Weddings and Honeymoons

Chizzilala Productions - Wedding Video Services
Rainforest weddings in Saba
Wedding Photographer - Aaron Soares

Saba the romantic marriage getaway

Sean & Michelle wed on Saba at Queen's Gardens Resort on February 21st 2009. Photographer: Pierre Carreau.

One can hardly imagine a more romantic location for a wedding than Saba. The island offers an unusual variety of venues for a unique ceremony. Couples will find that the island has a full selection of professional caterers for all aspects of the event including reception, flowers, favors for the guests, and outstanding accommodations for wedding guests.

The simplest location for an efficient civil ceremony is the Court Room in the Administrative Building. For the more romantically inclined, Saba's registrar Nellie Peterson is very flexible and works with the couple to make their wishes come true. She encourages the bride and groom to customize the ceremony with their own statements.

Recent tourist weddings have taken place on board a yacht moored in the Saba National Marine Park, on the spacious meadow at the Johnson Museum in Windwardside, in the graceful wrought iron gazebo at Queen's Garden, around the pool side at Juliana's, and at sunset in private villas with wonderful sea views. Saba's churches are also available.

Aaron and Desiree Soares (Desiree works for the Saba Tourist Office). Pictures taken at The Cottage Club by Tyrone Peterson from Pete's Photo. May 27th 2006

Saba is able to accommodate large or small parties with equal ease. One recent wedding was complex, with the large wedding party occupying the entire hotel. A Saba taxi driver was on dedicated service all weekend, and special events were organized for the wedding party, such as a private tour of the museum and a guided trail hike.

Other ceremonies have been more intimate gatherings of bride, groom, and a few family members and friends. The same care and attention to detail went into to fabricating a wedding arch of tropical plants, coordinating the bride's bouquet and grooms, boutonnihres, and reception decorations. A serving of famous Saba lobster was requested and graciously served.

Tourist wedding parties find it easy and convenient to make all arrangements over the phone or by email. When they arrive, they find every detail coordinated and orchestrated: the perfect solution to their desire to have a unique, tropical wedding.

Many of Saba's hotels and guests houses offer special wedding packages, explained on their web sites. The tourist bureau (sabatourism.com) also has a full explanation of the procedures needed to fulfill marriage requirements in the Netherlands Antilles.

Click here for our marriage requirements.

Rainforest weddings in Saba

Taking marriage vows in an enchanted bower is the romantic dream of every bride.

This very special type of wedding is now available on Saba. The owners of Scout's Place, Barbara and Wolfgang Tooten, are taking advantage of the island's best asset, its ethereal, magical natural environment to provide a "Rainforest Wedding Ceremony" for their guests.

Barbara Tooten located a promising spot just off the Crispeen Track, about a 10-minute walk from the Mountain Road parking lot. After receiving permission from the landowner, the couple rolled up their sleeves and cleared out an overgrown area under some mature breadfruit trees, transforming the new clearing into a wedding bower. The afternoon light filters through the swaying trees, dappling the intimate gathering with moving shadows and adding to the mystical experience.

With some real potential at hand, Wolfgang bought a chain saw and cut some fallen logs in half lengthwise to make natural guest benches for both sides of the clearing. He also set to work to make a heart-shaped table to hold the heart-shaped tiered wedding cake made and decorated in the Scout's Place kitchen.

The tall Breadfruit trees arc over a small gazebo, which was purchased in St. Maarten and is garlanded with flowering Bougainvillea and ferns. The table and three chairs in the gazebo are for the bride and groom and official Nellie Peterson, who marries the couple and sanctions the six witness signatures. On the other side of the clearing, a tent has been erected over a table with the obligatory champagne glasses and drinks in coolers.

Just before Christmas an American couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, who had been diving on Saba in August, came to Saba with family to be married in the special ceremony. The bride, Michelle Smethurst, chose a white organza layered, full-length wedding gown, which she donned in a nearby cottage, after trekking along the trail, carefully carrying her the dress. Michelle's small daughter Morgan, who served as flower girl, also changed into her long, white dress once on location. Groom Steve Rines chose his son Jason as best man and both wore loose linen long-sleeved tunic shirts as their wedding costume.

On the arm of her father, Michelle walked down an entry path lined with lighted torches on bamboo poles. Her large wedding bouquet was a masterpiece of local flowers fashioned by Rudolph Hassell. Hassell found all he needed in Saba's abundant gardens. Saba Ladies' Lash orchids, which are in profusion at this time of year, ferns, baby palm leaves, Pink ginger, and bright red Anthurium for colour punctuation.

The couple chose their own music, which was played on a portable player. Head of Census Bureau Nellie Peterson, donned in her official black robes, performed the flawless ceremony, uniting the couple in a very personalized, poetic ritual. After the six witness came forward to sign the wedding book, Scout's Place staff served the champagne, the bride and groom cut the cake, and guests made the most of the magnificent photo opportunities. The wedding celebratory dinner was held at Scout's lookout, with an eternity view over Windwardside and the Caribbean Sea.

Get your Saba rainforest wedding information by contacting the wedding planner: barbara@scoutsplace.com.

Top photo: Bride Michelle Smethurst enters the glen on the arm of her father.
Middle photo: Witnesses enter the gazebo to sign wedding booklet.
Bottom photo: Mr. and Mrs. Steve Rines enjoy their wedding cake.


© Suzanne Nielsen, 2009.

Wedding Video Services by Chizzilala Productions

www.chizzilala.com
Windwarside, Saba
(+599) 416 6616
info@chizzilala.com

A wedding is one of life's most important moments, the ultimate expression of love that deserves to be preserved and cherished for ever.

Chizzilala Productions, a Saba based video production company created by Franco-British couple Sabine & Adam Watkins, is pleased to offer wedding video services to all future brides and grooms choosing Saba as their perfect wedding venue.

Always keeping quality in mind, Chizzilala offers a selection of wedding video packages to accommodate most styles, tastes and budgets. This gives an unlimited choice of options, ranging from a classic video of the ceremony to an elaborate film recalling the entire stay of the couple here on Saba, from the time they land on the island, to the ceremony, the guests, the reception, the party etc... For diving aficionados, Chizzilala can even customize the video to incorporate underwater wedding vows.

Chizzilala does all filming with 2 HD (High Definition) cameras complete with full professional audio recording equipment and extra lighting if needed. All editing and finishing work is done by a fully qualified film editor (with more than 20 years experience) giving you the guarantee of a final "picture perfect" video.

As full time residents of Saba, Adam & Sabine have great knowledge of the island itself and its beauty spots. They can also team up with any venue provider, hotel, caterer or local wedding organizer to have the best access and best footage of the festivities.

For any more information on Chizzilala's services please visit http://www.chizzilala.com/Weddings.html or for a customize quote contact Adam & Sabine at info@chizzilala.com or directly by phone on (+599) 416 6616. They will be please to assist you in making that Dream Day perfect.

Wedding Photographer - Aaron Soares

"Timeless Memories"

Photo: Aaron Soares

Wedding photographer, Aaron Soares shoots in a photojournalism style, working the light to it's fullest, keeping outstanding attention to detail, light, and shadows that are passionate and realistic.

Aaron offers a wide package selection and ala-carte options for the budget minded couples. All packages include: Photo CD, Coffee Table Hard Cover Photo Book(s), Print Credits, and Online Proofing.

The photographs that you receive will be an everlasting record of your timeless memorable day!

For more information go to Aaron's website www.soaresart.com or call 011-599-416-5763.