Article updated for 2017 / 18
Bali has become the world’s most popular destination for destinations weddings outside Las Vegas. Hardly surprising considering what Bali’s wedding industry has to offer.
The spectrum of options for a wedding in Bali ranges from inexpensive, all-inclusive wedding packages in 3-star resorts to lavish, deluxe weddings in spectacular villas and estates.
Many of you have told me that the range of choices and options for a wedding in Bali can be daunting and overwhelming. That is because unlike in the hotel industry where a star rating system can give patrons a quite good idea of what to expect no such ranking system exists for wedding service providers in Bali.
This makes it hard for you to know what is good and what is not.
But wait, there is even more confusion. Because different service providers have different perceptions about what is a wedding planner, a wedding organizer, wedding consultant or a wedding coordinator.
So, how to find the right wedding company in Bali ?
Careful! Services among Bali wedding planners can be very different.
Wedding planners & organizers in Bali have highly varying levels of service and quality of service. Consequently, fees and prices also vary greatly also.
If one wedding company offers you their services at a different price point than another this can be due to different services being provided.
On one side of the spectrum, there are wedding package (re)sellers.
Let me tell you how they work: Similar to a restaurant they will give you a menu of choices for possible wedding venues and provide some information on the options available.
Usually, such companies offer a range of packages that include a particular venue, varying degrees of decoration and a priest / ministrant plus civil registry services.
Some of them may include also makeup & hair styling for the bride, photography and video and entertainment options.
Often, their packages are quite rigid with few options. The services they provide on the day can also vary greatly. For instance, some show up 30 minutes before the ceremony and leave shortly after the ceremony has concluded.
They provide little or no coordination – yet they still call themselves wedding organizers. Therefore, sometimes bargain hunters may end up with more than they have bargained for…
Don't expect too much if you shop on the cheap end. And be especially wary about the quality of vendors that come as part of the package.Â
Professional wedding planners provide a greater range of services
On the other side of the spectrum are true professional wedding planners.
They meet with clients on a day before the wedding to discuss the day and schedule of events and come as a team of 2-3 (or more if necessary) on the wedding day.
They arrive long before the ceremony and check every detail to make sure that all is in order, that venue is well prepared, coordinate the work of other vendors who have also been contracted through them.
They stay until the dinner or through the entire evening. Services may include a rehearsal of the ceremony and a wedding coordinator on standby truly coordinating the entire event or parts of it.
Top planners really help you to plan and show you options
There are also a few highly specialized event planners who will carefully analyze all your desires and requirements, suggest you several venues and offer their expertise as to what venue should be best suited to meet your expectations.
Such Bali wedding planners offer a range choices and options for services such as catering, makeup & hair, photography & video, décor, entertainment and other services.
Couples choosing such a wedding planner often come to Bal a few months before the wedding.  During such a visit the planner will arrange meetings with potential service providers.  Helping you to chose those who best fits your requirements.
Such wedding planners will provide advice and insights on what is best for your individual requirements. They then meticulously plan and organize every aspect of your wedding.Â
Their services often go beyond what is required on the wedding day. They will take care of you from the day you arrive in Bali and until you depart.Â
They will also help you with the logistics required for your guests and many other vital aspects that make a wedding in Bali perfect.
They usually charge a service fee on top of the fees for the venue and other services required. They will carefully listen to your individual wishes and spend many hours on exchanging emails.Â
Most Bali wedding planners though fall somewhere in between these two sides of the spectrum.
Therefore, you should carefully check if the chosen party meets your expectations and exactly what services will they provide during the planning stage of your wedding and on the day itself.Â
Usually, you can see after 2,3,4 emails what kind of wedding company you are dealing with.
Hotels & Resorts and Chapels are not wedding planners!
Now ladies comes a big one. It is very important for you to understand the following.Â
Hotels & resorts, some villas, as well as dedicated wedding venues such as chapels, offer also wedding services and wedding packages.
