Say “I do” at these exotic locales for the most romantic wedding ever

Photo: Bali
WeddingsInternationalWORDS ANNE LOH

When it comes to finding the perfect setting for your wedding, Bali, Thailand and Hawaii are hard to beat for romantic tropical appeal. With so much to offer couples – balmy weather, beautiful scenery, affordable packages and, dare we say it, the perfect excuse to invite only the most important people! – it’s no wonder more vows than ever are being said under a distant coconut palm.

Walk into the
Infinity Chapel on
a path strewn
with petals
Photo: Conrad BaliBali Wedding Bells

At the Conrad Bali’s breezy beach-front wedding chapel recently, tears pricked my eyes as a wedding ceremony came to a close – and I didn’t even know the Japanese couple being married! Bali has great charm for couples looking for a romantic and spiritual wedding, particularly the graceful Balinese blessing ceremony. So many people now marry in Bali, that your choices are wide. You can arrange an intimate beach wedding, book a village of private villas and hire caterers, dancers and gamelan musicians, or get a wedding planner to handle it all.

DIY Legalities
For a marriage to be legal in Bali you need a CNI (Certificate of No Impediment to Marry Indonesia) from your country’s consulate or embassy in Bali, a religious representative to perform the marriage ceremony and a government official to register and legalise the marriage afterwards.

Rings waiting for the start
of the ceremonyDid You Know?
You can hire a rain-stopper to ensure sunny skies for an outdoor wedding. Rain-stoppers make offerings to the gods and manipulate the energies of the weather system: they claim not to stop the rain, just to move the rain-clouds away. Their behind-the-scenes service costs about US$150 (AU$186) a day.

Three Wedding Hotspots
For those who love a rock ‘n roll lifestyle, the Hard Rock Hotel Bali in party-central Kuta offers a unique backdrop for weddings and renewal-of-vows ceremonies amid music memorabilia. From US$900 (AU$1,114).

Real-life couple Steve &
Nicole had their dream
wedding come true in BaliThe InterContinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran specialises in the Balinese ceremony – complete with umbul-umbul (colour fl ags) and gebogan (towering fruit and fl oral arrangements) – on a 500-metre beachfront stretch. From US$600 (AU$743).

The Conrad Bali Resort & Spa’s Infi nity Chapel, a triangular glass and marble structure that appears to fl oat on the Indian Ocean (that’s the effect of the infi nity pool), offers an ethereal experience. From US$1,665 (AU$2,061).

THE WEDDING PLANNER: BALI WEDDINGS INTERNATIONAL

Traditional Bali wedding
gearAustralian Katrina Simorangkir has been organising weddings in Bali for over a decade, managing a team of Western and Balinese experts. We spoke to her associate Tracy Kidd.

What can Bali Weddings International offer?
We handle all the time-consuming and tedious parts such as getting the “free to marry” letter from respective consulates and communicating with the local officials to ensure peace of mind. We also organise as simple or as elaborate a ceremony as the couple desire.

A procession of
young Bali
beautiesWhat sort of weddings do you offer?
One of our specialties is the seclusion wedding. We have a contact who finds outof-the-way spots and the couple has no idea where they’ll end up until they reach a temple amid the rice fields with villagers waiting to serve up fresh coconuts.

There’s also the “royal” Balinese wedding ceremony, where the couple will be greeted by 200 villagers, flower-girls, traditional music, umbrella-toting boys, the works – it goes on for hours and all for only US$2,000 (AU$2,476).
Tel: +62 (361) 287516

Kiss of
commitment on
Patong Beach in
front of Holiday
Inn Resort Phuket
Photo: Holiday
Inn Resort PhuketJoy in the Land of Smiles

Thailand is as renowned for its rich Buddhist traditions as its gracious and warm people. Couples who get married in Thailand can have a taste of this with beautiful tamboon (merit-making ceremonies) in a Thai temple, on top of a Western-style Christian wedding.

The Thai Buddhist marriage ceremony is very popular, according to Somchit Srimoon of Thailand Weddings. “The most romantic is the northern Thai or Lanna ceremony where guests tie threads on the wrists of the wedding couple which they are supposed to leave on for nine days.”

DIY Legalities
In Thailand, you need to fi le an affi davit at your consulate or embassy in Bangkok and have it translated into Thai and certifi ed by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is then presented to the local district offi ce for registration of the marriage.

