have a temple on the grounds and, although some temples are very small and others very large, a number of properties have sufficient area near their temple to allow this to be a possibility for you.

Bali does not offer much in the way of public areas where couples may celebrate their marriage. Even the rice paddies are owned by local families and you are not therefore able to just pick a rice paddy and have your wedding on it. This would effectively be trespassing and most impolite. In any case rice paddies are not ideal wedding spots because you cannot be sure that they will be green at the time of your wedding or whether they will be undergoing their regular harvesting and/or burn off process. Snakes too, are often found in the paddies and therefore represent a real concern. Not only this but the land between paddies is extremely narrow and the possibility of slipping into a wet paddy is not an attractive one at any time - even less so for a beautiful bride.

Hotel & Villa Venues

Because of the lack of public space available, most couples choose to be married either in the gardens of their hotel or private villa accommodation.

Because the gardens in Bali are so lush and tropical, this tends to be the very best solution. Most hotels and villas will charge a fee to any couple choosing to be married on the grounds even if the couple are staying there.

In the case of a hotel, this fee will generally provide some decoration whereas with a private villa the fee is basically to cover wear and tear as well as extra work required by villa staff to assist with your event and won't actually include decorations. These need to be organized separately and can be done by your organizer if you choose to take our advice and use one.

Some, but not all hotels, permit non-staying guests to be married in their gardens but of course will impose certain rules and regulations in this case, for example, they will charge a fee for using the space and the fee for outside guests is most times higher than the fee imposed on inhouse guests.

Generally the fee will include some Balinese style decoration. Whatever your location, it is important that you are aware from the start just what fees will be imposed by the particular venue you select for the specific arrangements you require as well as any additional regulations they may impose. For example, some hotels and almost all villas insist on the couple staying a minimum number of nights, others insist you book a meal there for your wedding party and yet others will insist on both of these and maybe even more.

Should you decide to book a private villa for your accommodation in Bali and have your wedding ceremony there, additional fees will be imposed for any decorations, musicians and other items you may request as well as a 'function fee' and a 'security bond'. A wedding organizer is best to organize items related to the decoration and layout of your villa wedding and will quote you the price based specifically on your own requirements.

Not all villas will permit large group functions on the grounds so, if you wish to select a private villa for your accommodation, do make sure you ask the question of whether you are able to hold your function there and request a detailed explanation of any particular restrictions which may be imposed upon you. For example, if you plan to have a band or DJ for your group to dance to you will no doubt find there will be restrictions about the time the music must end. This is in consideration of nearby neighbours and is an important issue of 'good manners and respect'.

Of course, hotels also generally have a time restriction on various forms of entertainment in consideration of their other guests.

Other things to consider when choosing a private villa for your function are :

-Is there enough electrical power to support a band or DJ and extra external lighting you may be planning to utilize? If not, can the villa management arrange for additional power for your function and at what cost to you?

-If you are planning to utilize Balinese musicians and/or dancers, it is preferable to have the villa management arrange personnel from the nearby vicinity rather than bringing performers from other villages. Again this is a matter of courtesy and good manners. You will find that the local people are far more positive about your function if they are actually involved in it and you will, at the same time, be helping them earn additional income for their village. Of course if you are not planning to utilize musicians or performers of a type available in the village, it is not an issue.

There are a number of hotels on the island which actually provide 'villa style' accommodation and these are a great alternative if you are having a small, intimate wedding and want it held within the privacy of your own villa surrounded by all the facilities a hotel offers. You need to be aware, however, that a number of hotels with villa style accommodation will still insist upon your purchasing their decoration package and will not agree to your having a ceremony without it. Again, ensure you clarify the rules and regulations with which you will be faced in advance of making your decision to avoid any unexpected or unbudgeted costs arising afterwards.

When requesting information on a villa as the potential venue for your wedding function be aware that there are different categories of villa ie: styles (not just quality).

Stand Alone Villas - Complete privacy and complete facilities and appropriate number of house staff.

Villa Complexes - One property with a number of villas on it - some need to share a pool, whilst others have a pool for each villa. House staff may be full time but are often available on call instead.

Villa Hotels - Operating more like a hotel but with villa (bungalow style) accommodation often only providing hotel type room services such as daily cleaning.

Whereas Villa hotels often have the bare minimum in kitchen facilities such as small refrigerator, electric jug and gas burner.

Private Villas for rent with beach frontage are extremely limited in Bali and those that do exist charge a premium price for their accommodation and often have a high number of minimum nights before agreeing to permit a function onsite.


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Restaurants

Many couples planning to marry in Bali have dreams of being married barefoot on a quiet beach however, in reality, this is rarely possible not generally recommended.

The reality is, that Bali has no private beaches. All beaches are public, even those right in front of a hotel or private property, and they are therefore open to all who wish to walk or hawk them.

A wedding ceremony on a beach is not recommended because the local people who are by nature a funloving and happy race will come up close, chatter amongst themselves, giggle and enjoy the event without realizing that they are creating disruption and distracting you from the solemnity of your ceremony.

For this reason, you should consider having your ceremony within the confines of a hotel or villa garden overlooking a beach. This way you will generally have the peace and quiet you require whilst declaring your vows to each other, but can go down on to the beach for photographs and fun afterwards.

There are a limited number of hotels in Bali with small, secluded sections of beach which although they are not in fact private are, because of the difficulty reaching them just about private. However, these beaches are few and far between and are all in the 5 star, deluxe price range.