For many couples, that is also a feasible option.Â
However, please bear in mind that when you chose to buy a complete package from venues directly it may lack the flexibility of options and may include services that you don’t need or that not meet your expectations.
You may also want to read this article which explains what to expect when going for an all-in package from a hotel / resort.
No, it is not cheaper to book directly from a hotel & resort, chapel or villa!
There is a misperception that when dealing directly with a venue / hotel / resort / chapel you will get a better price.
Sometimes it can be cheaper to book directly from a venue, but often the opposite is true.
That is because independent wedding organizers get better prices from venues and other vendors. They also can help you to save cost by tailoring an individual package with only the components you need.
Many hotels & resorts and chapels offer packages where some of the components in the package such as photography and video may not be what you had wished for. Â
Many brides and couples found that out the hard way when they got their photos and video, which was too bad to show to friends and family.
Here is why: Hotels and resorts try to maximize their profits and therefore often have inferior and rather cheap vendor services which they buy from outside.
This even holds true for most of the big, luxurious five star resorts and well-known wedding chapels.
I highly recommend you also check out the article: PROFESSIONAL RIPP-OFFÂ and learn how to avoid costly mistakes and disapointments.Â
Ladies, I hope you now have a better idea of how to find the right wedding company in Bali. If you want me to recommend a good, professional wedding planner for your wedding please press the button below:
Happy Wedding
If you found this article useful please share it. Thank you !
Hi! I am looking for someone in Bali where we can hire photobooth props only: backdrop and beach-themed props like mask and snorkel, life jackets, etc. I will only need someone who can set it up for us. I brought along a photographer who will take our pictures. The wedding will be held at Bali Garden on August 30, 2014. Thank you very much!
Hi I m looking for some wedding planner recommendations for next summer, thanks for your help and article!
Pls check out: http://baliweddingblog.com//bali-wedding-planner/
Hi,
I’ve been reading through your website and thought I’d send through a quick post. There are so many wedding planners out there. If you could reccomend a few that would be awesome.
Thanks
Sam
Yes, too many indeed. And be careful lot’s of ‘lemons’. You may want to consider letting us arrange your wedding. Or also highly recommend are:
BALI WEDDING PACKAGES.
Hi there!
I’m going to Bali in a weeks time and really want to meet with a wedding planner that can help with EVERYTHING!! We want someone to recommend venues, organize the legalities and also be there on the day to get us organized! Could you please sed me the details of a few highly recommended and reputable wedding planners?
I would really appreciate it!
Louie
Hi Louie, we have alrd send you an email and look fwd to working with you.
Thank you – Jameela
Hi Jameela
I am wanting some info on Bali weddings
Thinking of a chapel wedding at either the infinity chapel or Tirtha Uluwatu Chapel.
Can you please give me an idea of how much a small wedding would be?
venue hire + ceremony+ hair & make up + photographer+ cake+ floral + reception for around 15 guests.
Also if you have any recommendations for hair& makeup artist, photographer and wedding cake then please let me know & email me.
If you think a wedding planner is a better option then please also let me know.
THANKS!
Hi Lorraine, we dont publish exact prices for any particular venue. For this you should get in touch with either a good wedding planner or with the venue. We strongly recommend that you seek other alternatives than Tirtha because do not allow you the freedom of choice – if you sign up with them you MUST use all their own vendors for things like makeup & hair , photography, etc… Or pay a HUGE fee for bringing in your own vendors. Most other chapels allow you to choose your own vendors.
Hope this helps.
Jameela
THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Hi Jameela,
I’m seek inga wedding stylist to help with the ceremony and reception arrangements with a keen eye for detail and all things beautiful, in additional to securing the accommodation for our event at the best possible price. We are only having a small wedding 40-45 guests, so I am trying very hard to keep my costs down; so I am happy to do alot of this DIY. (For example, I am comfortable in sourcing photographer/ videographer/ hair/makeup/etc) so I guess in essence I am looking for a coordinator with an a-la-carte menu of services rather than one big over arching fee for planning alot of things I can manage myself. I need help with floral decorations, and set up of the ceremony.
