Bonaire is a small island located in the Southern Caribbean, also known as the Dutch Caribbean.
Bonaire is one of the “ABC islands” which includes Aruba and Curacao.
Bonaire is known as the “best kept secret” and it’s a paradise that’s perfect for a destination wedding!
Why Get Married In Bonaire?
This beautiful and romantic island is quiet during the day time and comes alive at night, which provides the best of both worlds for a wedding destination! You and your wedding guests will all have an enjoyable and memorable time on this island.
The weather is known to be perfect all year round. This is a great factor to keep in mind when planning a wedding. It’s one less thing to stress over and worry about! After all, if you’re traveling far away to have a beach wedding in Bonaire, you’ll want it to be nice out.
What to Know:
- A great feature of Bonaire is that it’s located outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt. This means it rarely gets hit by them and you don’t have to avoid hurricane season when planning your destination wedding!
- Bonaire has perfect sunny weather all year round. The average temperature is 82 degrees. There’s always a nice breeze and very little rainfall. The weather is pretty much the same no matter which month you visit!
- The official currency of Bonaire has recently changed to the U.S. dollar, which is convenient for travelers coming from the states.
- Papiamento and Dutch are the main languages spoken on the island. When planning your wedding with local vendors, you’ll want to make sure you’re on the same page and communicate well.
What is it Known for?
Bonaire is known to have some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling in the world. This is mostly because all of their water is part of Bonaire Marine Park and has been legally protected since 1979. You’re sure to experience clean and clear water when you’re exploring the island and its wonderful marine life!
The winds on the island also provide perfect conditions for windsurfing and kiteboarding, a popular activity that the locals like to do. Bonaire also has a lively nightlife and evening entertainment.
What is the Best Time to Get Married in Bonaire?
Since Bonaire has barely any seasonal changes throughout the year, it makes for a great destination all year round! Bonaire never gets too busy, however, its peak tourist time is December – April. This is also the time when the most rain tends to fall. When it does rain though, it’s never for too long.
The best time to get married in Bonaire is probably during the summer because it’s when you can expect the hottest weather and it’s also slow season. This means it will be less busy and more affordable! Flights, hotels and wedding vendors will most likely be less expensive than they are during tourist season.
There’s definitely not a bad time to get married in Bonaire. That’s one of the best parts about this amazing island! Whichever month you choose, be sure to give your guests as much notice as possible so they can save up for the trip.
What are the Marriage Requirements in Bonaire?
In order to receive your Bonaire marriage license in time for your wedding, you’ll need to plan ahead. The first step is to write to the Governor of Bonaire 2 months before your wedding to ask for a temporary residence permit from immigration for either the bride or groom. You also have to ask for permission to marry.
Once granted permission, you’ll need to submit your paperwork 4-6 weeks before your wedding date. Once you arrive to Bonaire you’ll have to wait another 4-7 days for the paperwork to be processed. Lastly, you’ll have to pay a marriage license fee. For the complete list of marriage requirements click here.
What to do next? Read more about planning a destination wedding here.