When it comes to planning your destination wedding in Bali, choosing the right kind of entertainment and artistic shows is one of them. Between beautiful lighting, candles, florals and other decorations entertainment can set just the right vibe for your wedding. It is an important decision, as much of the atmosphere you create will be framed by music, lighting effects, such as fireworks, wishing lanterns or live performance elements. To make your decision easier we have we come up with a ideas of how to enhance your destination wedding and turn it into an even more special event.
Besides the most common choice between hiring a DJ to kick off the night or a live band during dinner, there is a great variety of musical renderings you can choose from depending on the timeframe and event you wish to fill during the reception of your wedding. To get an overview of what you need, breaking your event down into blocks can be super helpful! This way you can find out what type of entertainment you are looking for and if there are different venue areas that your guests will get to see during the event, you can choose to set a different ‘tone’ & vibe matching the tyent with the purpose of a particular space.
It is easy to get overwhelmed, so we have summed up our top entertainment ideas:
Neon & Fire Dancers
These 2 types of entertainment with traditional Balinese elements are a combination of acrobatic moves with fire or neon lights and a danced choreography. They normally fit in perfectly after dinner to get your party started and are a great way to create a magical and memorable experience for your guests. Prepare for cool special effects with a unique and visually enticing act that will create a captivating show and completely wow your guests!
Photobooth
Adding a photobooth to your wedding will create fun and memories for a lifetime. Whilst your wedding photographer will capture all the special moments of your big day, having a photobooth as well gives your guests the option to take a fun picture of themselves and take something home with them. You can even add festive props to top it off with. Let your friends go wild in the festive gear and you will have amazing and fun pictures to look back at. Besides the automated booths that come in a wide plethora of shapes and sizes by now, a DYI version where you provide a camera with a tripod is a great way to entertain guests.
Firework & Pyrotechnics
A WOW effect for any kind of event! A great way to spread some fun and glamour into the night. The fireworks can be tailored to match your colour theme and is an outstanding way of ending the night with a bang! Pyrotechnics is another way of showing a firework display and other special effects that can be combined with music and dance. We can highly suggest combining one of these with the cake cutting that afterwards could lead into the bride and grooms first dance.
Balinese Music, Dance & Art
Bali is rich in culture and traditional music and dance. Show your guests Bali’s proud heritage and invite some of Bali’s greatest dancers to your wedding to perform for you.
There are different types of traditional dances such as the Legong Dance, which is a traditional dance that started back in the early 19th century. The dance is characterized by complex finger movements, footwork and facial expressions. The word legong come from two words: Lega meaning happy and wong meaning person. Together they can be understood as “A Dance That Makes One Happy”. It is part of Bali’s most famous dance repertoires. It’s an authentic local experience and will bring together historical and glamorous majestic sides of Balinese where your guests will get to see another side of Bali.
The Barong Dance is a traditional Balinese and Javanese dance. Barong is the King of the Spirits and leader of the hosts of good. Rangda is the demon Queen and mother of all spirit guarders. Barong is the enemy of Rangda and the dance is a battle between these to – to represent the eternal battles between good and evil. The dance demonstrates the mythological depiction of animals having supernatural powers that can protect humans.
As one of Bali’s most popular dances among tourist we have The Kecak Dance. Mostly know by fire dance. The dance is a trance ritual which is adapted from Ramayana. Usually performed by men who dance and sing acapella. This dance started as far back as in 1930s and is great option to add traditional and local entertainment.
Another performance element often used at the beginning of an event and entrance of a venue to welcome guests is Rindik. Usually, two traditionally dressed Rindik players are providing a constant flow of ancient tunes as background music, creating a relaxed atmosphere on a pair of bamboo xylophones. This will give your guests an authentic taste of Bali.
Gamelan is a traditional term where a group puts up a show by using musical instruments by striking metal keys with a bamboo mallet. These instruments include different kind drums, flutes, strings and bamboo xylophones. It originates from the Javanese word “gamel” that means “to strike with a mallet”. It is a form of Indonesian classical music. It will make beautiful and unique sounds – creating a vibrant and spirited atmosphere. This is truly one of Bali’s unique orchestras and it is an integral part of Hindu Balinese religious ceremonies.
The shadow puppet show, also known as Wayang Kulit in Indonesia, combines a deep spiritual meaning with an entertaining story and spectacular music using both gamelan and vocals. A show that uses the shadow thrown by puppets and is manipulated by rods against a translucent screen lit from behind. It is one of the most complete art forms with everything in the hands of the dhalang, the person who narrates, animates and make all the different voices during the act.
Also part of Bali’s unique Hindu believe system are the typical little offerings that you will find being placed everywhere, three times a day. It is a representation of the Balinese people’s devotion to their Gods and is one of the most important daily rituals of the culture. You can book a offering making class for your guests to participate and find out know more about the meaning behind the particular flowers being used. This is a very environmentally friendly activity as the offerings are 100% organic!
DJs & Live Bands
For the more traditional entertainment options, we have a ton of excellent and amazing DJs to Live Bands and Semi/Acoustic Combos. We can assure you that there is something for your taste and wedding theme. Please reach out to see our amazing artist & entertainment catalogue.
Flare Bartender
Another special show element for you and your guests could be having a live flare bartender. They create an amazing performance by demonstrating an art of trick bartending, by juggling bottles and other bartender equipment to create a cocktail. They will for sure entertain you with different tricks and actions throughout the evening.
Personal Neon Signs that you can take home with you.
Neon Signs at a wedding is good way for unexpected and colourful décor. A vibrant and playful sign that can be used differently – for example to direct guests, indicate the main entrance, have a cute quote about the bride and the groom or simply just saying your names or initials. These signs will light up your celebration and create a festive vibe. It is an eye-catching and fun element that can easily be broad into your layout and theme, as these signs are 100% customizable. You can therefor choose colour, shape and size to complement your wedding in the best way.
We hope this article has helped you getting a good overview of what options await you! All of our artists are unique and great in their own ways. We have worked with all of them and can full heartedly recommend them - from DJs to Balinese music and fire dances to classical trios and live bands. Don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations if you are unsure whom to book for which part of your event!