We do not require a legal ceremony. We will go with a commitment ceremony only.
Could you please recommend some reputable wedding planners, and email me their details ?
I’ve contacted a few resorts but their prices are extremely high for what we are looking at. I’ve also investigated a couple of villa options and it is still looking at US $20,000.
Thanks so much!
Hi Laura, thank you for contacting us. We will be in touch with you shortly via email. Cheers – Jameela
Hi jameela, We are seeking a reliable wedding planner. We are popping over to Bali on the 9th of jan 2013 and would be keen to meet up with some one to get a few things going.
Kind regards Emilie
Thank you Emilie. I have alrd answered your inquiry via an email to you. Pls. let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Jameela
Hi Jameela,
Thanks for this information.
I am looking to get a good wedding planner who can make great recommendations on venues as well as co-ordinating everything for us. Someone who has great attention to detail, good ideas and good to work with!
Can you recommend anyone specifically?
Thanks so much.
Pippa
Hi Pippa,
Happy new year and sorry for the belated reply… I took a few days of over new year. I have just sent you an email and I understand that you have alrd connected with Catherine… so you are in the best and most capable hands in Bali… happy wedding…
Jammeela
Chairwoman of the SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Hi
Thanks for the info, please send details of a professional planner to take care of coordinating our day.
Thanks 🙂
Thanks Tim. We have already contacted you via email.
Hi Jameela,
Thanks for the useful article.
I am getting married in 2 months time in Bali. I have sorted out the ceremony, photographer and now I am seeking a reliable organizer for wedding dinner and coordination. I have contacted a few of them and their prices vary from 6k to over 15k USD. The one with high price (over 15k USD) charges a very high managment fee but they seem to be more professional. Can you give me some advice and recommendations?
I also haven’t booked videographer. I spent a lot on photographer so I only have about 1k USD budget for a 5hr vediography. Do you have any recommendations?
Thanks!
Rita
Rita
Hi Rita,
Thank you for being in touch. Any of the member companies of THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS should be able to assist you as a coordinator. Although many may be hesitant if they are only supposed to coordinate the dinner…
6k – 15k is a figure I cant comment on because I have no idea what that would include. Remember most, if not all wedding planners / organizers in Bali get commissions / referral fees from vendors such as caterers, band, DJ, sound system, etc… So in my opinion you should not pay more than 1.5k for the pure coordination fee. But it also depends on how many ppl will be attending…
In regard to video it is possible to have your wedding documented with that budget. You should even get 2 camera men for this money. As long as you dont expect something super cinematographic…
I will ask a one video company that fits into your budget to contact you directly and send you their packages.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Chairwoman of
THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Hi Jameela,
We are starting to look into planning our wedding in Bali for next November, unfortunately our first choice fo venues on Nusa Lembongan will not fit the 80 to 90 people that we will be expecting. So we have realised that a main land wedding is going to be required. A wedding package would not suit us as my fiance has a few detailed things she is after and there are many things that wouldn’t be required that are generally included in those packages. Would you be able to point us in the direction of a specialist planner or company that has a focus on larger weddings?
Many thanks,
Kit
Hi Kit,
Thanks for contacting us. I have sent you a private email with a few recommendations and tips. Happy Wedding in Bali.
Jameela
Chairwoman of THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Need to plan a wedding for December this year for 10 guests, somewhere private and secluded. Committment ceremony only and ideally within a $5000 budget
Thank you
Kara
With this budget you would be best advised to go straight to a hotel / resort and buy one of their packages. But be forewarned that services such as decor, photography / video and catering may be inferior as hotels and resorts usually go for cheap not for quality when it comes to services which they have to buy from outside. Hope this helps.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Hi Jameela,
My fiancé and I are planning to have our legal ceremony in Bali next year. We found your article to be especially helpful. We are keeping our wedding in Bali small and intimate with less than 20 guests.