Receiving blessings from a
Thai elderDid You Know?
Buddhist monks don’t actually perform weddings – they only offer blessings. The local wedding offi ciant and elders perform the ceremony, which is not usually held in a temple.

Three Wedding Hotspots
The Chapel on the Lagoon, the only resort wedding chapel in Phuket, sits in the middle of the waterways at the Laguna Phuket resort – couples make their grand entrance on a private boat. The chapel is offering a promotional wedding package for US$1,399 (AU$1,692) until 30 June 2007.

Laguna Phuket’s Chapel on
the Lagoon’s fantastic
setting
Photo: Thailand WeddingsSituated on popular Patong beach, the Holiday Inn Resort Phuket arranges for quiet and romantic locations for photography. Its Thai-theme Jacuzzi Pool is a recommended wedding venue and the Thai pavilions can seat a banquet for 20 people. From 69,000 THB (AU$2,640).

The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is an oasis in the heart of Bangkok, offering weddings in a tropical garden setting. Venue rental costs from 25,000 THB (AU$957).

THE WEDDING PLANNER: THAILAND WEDDINGS

Make an entrance on
Laguna Phuket’s private
vesselThai national Somchit Srimoon started out providing wedding planning services to Thais and expat Thais, but many international couples have since sought out her skills.

What can Thailand Weddings offer?
We offer truly authentic Thai Buddhist weddings, as well as rural Thai-style Christian weddings. Many Thais get married from their home – we [use] a private country home made of teak, in a tropical garden setting at the foothills of Doi Saret [a rural community 15km from Chiang Mai].

What’s the most unusual ceremony you’ve organised?
The bespoke Buddhist ceremony I did outside Lampang [almost 600km from Bangkok] for a Dutch couple – the entire village was invited. There were 400 guests to witness the renewal of their vows on their 30th anniversary. The couple, with their family and friends, arrived in nine horse-drawn carriages, led by 30 flower-girls and boys, nine flag-carriers and musicians from the village.

Tel: +61 (2) 8011 4075 (this number is forwarded to Thailand, so please call during Thai office hours).

Sheraton Keauhou
Bay Resort & Spa’s
Bayside Chapel

Love in the Aloha State

A pu (conch) sounds, announcing the beginning of your wedding to the world – a true Hawaiian ceremony goes on to feature oli (chanting) by the Hawaiian minister, musicians, hula dancing and the exchange of maile and pikake leis.

As well as Hawaii’s dramatic cliff tops, there are black sand beaches and lush landscapes to provide spectacular settings. Usually, a couple will choose to get married on one island and spend the honeymoon discovering the others.

DIY Legalities
You must appear in person at the Hawaii State Department of Health to get a licence to marry in Hawaii, which costs US$60 (AU$75). The services of a wedding offi ciant cost around US$150 (AU$186).

Did You Know?
If you want to get into the right mood, dress up in Hawaiian wedding attire – this means a muu muu for the bride and a Hawaiian shirt for the groom. But don’t scrimp – Hawaiians can tell the quality of your shirt by the print!

Three Wedding Hotspots
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa’s thoroughly romantic Aloha Gazebo and Aloha Pavilion are popular venues, the latter having seen its fair share of moonlit weddings. Their specialty is traditional Hawaiian weddings. An “Elegant” ceremony starts from US$3,100 (AU$3,852).

A Westin Maui Resort & Spa
wedding
Photo: Westin Maui Resort
& SpaThe sweet little Bayside Chapel of the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa and the stunning black lava Sunset Cliffs above the Pacifi c Ocean are both premier wedding locations requiring one year’s advance booking. The Keauhou chapel package starts at US$2,500 (AU$3,106).

The Outrigger Waikiki and Outrigger Reef hotels invite guests to Hoi Hou Ke Aloha every Tuesday and Friday morning at 8am – a simple vow renewal ceremony on the beach in front of Outrigger Reef, complete with kahu priest, hula dance and chanting.

THE WEDDING PLANNER: PARASOL EVENTS

Based in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, young and dynamic company Parasol Events specialises in intimate weddings. Owner Laura Ann Lewis believes no project is too big or too small.

What can Parasol Events offer?
Our wedding vendors and locations are versatile. From a simple beach wedding for two to a dramatic event for hundreds, we are prepared to see it through. The perfect location for each couple is unique and marrying them up is part of our talent.

What is the one thing you think is the most important to tell the couple on their wedding day?
Remember the commitment and then the celebration!

Tel: +1 (808) 923 3969

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