Editorial Standards & Disclosure

What we are. Sumba Destination Wedding is an independent wedding-curation guide. We research and compare cliffside, beach, resort and intimate settings across Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara, then route enquiries to a vetted planning partner. We are not a wedding planner, a venue, a resort, an operator or a booking platform, and we do not sell packages or handle money for events.

How we verify a venue. A property appears in our coverage without a [VERIFY] flag only when we can confirm an active wedding program through the property’s own public-facing materials plus credible third-party documentation. A marketplace listing alone is not sufficient, and neither is a beautiful setting or a plausible inference. Where we cannot confirm, we say so and flag it. On an island this size that currently means one unflagged property.

How we are funded. Our guidance to couples is free. If you use it and proceed with a vetted partner through our introduction, that partner may pay us a referral fee at no extra cost to you. No property, operator or planner can pay to appear in our coverage, to be described more favourably, to have a flag removed, or to influence what we publish in any other way. We do not run display advertising and we do not accept paid placements.

Named properties are neutral examples. Where we name a property, including well-known names, that is a neutral example for the purpose of explaining what exists on the island. It is not a claim of endorsement, affiliation, partnership or availability. We have no commercial relationship with any named venue unless we say so explicitly on the page where it is named.

Costs are always estimates. No luxury property on Sumba publishes wedding pricing; every enquiry is handled by quote. Every figure we publish is either a planning band derived from how these events are structured, or a general industry estimate, and we label which it is each time. We never present a figure as a sourced property price when it is not, and we will not quote a fixed price on a property’s behalf. Get a formal proposal before committing to any budget.

Legal and health content is information, not advice. Indonesian marriage law is complex and varies by nationality, religion and local jurisdiction, and the relevant Sumba civil registry offices are in Waingapu and Waitabula rather than in Bali. Health content on this site, including malaria and dengue risk, is general information. Verify legal requirements with your embassy, the local Catatan Sipil and where needed a licensed Indonesian attorney, and take health questions to a qualified travel-medicine clinic.

Cultural content is written with care and may still be imperfect. Marapu, the Rato blessing and tenun ikat are living practice rather than content, and we describe the protocols around them as local custom rather than as suggestions. We research this through published sources and people who work on the island, and we are not Sumbanese. If we have described something inaccurately or disrespectfully, tell us and we will correct it.

Research goes out of date. Properties change their positions, programs launch and close, flight schedules shift, fees move and regulations are revised. We update continuously and we still publish things that become wrong. If you are a property, a planner or a couple who has been on the ground and something here does not match what you found, write to us. We will look at it and we will change it if you are right.