Deciding on the type of wedding you want is the first step in choosing the most appropriate venue. A small intimate ceremony with a handful of guests would be difficult to achieve in a sprawling 5 star resort but would be perfect for a small boutique hotel or a private villa.

So, the first thing to do is decide what sort of wedding you would like. Will it be small and intimate or grand and elegant? Will it be formal or casual? How many guests will be there? Once you have decided on the type of wedding its time to think about location. Do you want the wedding on the beach? Do you want a church wedding? Would you like to be married in the picturesque rice fields? Just a word of caution regarding weddings on the beach. It is possible to get married on the beach but all beaches on Bali are public and it can be very difficult to maintain the privacy and security of the ceremony. It is quite possible that local sightseers will crowd round and the hawkers will even try to sell things to your guests. A better solution is to have the wedding ceremony in the grounds of a hotel or villa close to the beach and then have some photographs taken on the beach.

For large weddings there are many international hotels that can accommodate your wedding and your guests and there are often group discounts on rooms available. For smaller weddings there are many fabulous private villas that offer really good value for money. The added benefit of hiring a private villa is that you can celebrate late into the night without disturbing anyone else.

There are so many choices and options available that it can be a bit daunting trying to sort through them all. This is another reason why it is better to hire a wedding organiser who can guide and advise you on the best location for your dream wedding in paradise.

Colin Hall
Bali, May 2006