How I Pulled Off an Ultra-Low-Budget Wedding in Bali

I've always been obsessed with weddings, wanting a truly unique ceremony. But after attending countless weddings of friends and family, I deeply felt that a traditional domestic wedding wasn't what I wanted. So after much thought, I decided to have a wedding by the sea, in a chapel, dreamlike and romantic.

Life is made up of rituals and milestones that help us remember our own lives, let others remember us, and let us remember others' lives.

I looked into it thoroughly and chose Bali:

1. Many celebrities have had weddings in Bali, which adds a sense of prestige.

2. The local wedding industry is quite mature.

3. The hotels have excellent conditions, affordable prices, and great service.

4. I've always been obsessed with islands, wanting a wedding by the sea, in a chapel, dreamlike.

After comparing many overseas wedding companies, both physical stores and online consultations, I found two main types:

1. Packages that only include the overseas wedding ceremony, attire, makeup, photography, and videography; travel, flights, and hotels are not included, so you arrange those yourself or join a tour group. If you plan well, this type can be very cost-effective.

2. All-inclusive packages that are like a honeymoon, covering the ceremony, attire, makeup, photography, videography, as well as travel, flights, and hotels. This is more hassle-free, though some may be slightly pricier.

Tip: No matter which type you choose, the most important thing is to pick a reliable overseas wedding company. After all, the main goal is to have an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime wedding, and with family traveling abroad, many details are invisible beforehand, which can make you uneasy. Do your homework, compare multiple companies, and don't just take one company's word for it. There are those who badmouth competitors and shamelessly push their own services — such poor ethics show bad character, so I eliminated those companies immediately. Some small boutiques excel in service and technique; larger companies often provide decent quality, but not always. Choose based on your needs and budget; the smaller ones may offer better value, while the big ones give a sense of security.

Once you've decided on the company, you'll need to choose the wedding venue. I had a clear vision, so with a few criteria set, the venue quickly narrowed down. Then, based on budget, I picked one that suited me: the Dream Chapel Wedding Bali. This venue is located in the beautiful five-star Pecatu resort in the Kuta area, overlooking the stunning natural scenery of South Kuta. With endless ocean views and a peaceful golf course backdrop, the gentle sea breeze and romantic setting made my dream wedding come true — every element shaped the most important moment of my life.

The overseas wedding packages were mostly similar. I made sure to get a dual-camera team with Chinese-speaking photographers and videographers, and a Chinese makeup artist, so communication was easy, the makeup style was on point, and they asked for my input on styling — really nice.

After makeup, we were driven from the hotel to the Dream Chapel. The highlight was the locally dressed flower girls, umbrella boys, and the live band and singer. The wedding officiant, dressed either in a Western suit or traditional priest robes, added a Balinese touch.

Walking into the chapel was a little emotional — so much ceremony, deeply moving.

The banquet was held at the hotel. After we changed into evening attire, everything was set up and waiting, with a dedicated waiter attending to us.

All in all, this wedding style was fresh, not too tiring, yet left a deep impression with all the meaningful rituals. I'm grateful to my family and my husband for making my wedding unforgettable and perfect.

Roughly, our wedding expenses:

1. Wedding package including venue, makeup, photography, videography: around 23,000 yuan.

2. Flights: round-trip from Shenzhen to Bali, 3,500 yuan per person.

3. Accommodation: the bridal suite was 330 yuan per night, relatives stayed in deluxe rooms at 310 yuan per night, for three nights total.

That's about all I can think of. I hope this helps any bride-to-be dreaming of a Bali wedding.