Could you please recommend some reputable wedding planners? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi Jo,
Any member company of THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS is highly recommend and will give you very good service.
Thank you – Jameela
Hi Jameela,
Do you know of any companies that hire photo booths in Bali to hire for a wedding/function.
Thanks.
Alisha.
Hi Alisha, thx. for being in touch ! Unfortunately I dont know any company doing that. But for good photography for a wedding you should defenitely check out: http://weddingphotographybali.com/ – they are widely considered to be among the best in Bali – maybe they can also help you with your photobooth.
Thank you – Jameela
Chairwoman of the
SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Hi Jameela,
We are looking to get married in Bali this year and will be travelling from the UK. We would like a simple legal wedding, we will not have any guests. We have looked at the Kamandalu resort in Ubud, but need some assistance with the legal paperwork, do you know any companies who would help with this? Or anyone who offers packages at the Kamandalu for a simple ceromny without all the extras?
Thanks
Thank you for being in touch Debbie. If all you need is a someone organizing the priest and the legal paperwork you wont find many companies willing to help because it can mean a lot of emails back and forth for little money… But I am sure that any of our member companies which you can find listed on our site will look and let you know if they can help.
Jameela,
Chairwoman of
THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Hey
Im looking for a reliable wedding planner or advice on getting married in Bali. We would like a beach wedding that is not too expensive and for a small number of people. It should be a very simple wedding. Please could you email me with any advice.
Thanks
Hi Nicole,
I just sent you an email pointing out the right wedding companies for your wedding in Bali
Jameela
Hey! Im after a recommendation for a reliable wedding planner in Bali.
Outdoor wedding (not beach) maybe cliff top Uluwatu, or forest Ubud. Looking at this stage 20-30 guests.
Not legal, just commitment but full reception after for guests. In 3 months time!!!!
please email me!
Hi Jameela,
Good article. Could you please recommend some reputable wedding planners as you described on the article?
Thanks Georgie
I need a recommendation for a reliable wedding planner in Bali.
Dear Kim, thank you for your message. I have already replied to you via email. Happy Wedding in Bali – Jameela
Hi Jameela,
I’ve just started looking into a wedding in Bali for next year and found your article very helpful (thankyou). I’d like to know what would be the best time of year? Also if you have some reputable wedding coordinators, i’d love to hear about them and know who they are 🙂
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks heaps!
Thank you for your message. I have already replied to you via email. Happy Wedding in Bali – Jameela
Hi Jameela, please could you advise on your recommended wedding planners. Thank you.
please try any of our member companies.
I seek a wedding stylist to help with the ceremony and reception arrangements with a keen eye for detail and all things beautiful, in additional to securing the accommodation for our event at the best possible price. We are only having a small wedding for under 10 guests, so I am trying very hard to keep my costs down; so I am happy to do alot of this DIY. (For example, I am comfortable in sourcing photographer/ videographer/ hair/makeup/etc) so I guess in essence I am looking for a coordinator with an a-la-carte menu of services rather than one big over arching fee for planning alot of things I can manage myself. I need help with floral decorations, and set up of the ceremony.
We do not require a legal ceremony. We will go with a commitment ceremony only.
Could you please recommend some reputable wedding planners, and email me their details ?
Thanks you for your message. I have already replied to you via email. Happy Wedding in Bali – Jameela
Hi Jameela,
thank you for ur nice article, its really help, i am planning to have a wedding around july in bali,
could u please give me recomendation of a good wedding organizer in bali and advice, which can take care everything, cause both me and my fiance, really have limited time to organized this
Thanks in advance 😉
Thanks for your message. I have already replied to you via email. Happy Wedding in Bali – Jameela
Hi. I am looking for a wedding planner. Could you please provide some recommendations? I am interested in a private wedding either in garden overlooking the ocean, cliff top look over the ocean and mountains or a private villa. Thanks!
