Western wedding ceremony in a villa in Bali
You may have attended a friend’s wedding in the past where the priest kept on talking and talking and talking and the proceedings kept on going and going and going. Some church weddings, regardless if they are of Catholic or Protestant faith can take up to an hour or longer.
Not so in Bali! Bali wedding ceremonies tend to be EXTREMELY SHORT. I have seen some Bali weddings where the ceremony took just 10 minutes or even less.
A short ceremony may not be what you actually want
Most wedding planners in Bali will present you this as an advantage. ‘Short & Sweet’ is the term most frequently used. If you are 100% convinced that this is what you also want then do not read on. Click here to go away from this article.
Ooh, you are still with me. Thanks! Consider the following:
A wedding is a show! And I do not mean this is any negative or diminishing way. It is a show where you two, the couple show the world that you are so serious about your relationship that you want to commit a life-time to each other.
You fly in to Bali friends and family from far away. So, you have a responsibility to put on a show for them and make your wedding ceremony interesting and entertaining.
Also, why would you want to pay thousands of dollars for your wedding venue and the décor, if you use it only for such a short time?
So you see: short ‘n sweet may not be the answer – at least not for everyone.
Sand pouring ceremony
Therefore, in my opinion, you should try to make your ceremony last for at least 30 minutes or even a bit longer. How to achieve that? Easy, consider the following things to do during the ceremony:
- Besides the wedding liturgy that will be provided by your wedding planner or whoever arranges for your ceremony you may want to prepare your own individual vows. Each of you two, saying a few words to each other. Something personal.
- Have a poem reading by your sisters/mother/auntie/uncle/father/brother, etc… Or let someone say a few words about what a marriage should be like. Many more possibilities exist.
- Have a sand pouring ceremony, whereby each of you has a glass of different colored sand which you then pour together into one container. That symbolizes the inseparability of your marriage.
- Have a friend, relative play a song on a guitar or alike during the ceremony. You can also engage the services of a professional in Bali for this. But it will cost you a bit.
Most of the suggestions above will bring another element into your wedding ceremony. And the options I outlined above will cost you nothing. Yet it will make your ceremony more interesting and that bit longer.
Balinese Blessing ceremony for a Western couple
Some couples choose to have a second ceremony in the form of a Balinese blessing ceremony. That is a ceremony whereby a Balinese Hindu priest performs a blessing ceremony. These Balinese blessing ceremonies usually take between 15 and 30 minutes. I have also seen longer ones.
Some couples choose to have their Balinese blessing ceremony during another part of the day. Usually with Balinese attire.
Yet other couples have their Balinese ceremony in their Western wedding attire shortly before or after the church ceremony.
I have also seen couples who have only a Balinese blessing ceremony. If you choose that option please bear in mind that you will then not be able to have a ‘legal’ wedding in Bali.
Balinese Blessing ceremony
You can learn more about the requirements for a legal wedding in Bali:
How to get legally married in Bali ? and Can I have a wedding like a Balinese ?
If you have other ideas on things to do during your ceremony let your wedding planner know. And I would also love to hear your ideas on what you think is a nice idea for a Bali wedding ceremony.
As, always if you have any questions / suggestions please get in touch with me. We would love to hear from you.
Happy Wedding
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