'I do' it my way
Clothed in a spotless white dress, her hair swaying in the wind, the bride's arms embraced her groom's hip firmly, and the newlyweds galloped into a pastel sunset, their mount's hooves splashing through the shallow whitecaps rolling up the shore...
An overly romantic girl's kitsch wedding fantasy? A scene from another princess-meets-prince dime novel?
Maybe a little of all of the above, but it is also a possible fairy-tale memory. You just have to opt for BaliRomanticWeddings' horseback wedding package, which goes for US$1,100.
A two-hour horse ride will follow the legal ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. The site for the exchange of vows is set up on a beach and decorated in Balinese style with umbul-umbul -- banners on bamboo poles -- and white umbrellas.
Thus, couples can experience both the traditional spirituality of the Island of the Gods and an entirely individual way to spend the first hours of their shared commitment.
Operators offer a variety of such unusual -- or eccentric -- choices for those to whom a nuptial ceremony on Bali alone doesn't make for sufficient uniqueness to last a lifetime.
Imagine having your ceremony in shared intimacy and togetherness on a completely remote and secluded beach.
Don't be rash in claiming that such a place cannot be found on Bali anymore -- well, maybe not if you rely on a motorcycle or a car to get you there, but what possibilities will unfold if you go by private helicopter?
A $1,800 helicopter wedding package is another extraordinary option on BaliRomanticWeddings' menu.
Upon touching down on your personal strip of white sand, you will already find a priest waiting to officiate your wedding under a marquee overlooking the sea. A jungle of colorful tropical flower arrangements adorn the private tent, and the bride will walk down a "virgin" aisle of flower petals to the alter.
Maybe flying around in a helicopter isn't the right way for you to start off a marriage, if you're looking for a more down-to-earth experience. What better option, then, than to say your vows atop the natural embodiment of solidity -- an elephant.
Not as a replacement for the groom, of course -- an elephant's commitment to monogamous relationships is supposed to be even less than average man's -- but as an alternative to a helicopter.
Be escorted to the Elephant Safari Park at Taro near Ubud for BaliRomanticWeddings' elephant package at $1,200, don traditional Balinese ceremonial dress and climb on to the back of a four-ton gray giant.
Rocking along an unspoiled jungle path accompanied by a somewhat peculiar retinue of two umbrella boys, two rindik musicians, six flower girls and a Protestant minister, you will exchange vows in an earthy, unforgettable atmosphere.
The aforementioned wedding ideas still don't satisfy your hunger for the ultra-outstanding? You want to tie the knot parasailing, trailed by a school of frolicking dolphins, or have a barbecue reception in the crater of one of central Bali's active volcanoes?
The island's highly flexible and resourceful wedding operators will certainly do their best to make your most outlandish fantasies come true. -- Mario Koch
For wedding operators and detailed information on planning and legal aspects, visit: www.baliweddingsinternational.com; www.romantic-weddings.com; www.aweddinginbali.com; www.baliguide.com/baliwedding.html.