Because of the lack of public space available on the island of Bali, 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. Hotels will charge a fee to any couple choosing to be married on the grounds even if the couple are staying there and, private villas have special function fees, local area banjar fees and most often, compulsory security deposits as well.
In the case of a hotel, the charge will generally provide some decoration whereas, with a private villa the fees are basically to give you the right to have the event on the villa property, to cover additional wear and tear and perhaps extra work required by villa staff who might assist a little in preparing for and cleaning up after your event. Villa fees do not include decorations or additional services. All such items and required services must be organized separately by your organizer.
In the case of a hotel it is optional whether or not you use an organizer - as we have made very clear, we recommend you do. For most private villas it is actually compulsory that you do since the property itself needs to have the security of a locally based Wedding Organizer to take responsibility for everything related to your event at their property and be available to them as well as you if any problems come up.
Most hotels, permit non-staying guests to be married in their gardens but of course will impose certain rules and regulations in this case and will usually charge a higher for fee an 'outside guest' than the fee imposed on inhouse guests.
Generally the fee will include some decorations and usually these are presented in the form of a 'package' - usually you will find 2 or three choices including western or Balinese style, simple or elaborate and the hotels are usually not very flexible with this. They consider their decorations to show a certain style or standard to all who see it and so they generally insist on your taking what they offer without much change.
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. A few of the most popular hotels actually insist upon a minimum number of rooms being booked by guests attending your wedding as well.
Should you decide to book a private villa for your accommodation in Bali and, this is something we think every couple should do if they can do, the additional fees mentioned above will be imposed. Your Wedding organizer will have all the details and you must make sure they are given to you at the start to avoid nasty surprises later.
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 advise your organizer about the number of guests you expect to have attending and make sure it works at the villa you have in mind. Your organizer will also be responsible for advising you of any particular restrictions which may be imposed upon your event.
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. There are curfews at every location of course 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 too.
Other things to consider when choosing a private villa for your function are :
-You will no doubt find that every villa will insist that your organizer bring in a generator to rung all extra lighting and sound through - they do not generally permit you to use their power for your event.?
-If you are planning to utilize Balinese musicians and/or dancers this might not be such an issue but again, your organizer will give you all the details.
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 un-budgeted 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 actually extremely limited in Bali, and the ones that do exist understandably, charge a premium price for their accommodation and often have a high number of minimum nights before agreeing to permit a function onsite. This is of course understandable!
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 really recommended in Bali because the local people who are by nature a fun loving 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.
Not only that but these days the local Bali councils known as banjar have imposed charges for any events taking place on a beach. Your wedding organizer must obtain, in advance a permit in writing from their offices so you don't have any problems or interruptions to your wedding on the day. To organize these compulsory permits on your own would be very difficult. Some wedding organizers offer restaurants on the beach front and they charge a price for venue hire and decorations which already includes the beach permit fee. Just don't think you and go and stand on a beach and have your wedding without the permit being pre-arranged!
Couples often choose instead of marrying on the beach, to have their ceremony within the confines of a hotel or villa garden overlooking a beach. This way they will generally have the peace and quiet they need whilst declaring their 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.
