Hi,
My fiance and I are trying to plan a wedding in either August or October 2011. I'm from the United States and I'm not too fond of traditional wedding ceremonies here so I thought it'd be a good idea to go off somewhere and combine getting married with the honeymoon.
Most people I know think of Jamaica or the Bahamas when it comes to exotic destinations, so to be different I started looking into Bali. Now that I've started my research, I can't imagine going anywhere else. I'd be so grateful if any of you could answer some of my questions and give me some Bali advice/tips/recommendations.
First things first, my fiance is from Nepal and doesn't have a birth certificate. To get married here (Louisiana, specifically) my state can issue a birth certificate waiver. One of the planners I've contacted said the waiver could be used in Bali too. Is this true?
Secondly, since I like doing things "differently" I just love love loved the unique elephant wedding package that I've seen offered. Most planners I've been in contact with do this at the Elephant Safari Park but I was also told the Bali Safari and Marine Park do this as well. I have a feeling the Safari and Marine Park would be more expensive, however it is a place we'd like to visit.
So is there anywhere kind of in between the two areas where we should stay if we intend to visit both places? We're easy to please and don't care about luxurious, top notch hotels. I want the experience of Bali and not an expensive chain hotel if that makes sense?
As far as planners go, two that I've been in contact with the most are Heavenly Bali Weddings (seem very nice) and BaliWeddingAssistant.com does anyone have any experience with either companies? Or possibly recommend any others I can contact? Has anyone here ever had an Elephant wedding experience?
Lastly, with all of the things happening around the world these days and since the death of Osama Bin Laden, is Bali safe for an American and her fiance to visit? I hate to sound stupid with that question, as things can happen anywhere, but it is simply a precautionary question I guess. I always pay attention to my surroundings and have no desire to go to major tourists hot spots or nightlife hubs (as I think were the targets in the previous Bali bombings??).
I've never been out of the country so I just want to be smart. My fiance is well traveled so I know I'm in good hands.
Anyway, thank you for reading and any info/advice on places to stay or visit would be wonderful!
Sincerely,
Samantha
ohh ps! I forgot to ask, what are your favorite beach areas that are relatively quiet/laid back??