Questions / Answers about Wedding Planner in Bali

A wedding planner or organizer is a professional company or a group of people who help couples to organize their destination wedding event, in this case on the island of Bali. Primary functions of wedding organizers are recommending wedding venues & options, budgeting, creating a detailed rundown of the wedding, booking the vendors, arranging venue inspections, executing events “on the field” and more. As you can see, it is quite a lot and because most couples don’t live here on the island but overseas, it is essential to hire a wedding planner. Generally speaking, there are two types of wedding planner businesses in Bali: the so-called “one-woman shows” and established wedding companies.

The main difference between the two is that the one-woman (or man) show are individuals who personally communicate with their clients and arrange everything themselves from budgeting to the rundown to the booking of vendors and so on while wedding companies usually have a full-time, in-house team working on wedding events (sometimes the team even includes photographers and make-up artists). Wedding companies have an office, a showroom, corporate standards and business procedures. Individual wedding planners make use of freelancers.

Without a single doubt, we would recommend a wedding company over a one-woman show and this is why:

• Different to wedding companies, an individual wedding planner simply does not have enough time for all of their clients - they will be too busy making arrangements. How can they offer true quality time for their customers when they have to meet their clients, contact vendors, inspect wedding venues, reply to emails, make schedules etc.
• Different from individuals, companies can’t get sick. If your particular wedding consultant, hired by the wedding company of your choice, is not available for any reason, you’ll get replacement right way. Arranging replacement is much more of a challenge for an individual wedding planner.
• Wedding companies have established business procedures, ensuring security and quality in every step of the wedding planning process. Experienced wedding organizations in Bali have well-trained wedding specialists who follow the company’s quality guidelines. Individual wedding planners on the other side, mostly use different freelancers for their events.
• Companies have a higher level of responsibility. In case anything unforeseen happens, chances are higher that the issue will be resolved quickly.
• There is a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved. Some brides believe that one person can provide them with more personalized attention and care while arranging their wedding day compared to a company. This is not true at all. In reality, a company will always connect you to one particular person - a wedding expert who will be with your from the very beginning until after your dream wedding has taken place.

In most cases, it is definitely a much better idea to use a wedding planner and here is why:

Planning a wedding from overseas is a very challenging and time-consuming thing. Research has proved that planning a wedding can take up to 100 hours or more. That’s a lot!

Experienced wedding organizers know everything there is to know about planning a wedding in Bali. There know about hidden aspects and difficulties that may arise. They know the culture and they have the contacts. Besides all that, can you imagine how much money you would spend only on SWIFT transfer fees to all of the vendors you are working with separately? (Venue, photo, video, make-up, decor, catering, furniture, transport, and the list continues).

Some brides think that hiring a wedding planner will cost her extra money. This is not necessarily true. First of all, wedding organizers can’t simply raise the prices for venues or vendors. Why? Because today, with a power of the Internet, it only takes a couple of minutes to check on the actual prices of things, simply by visiting the website or sending an email. Secondly, wedding organizers have established partnerships with most vendors which means they (and you!) get better rates for their services (or at least the same).

Yes, of course, the wedding planners will charge a small fee for their services but its 100% worth it considering how much time and money they are saving you in reality.

Now, there are always exceptions to the rule. So, when is it better to book a vendor directly yourself, without the help of a wedding planner? An example: you have found a really good live music band, but your assigned wedding planner offers a higher rate for their performance. Of course, in this case, it is better to book this band yourself directly or even better; have your wedding planner book them on behalf of you, based on the rates you got. Another example: you found a great value, ready-to-go package on a hotel or wedding chapel and you want to book it without any customization - better go ahead and book it without the help of a wedding planner.

Do note that even though it is possible to plan your wedding on your own, it is much safer and convenient to have an expert by your side to provide you with advice on wedding planning in Bali. In the end, having a knowledgeable, reliable wedding planner can save you a lot of time, headaches and money.

This is very important! A wedding planner not based in Bali is an agent who works with Bali-based partners and in 99% of the cases, this means that you will be paying a whole lot more for your wedding. On top of that, the chance of miscommunication is higher as there is a third party involved and where will you go if something goes wrong? When dealing with a Bali based wedding planner, you know where to find them (not just online - an office is a must!). In the worst case scenario, you could go to the police and when working with an agent, even if they are based in your home city, things get more complicated. They can always blame any mistake on their Bali-based partners and take no responsibility whatsoever. It’s clear as can be: it’s always better to deal directly with a Bali based wedding organizer!

Sometimes human beings make mistakes and also you are a human being, right? So, what are the signs you made a mistake with the choice of your wedding planner and you should run away while you still can, and find another one?

