InfoBonaire - Bonaire's most comprehensive and current web site (Flamingo image copyright 2006 by Linda Richter)

InfoBonaire is the Bonaire Info Site, updated daily, live from the island of Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean.

Bonaire is known for its world class scuba diving, wind surfing, nature, snorkeling, and tranquility.

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A Dream Wedding on Bonaire

Dreaming about a wedding on the beach? Or getting married underwater?

Or a traditional wedding in the beautiful Passagrahan building (courthouse)?

Even the kids can dress up to attend a wedding on Bonaire
Wedding Guests
Photo Courtesy of
Michael Gaynor

Well, you've come to the right place. Bonaire offers the ultimate setting for the most romantic day of your lives. To make your wedding arrangements even simpler, contact one of the companies below for expert guidance and services. A number of resorts offer packages and Honeymoon Specials.

You need to allow four to six weeks for all the paper work. One of the couple needs to procure a temporary residency permit from immigration. To apply for a temporary residency permit the following are required:

  • 2 Passport photos of the Bride & Groom (and any witnesses being brought to the island, if applicable)
  • Photo copy of first page of passport (Signature & Photo page)
  • Date of arrival on Bonaire
  • Intended length of stay on Bonaire

For the official marriage petition the following documents are required for both the bride and groom:

  • Photo copy of first page of passport (Signature & Photo page)
  • Original Birth Certificate endorsed with an Apostille
  • Declaration of Marital Status by the Civil Registry
  • If divorced or widowed, divorce decree or document of proof is required.
Carriage ride after the ceremony
Carriage ride to the reception
Photo Courtesy of Multro Travel

If you choose to bring witnesses from home, they should also apply for temporary residency. Your island coordinator can also arrange for local witnesses.

After arrival on Bonaire, it takes four working days to arrange for all the forms to be processed. If you are arriving on a Saturday or Sunday and the following Monday happens to be a holiday, you will have to wait the four working days until you are able to marry and there may be a problem getting the permission arranged on time. It is advisable to check with the agency that handled your papers as to the holiday schedules. The best suggestion is to allow a full week for the papers to go through. There is much to see and do here so an extra day or two will be an additional bonus to your happy occasion. 

With respect to the original birth certificates required of the bride and groom, these must be issued by the state or province of birth, feature a raised seal, have the names of both the mother and the father on them, and for citizens of the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, or the United Kingdom, must have an Apostille affixed to them. An Apostille is an internationally recognized validation of a certificate or document, and is only issued by the office of vital statistics located within the state or province capital office (in the U.S. this would be your state's Secretary of State). Declarations of civil status and divorce or widow decrees must also be affixed with an Apostille.

Note that all certificates must be originals and have been issued no more than six months prior. The passports used must be valid for at least six months beyond the intended departure date from Bonaire. Your Bonaire Wedding coordinator can help you understand all these requirements in greater detail as well.

Recommended Wedding Planners *
Phone
Fax
Buddy Dive Resort
717-5080
717-8647
Captain Don's Habitat
717-8290
717-8240
"I Do" Bonaire
(Bonaire Tours & Vacations)
717-8778
717-4890
Multro Travel & Tours
Attn: Marvel Tromp
717-8334
717-8834

 

Other Wedding Planners
Phone
Fax
Plaza Resort Bonaire
Attn: Caroline Scholts
717-2500
717-7133

 

Other Wedding Services
Recommended by InfoBonaire*
Phone
Fax
Scuba Vision Wedding Filming
717-2844
Susan Davis Photography
717-2848
717-2848
Suzi Swygert
717-4089
717-4089

Our country code is 599, for information on dialing a Bonaire phone number from off-island, see the Telephone page

Photographs Copyright © 1999 by Multro Travel and Michael Gaynor - All Rights Reserved