Thank you for your message Lisa. I have already replied to you via email. Happy Wedding in Bali – Jameela
Hi Jameela,
Would you be able to advice me on who are the better and more reputable wedding planners I can go to?
Hi Angeline, I did alrd reply to you in personal via email.
Thx. Jameela
Hello,
My partner and I are looking at eloping in Bali. We want to be away from the busy areas and have a legal wedding ceromony either on the beach, garden or overlooking rice paddies or mountains. We want it simply done with out too much glitz. We both have dreams of having our wedding night dinner in a private place outside with water or in the mountains. I am finding it really hard to find wedding packages that meet our wishes. Can you please send me some hotel names or a good wedding planner to set us on the right path.
Thanks
Amber
Dear Amber, Thx. for contacting us. I did send you a private reply via email.
Thx. Jameela
Hi Jameela,
Great article – thanks!
I’m looking for a reliable, knowledgable but not super expensive wedding planner.
Are you about to suggest anyone?
Thanks,
Kate
Hi Jameela,
I’m looking for a wedding planner for our wedding next summer. Not into packages but someone who can do everything for us and can deliver something simple but elegant and amazing venue as well.
Thanks
Hi Jameela,
I am looking for a wedding planner. Can you please provide some recommendation? Thanks a lot.
Thank you for your article, I found it very insightful.
I am a bride to be from Brisbane, and I seek a wedding stylist to help with the ceremony and reception arrangements with a keen eye for detail and all things beautiful, in additional to vendor recommendations (e.g. catering) and securing the accommodation for our event at the best possible price. I am trying very hard to keep my costs down; so I am happy to do alot of this DIY. (For example, I am comfortable in sourcing photographer/ videographer/ hair/makeup/ cars/ transfers/ cake/ stationery etc) so I guess in essence I am looking for a coordinator with an a-la-carte menu of services rather than one big over arching fee for planning alot of things I can manage myself.
We do not require a legal ceremony. We will go with a commitment ceremony only.
Could you please recommend some reputable wedding planners, and email me their details ?
Thank you kindly
Jessica.
Hi Jessica,
Thx. – I am glad that the article was useful for you. I have emailed you in private to answer your questions.
Thank you – Jameela
Hi Jameela.
Thank you for a very insightful article.
I am planning a wedding in Bali as well.
My situation is a lot like Jessica’s — I did a lot of research for vendors (catering, photographer, videographer) and already compiled a list of favorites.
I am looking for an independent wedding planner that is willing to work with these vendors I have in mind. Can you provide me with some recommendations?
Thank you!
Hi Jamella. My situation is very much like Sherry & Jessica’s as above. I need to find a good wedding planner that can provide some services, while I source some myself. We are thinking of a small simple yet elegant wedding with a coctail party post ceremony. Perhaps in a reasonably priced private villa.
Can you please recommend some wonderful people in Bali to help us with some of our wedding requirments. Thanks
Hi Linda, thx for contacting us. Any of the members of our organisation will certainly be able to help. Some may be less eager if your organise most yourself because it makes their life harder… So I suggest you make it crystal clear in your inquiry to them what kind of services you require and what you plan to do yourself.
Happy Wedding
Jameela
Chairwoman of
THE SOCIETY OF BALI WEDDING PROFESSIONALS
Hi Jameela,
I need help looking for a good wedding planner.
Please drop me an email.
Thanks
Hi Melisa,
Thx. for your comment. I have already sent you an email in response to this. Pls let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Greetings from sunny Bali
Jameela
Hi
I need help in sourcing for reliable wedding planner.
Kindly email me.
Thank you
Hi Eileen,
Sorry for the belated follow up. I did just send you an email following up on your request.
Thx. – Jameela
Dear Jameela,
I would like to receive some information as well about a reliable wedding planner please.
Could you send me a private email so we can discuss more in details of what i would specifically need.
Thank you so much
Thanks S., I have already contacted you via email and provided all the information you have requested.
Cheers – Jameela