Anastasia Wolf of Wonderland Bali designs every wedding from scratch and works with each couple personally. Here’s how her bespoke planning process works.
Planning a wedding in Bali from the other side of the world takes a lot of trust. You’re handing over one of the biggest days of your life to someone you may never have met in person. So it helps to know exactly who’ll be looking after it.
At Wonderland Bali, that person is founder Anastasia Wolf. There are no off-the-shelf packages here. Every wedding, private event and birthday party is designed from scratch around the couple, and Anastasia is personally involved from the very first enquiry to the last dance.
It’s a hands-on, highly individual way of planning, and one that’s earned the team a loyal following (especially for multi-day Indian weddings). We sat down with her to find out how it works, why she thinks a tailor-made wedding beats a hotel package, and what couples should realistically expect to invest.
How Wonderland Bali plans a wedding
From the first conversation, Anastasia believes in being upfront. “I am known for being quite direct with my clients,” she says. “I would much rather explain the realistic costs upfront than make unrealistic promises just to secure a booking.” It pays off, too. She finds the final budget is often very close to her first estimate.
After an enquiry, the team shares venue suggestions and sample budgets, then sets up a call. Venues are recommended because they suit the couple, not because they’re the most popular or expensive on the island.
Once you sign, you get a shared Google Sheets budget tracker logging every vendor, quote and payment (exchange rates included), plus a planning timeline that’s updated as things progress. Day-to-day chats are via a WhatsApp group (not long emails), and the team is famously quick to reply.
Key vendors are booked first, from caterers and bar teams to photographers, makeup artists and bands. Then, around six months out, the design work begins. “This is one of my favourite stages!” says Anastasia. Moodboards cover everything from floral varieties to cutlery, and furniture is sourced from four or five rental catalogues rather than one supplier’s stock.
Vendor matching gets just as specific. “If a couple loves Indonesian cuisine, I know which caterers specialise in authentic Indonesian food. If they want exceptional espresso martinis, I know exactly which bar teams make the best ones.”
On the day, the Wonderland team arrives before any supplier. A typical Wonderland wedding will have two event managers, plus dedicated assistants for the bride, the groom and the family.
Hotel package or tailor-made wedding?
Anastasia isn’t anti-hotel. Pre-made packages can work well for couples who want a simple celebration and are happy with what’s on offer. The catch is, that if you want something more personal, they’re often not customisable.
You’ll be using the property’s chairs, menus and standard decor, often with little room for outside caterers or independent suppliers. Hotels also need to protect their margins, so the slice of budget left for flowers and styling can be small.
Wedding packages usually cover the basics, like the venue, a ceremony arch and some simple flowers. But there are plenty of extras couples end up adding on top, either because the package doesn’t include them or because they want something more special. These can include:
– Photography and videography
– Alcohol (cocktail packages often cover three to four hours, when a wedding usually needs six to eight)
– Hair and makeup
– Backup generators, plus lighting and sound that can handle a DJ or band
– Flowers and decor beyond the basics
– Entertainment, stationery and a custom cake
– Upgraded furniture, glassware and tableware
– Rain plans, like an added marquee
So, what does a Bali wedding really cost?
Bali shouldn’t automatically be filed under ‘cheap wedding destinations’, says Anastasia. A customised wedding here can cost about the same as one in Australia, but tends to offer more for your money. Compared with Italy, Bali can come in slightly lower, depending on the venue and style.
Here are her approximate starting budgets for a customised Bali wedding:
– Intimate wedding (up to 30 guests): from USD 18,000
– Simpler customised wedding (50 guests): from USD 25,000
– High-end wedding (50 guests): from USD 45,000
– Simpler customised wedding (100 guests): from USD 30,000
– High-end wedding (100 guests): from USD 60,000
These are guidelines, with options above and below. Venue, guest numbers, food, drinks, styling, entertainment and technical production all move the final figure. Cheaper hotel packages do exist, but once photography, makeup, decor and entertainment are added, the total often creeps towards these numbers.
Planning a multi-day celebration? Each event is its own production, with extra staff, longer hours and team accommodation near the venue. So expect it to cost a fair bit more than a single-day wedding, not just a little.
Meet Anastasia, the planner behind Wonderland Bali
Anastasia has spent ten years in events, and has planned or styled close to 200 weddings. Before that, she spent six years in villa management, overseeing 13 luxury villas including event villas. That means she knows Bali’s private event villas from the operational side, not just the photos.
As for flowers, that’s another one of Anastasia’s many skills that brides love! She’s a tutor at Lacy Bird Academy, an international floral academy that has run courses in more than 20 countries, teaching everything from moodboards to large installations. She also works as a floral stylist for weddings in Italy, from Tuscany to Lake Como.
So when it comes to matching your style and your Pinterest inspiration? She’s the one you need on your team.
Wonderland Bali isn’t a one-woman show, though. Anastasia leads a multicultural team that includes Indonesian and Indonesian-Chinese planners, with every wedding passing under her direction. In fact, her and her team’s work has made such an impression, it earned Wonderland Bali a gold win for Best Event Panner in Bali’s Best Awards 2024.
Planning a wedding or private celebration in Bali? Get in touch with Anastasia and the team at Wonderland Bali.
Successful wedding planning is not simply about recommending a beautiful venue or hiring good suppliers. It’s about understanding how every element works together, anticipating potential challenges, and creating an experience that feels effortless to the couple.
– Anastasia Wolf.
WhatsApp: +62 878 6113 8090
Email: info@wonderlandbali.com
Instagram: @wonderland_events_worldwide