Indonesian Marriage

[db_aussie]

Hi Everybody.

I’m a long time reader of this forum and this is my first post.
I’m an Aussie guy living in Bali and working Fly-in/Fly-out of Australia.
Later this year my Javanese Fiancée and I will be marrying as Christians.

I, myself am definitely not what you would call a religious person and neither really is my Fiancée.
On the Australian Embassy – Indonesia web-site it says (about marriages in Indonesia) that:
‘For a marriage to be legal, it must be conducted according to the religion, and conform to the laws of the countries of the parties involved.’

Does anyone out there have any ideas or experience as to what the minimum requirements would be (i.e. Ceremony Script, Pastor etc.) for a wedding to be deemed as ‘conducted according to religion’ ?

Thanks in Advance.

DB.

 

[jadebecca]

Hiya,
I got marries in Bali 6 years ago and the law was that we had to have 2 ceremonies,one by a celebrant and one by a priest.
If you want to get married in one of the hotels they will organise it all for you-paperwork ect..so its no stress at all

 

[mat]

I got married 3 weeks ago. 1st a small ceremony to convert to Hindu [to match my wife to be's religion]. 2nd a slightly longer one to get married. All done in one morning. Later when I had all the paperwork from the village where my wife came from I registered my marriage in the registry office [again a legal marriage.] Simple.

 

[Jesse]

Good luck with your marriage in Bali.
I think you did the right choice to make your unions in the Island. Best wishes! :icon_biggrin:

 

[db_aussie]

Thanks for the replies people, although I think I should have been a bit more specific/direct to start with.

I guess what I really need to know is, if I am having a Pastor (Protestant in our case) officiate the ceremony in an outdoor (i.e. not church) wedding but the script/dialogue of the ceremony (to be written by the Fiancée and myself - hopefully) is non-religious, can the marriage still be deemed as: 'conducted according to the religion’?

Is it up to the Officiating Pastor to decide/determine if a wedding has been 'conducted according to the religion’?

If this is the case, is it then just a matter of finding a Pastor who could be a little 'flexible' in regards to the script/dialogue used?

It's a bit of a tricky question, but I hope someone out there can help,

DB.

 

[Sully]

Thanks for the replies people, although I think I should have been a bit more specific/direct to start with.

I guess what I really need to know is, if I am having a Pastor (Protestant in our case) officiate the ceremony in an outdoor (i.e. not church) wedding but the script/dialogue of the ceremony (to be written by the Fiancée and myself - hopefully) is non-religious, can the marriage still be deemed as: 'conducted according to the religion’?

Is it up to the Officiating Pastor to decide/determine if a wedding has been 'conducted according to the religion’?

If this is the case, is it then just a matter of finding a Pastor who could be a little 'flexible' in regards to the script/dialogue used?

It's a bit of a tricky question, but I hope someone out there can help,

DB.

I think it would be best to talk to the Pastor. He would know the rules regarding what is legal and what is not. When I got married in Indonesia and came back to Australia I tried to register with Births Deaths and Marriages. I cannot register my marriage as I was told that I was married in Indonesia and the marriage is recognised in Australia as legal. No one would marry us again (offically) in Australia.

 

[Jimbo]

It will need to be a religious ceromony in which both of you are of that religion. If you do not believe anyhow it should not be a problem to you. Your alternative is to get married in another country and then register the marriage in Indonesia.

See other threads in the forum on this.

 

[mat]

The pastor should be able to answer all of your questions and supply the paperwork needed. All in the price.

 

[db_aussie]

It will need to be a religious ceromony in which both of you are of that religion. If you do not believe anyhow it should not be a problem to you. Your alternative is to get married in another country and then register the marriage in Indonesia.

See other threads in the forum on this.

Thanks Jimbo.

As it happens, we did consider the option of getting married in another country but decided we'd prefer to have the wedding in the place we call home.

DB.

 

[db_aussie]

The pastor should be able to answer all of your questions and supply the paperwork needed. All in the price.

Mat and Sully,

I think you're right in suggesting that the Pastor would be best able to answer these questions.

Now, my next challenge is finding a Pastor who might be a little 'flexible' in regards to the Wedding Ceremony Script/Dialogue.

Does anyone know of any Protestant Pastors/Ministers (or anyone legally able to officiate at a Protestant - Christian wedding) that reside in Bali and how I might contact them ?

Regards,

DB.

 

[Sully]

I don't know a Pastor but I do know a JP from Australia who owns a business in Bali who performs marriages. If you neef info just pm me.

 

[db_aussie]

I don't know a Pastor but I do know a JP from Australia who owns a business in Bali who performs marriages. If you neef info just pm me.

Thanks Sully.

He sounds like someone who could help with my questions.

As I'm a Newbie I'll PM you once I've posted 10 messages (This is my 5th).

DB.

 

[db_aussie]

....6th.......

 

[db_aussie]

....7th.......

 

[db_aussie]

....8th.......

 

[db_aussie]

....9th.......

 

[db_aussie]

....10th....... :icon_lol:

 

[begonia]

Now, my next challenge is finding a Pastor who might be a little 'flexible' in regards to the Wedding Ceremony Script/Dialogue.

Does anyone know of any Protestant Pastors/Ministers (or anyone legally able to officiate at a Protestant - Christian wedding) that reside in Bali and how I might contact them ?

Regards,

DB.

Db, I have not idea about all these things, the only thing I can tell you is that in Ubud, on the road going from Peliatan (Ubud) to the Maya Resort Hotel on the left side before to arrive to the hotel, there is a protestant church and in Gianyar there is another one church (although this one I have not idea if is catholic or protestant), in Kuta and in Denpasar there is some churches as well.
What about to ask some big hotels like in Nusa Dua area? because I guess sometimes maybe tourist people want to go to the church on Sunday and maybe they have information about the diferent churches around Nusa Dua and Kuta area.
The one in Kuta is very busy and has a lot people, I was once there with a friend.

 

[db_aussie]

Db, I have not idea about all these things, the only thing I can tell you is that in Ubud, on the road going from Peliatan (Ubud) to the Maya Resort Hotel on the left side before to arrive to the hotel, there is a protestant church and in Gianyar there is another one church (although this one I have not idea if is catholic or protestant), in Kuta and in Denpasar there is some churches as well.
What about to ask some big hotels like in Nusa Dua area? because I guess sometimes maybe tourist people want to go to the church on Sunday and maybe they have information about the diferent churches around Nusa Dua and Kuta area.
The one in Kuta is very busy and has a lot people, I was once there with a friend.

Thanks Begonia.

 

[Dasha]

Hello DB Aussie how are you. Not sure if this will help but my wife and I have a wedding for one of our sons there in Legian / Padang Padang. There are around 70 guests from Australia and 30 or so locals & expats in Bali attending. As you can imagine my wife, new outlaws and all else concerned are putting a fair amount of effort into planning, so along the way we need to make sure that the “Wedding” will be recognized on our return to Australia.
You can do this through the Australian consulate…. not sure what went wrong there with Sully.
Just to make sure you understand who is getting married, this is an Australian marrying an Australian in Indonesia.
We traveled several times last year to make sure we had the right Christian church and the right pastor. Frankly, I thought it would be fairly straight forward but like many other official things we do in in Bali it took a fair bit of explaining and in the end, was not as simple as I thought. So if you have not started there yet I can maybe point you in the right direction if need be church/pastor wise. Our gig is on the south end of the island.
Not too clear on what you mean by doing your own thing with the dialogue (flexible pastor) at a Christian wedding. But if you get married in a Christian church the pastor will take care if the dialogue I’m sure!