• You found terrible testimonials from previous clients about their services and there has been no response from the agency. A response can at least give you a little bit of information on what actually happened. If there is no response, it is a bad sign.
• Bad photo and video portfolio. If a wedding planner doesn’t upload their previous weddings on the website, it is a warning to you. Make sure to ask your wedding planner to send you the latest 10 wedding albums and do check on the dates. If the photo albums are not from their latest wedding events, better get out of this collaboration.
• Slow reply or ignoring of your emails, especially after you have paid a deposit. Do note that if your wedding date is not any time soon, it may take a few days for the wedding expert to reply. If you want fast answers at all time, we recommend you to discuss this directly with your assigned wedding manager.
• Surprise fees popping up everywhere, especially after you paid a deposit.
• Your wedding planner doesn't have an office based in Bali. No office usually means they are agents who have no established business in Bali and they may not even be legal. Do not proceed with companies like this, you may not lose all of your money but your wedding day can be completely ruined.

Bali Wedding Association or ‘The Association of Professional Wedding Businesses in Bali’ is the only government-related wedding organization in Bali. All other so-called associations have no any legal authority or control over the wedding industry on the Island.

All members of the Bali Wedding Association are trustworthy companies and legally established businesses which have been registered in the government office. All of them have a proven track record and share a code of ethics to perform quality, professionalism and excellence. Therefore, it is highly recommended to consider one of the members of the Bali Wedding Association as your wedding planner. Your wedding event will get extra protection as BWA takes partial responsibility for their partners.

The deposit may vary, depending on what is included in your wedding contract. For example, if you want to bring Robbie Williams or Celine Dion (something The Seven Agency can actually arrange), full-payment may be required in advance. However, typical wedding deposits for Bali are as following:

• Small weddings: 30 – 50% of the total contract amount. The remaining amount can be paid in the office in Bali during a pre-wedding meeting in cash or by card.
• Big weddings: 50% of deposit has to be paid in advance. The rest should be paid one month or two weeks before the event via bank transfer or PayPal transaction.

If your wedding date is not soon and you are still not sure about the wedding venue, we would recommend you to come to Bali and inspect the wedding venue options yourself. The Seven Agency is happy to arrange a personal site inspection for the bride and groom to be and it is technically free of charge. The site inspection includes:

• Discussing details and planning the wedding venue inspections (3 venues per day)
• Booking the venues for the site inspections
• Venue inspection accompanied by a professional manager, including transport, driver, snacks and water

With so many services included, you must think this will cost you quite some money. However, if you have already booked your wedding with us, this service is completely free of charge. Couples who have not booked their wedding with us (yet) can also make use of this service when coming to Bali. We will charge you only USD 75 for the car rental, driver, petrol and a professional wedding planner who accompanies you during the inspections. This amount will be refunded if you eventually decide to book your wedding with us.

This depends on how soon your wedding date is. If your wedding is within the next two months, you have all rights to require answers within one working day.

If your big day is still 5 months away or more, the answer from your wedding experts can take 2 to 3 working days. For weddings that are still one year or more away, you can expect your wedding consultant to reply within a week.

We do recommend to get in touch with your wedding consultant and discuss the deadlines and preferred ways of communication (email, WhatsApp, voice calls, etc.).

Normally, pre-wedding meetings take place in the office of your wedding planner. There, you can attend the presentation, see some decor, meet the team and make payments. Let it be a warning to you if your wedding planner offers to come to your hotel or villa for the presentation – they may not have an office and their business might not even be legal.

The Seven Agency invites you to a pre-wedding meeting in one of their comfortable offices where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine as you discuss the details of your upcoming wedding ceremony. You get to meet the team and you may also get acquainted with the people who work in the field.

Bali is one of the most popular places to get married in the whole wide world and therefore, the island is home to tons of wedding planners. It is a booming business, also attracting cheats and liars who are just out for your money. One must be very careful when selecting their wedding planner and make sure they are trustworthy and reliable. Here’s what you should look out for:

• Good authentic reviews. Obviously, your wedding planner should have lots of good reviews from former customers and you also have to make sure those reviews are authentic. Always check out reviews on independent, third-party websites such as the Facebook page of the wedding planner. The reviews are easily verified – you can see who posted it, comment, or message them. The Seven Agency has received 100+ great reviews on their Facebook Page. Check them out here
• A great portfolio of photos and videos. Visuals show you what words cannot. They reflect the venues, decor, atmosphere and the agency’s actual experience. The Seven Agency has planned over 2000 weddings across many venues in Bali – check out their impressive portfolio.
• Is your wedding planner legally registered? This is extremely important! Your planner must have the proper licenses. Don’t hesitate to ask. Also consider a planner from the Bali Wedding Association – the only government-related wedding organization in Bali. They follow a code of ethics and take responsibility for their members.
• Your wedding planner must have an office. Make sure they are really based in Bali and have a physical office you can visit. Ask for photos and Google Maps coordinates. No office? That’s a major red flag.
• Transparency and options. Pricing should be clear and listed on the website. Ideally, you should see wedding packages and a-la-carte options, just like The Seven Agency offers.
• Choose a company over a ‘one-woman show’. A company has a team that can provide quality, stability, and attention. Individuals often cannot handle everything reliably or consistently. The Seven Agency, for example, has 42 Bali-based employees and 20+ overseas staff, including photographers and videographers.