myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

My fiance and I are planning a trip to Tobago in October 2006 for our wedding and honeymoon. It will just be the two of us, but we definitely want it to be a special day and trip. I think we have narrowed our accomodation search down to Coco Reef, and we would like to have the wedding there as well. Can anyone give me advice on how to plan the paperwork and documents from the U.S.? I really have no idea where to start. Any resources or guidance would be appreciated. Also, if you think that Coco Reef is a "good or bad" place for our wedding and honeymoon, I would love to hear comments about that as well!

Thanks in advance!

Kate

Hi Kate

Welcome aboard!

I'm sure several readers will provide personal comment about getting married at the Coco Reef. However, I'm sure it will be an excellent choice. I believe that the hotel has a very competent Guest Services department who are extremely familiar with organising marriages. So, my advice would be to contact them and let them organise everything for you. Alternatively, if you are thinking of something a little more special - on a beach or in some private location away from gawping guests - then contact Marie Dilworth at http://www.tobagoweddings.com

Thanks, Steve! I'll look forward to hearing from others about their experiences at Coco Reef; I've already read quite a few. You bring up a slight concern: Has anyone had a problem with guests spying/staring at the ceremony? It's not that we neccesarily have to be isolated, but I don't want to be the afternoon entertainment either! Does the staff at Coco Reef do the legal planning and papers for the wedding as well as the organization of the day?

Hi Kate

In my experience, weddings always attract attention, whether here or abroad. So yes, if you have the ceremony in a public area of the beach, gardens or hotel generally, expect to have a number of well-meaning onlookers.

hi kate
i'm sure the coco reef will be lovely but would suggest you contact marie at tobagoweddings-she has arranged weddings for people from all over the world and i'm sure she can give you some great ideas
there are so many lovely places on the island once you've been you'll know what i mean (i've always wanted to renew our vows on one off the beautiful beaches as the sun goes down-one day i'll drop enough hints to my beloved)
if you tell marie your favorite things she'll be able to work with you to get everything perfect
whatever you choose i hope you have a wonderful day and wish you much happiness for you future
mary

Hi Mary,

I'll definitely contact Marie, she sounds like a great resource. Have you ever stayed at the Coco Reef? If you did renew your vows, where would you want to do it?

Thanks!
Kate

Hiya,
I'm Lucy - my little review is just before you in the forum. I'm sure you've already read it - 'coco reef holiday and wedding 17-24 nov'. I absolutely recommend Coco Reef for your wedding. We arranged ours as a wedding package through Virgin Holidays which meant we didn't have to arrange or think about anything. Kevah Lewis is the lady who deals with the weddings in the hotel and she made sure that notes etc were sent to our hotel room to prompt us to go and see her in her office. She could be found in there most days if we had any queries. If you aren't arranging your wedding through a tour operator then I'd suggest contacting Kevah ([email protected]) and she would probably be able to guide you. Because we were very new to travelling abroad anyway, it was imperitive for us to basically have our hands held!!

It was only me and James attending our wedding - there are health reasons why my parents couldn't come with us and whilst I didn't want a huge white wedding I still wanted to feel special. Kevah tried to coax me into having my hair done at Coco Cuts (hotel salon) but I had extensions and knew the best thing was for me to do my own hair and looking at the photos I have no regrets in that department. So whatever you do, go with your gut feeling. We nearly said no to having music at our wedding because of the whole 'keeping it low key' thing but I'm glad we said yes in the end. We had a nice bloke on his own doing the whole steel pan thing and it was great for when we were sipping our champagne and having some cake. It meant there wasn't any silences. Witnesses came as part of our package and they turned out to be Kevah and her helper which turned out just fine as it was like a little family occasion with Coco Reef by the end!!
We chose to have our wedding in the private gardens which are up a set of steps from the beach. We had no-one watching us (as far as I know but to be honest I was that nervous I don't think I'd of noticed!) and afterwards whilst having our photos taken a couple of people did peep round the side looking in but we knew who they were anyway. Their daughter was getting married the day after us and they were being nosy. I think also there was a member of staff stood blocking an entrance way to the ceremony.
Anyway I have probably told you too much boring stuff but I have no regrets about our wedding at all. I think it was actually nicer than I had ever pictured in my head. It was just a shame we didn't take our little girl. If there's anything else you want to ask, please do (no matter how silly or trivial you think it is) x

Hi,

If you go back to around April and May you will see my messages about our wedding at Coco Reef on 11 April. Without going over it all again I must agree with Lucy that our Virgin wedding package at the resort went without a hitch and that Kevah is amazing.

We had just ourselves and two guests and the service was in the garden too. As far as I'm aware only two people watched as they were people we'd met on the holiday. It is far from a spectator sport there.

Go ahead, you'll have a great time!

Dave

Hi Guys

Can I just clarify my comments. Yes, I think they now have some nice discrete sports for weddings in the gardens where you will not be a spectator sport. However, beach weddings are another thing altogether.

Thanks for the info, everyone. Would you recommend the gardens over the beach? I know we will look around and pick an exact spot upon our arrival, but I had been thinking about the beach, and now I'm wavering towards the gardens. Did you see anyone married on the beach during your stay? Why did you choose the gardens over the beach?

Thanks!
Kate

Hi Kate,

Kevah took us round the hotel, beach and gardens and showed us the various places that the ceremony could take place. We were getting married at 4pm and didn't want to be on a hot beach at that time.

Most (if not all) of the weddings took place in the gardens at a couple of spots. They can easily put up the arch, there is shade and it doesn't disturb the other guests on the beach (or would that be the other way round?!). The wedding pictures actually looked unreal as from a slight elevation the background is blue sky, palm trees, the sea and the flowers in the garden. You can always go onto the beach to have a few pictures taken if you want.

Whatever you do it'll be great.

Dave

Hi Kate.....

I kind of assumed that our wedding would be held on the beach but when Kevah showed us the various spots, the beach wasn't mentioned. I didn't say anything at the time as the gardens seemed lovely enough. We had some photos taken on the beach afterwards but I don't like them as much as the other ones as they've got sunbathers in the background.
Anyway I'm sure you'll decide what's right for you.... just enjoy every minute. I miss Coco Reef and Tobago every day and wish we could afford to go back.

I had a fantastic wedding in April 2005 on the beach at Blue Haven Hotel, and took our photos on the grounds of the hotel after.

The planner - Beulah arranged everything including the transport to the wedding,location, flowers, licence, honeymoon package etc.
We were also fortunate not to have any of the hotel guest turn the wedding into a peep show.

Hi Kate,
We organised our own wedding in Tobago for 27 May 2006, see my review further down the page. Even without the help of a wedding planner we had no problems. We visited the register office in Scarborough to arrange the license, booked a minister through reccomendation of Shirley at hummingbird heights where we were staying and after much deliberation chose to have the ceremony on the beach at Black Rock. Other than our guests the only other observers I notived were a couple of beach dogs!
While wedding planners can be very helpful, do not be put off of the idea of going it alone, it really is not difficult and there is lots of advice available on the net.

Linda

Hi Kate,

Our daughter got married last week at Coco Reef, it was due to be on the beach but we were offered the garden of the villa overlooking the sea. It was a sunset wedding and the photos are stunning. It was all booked through Virgin. The wedding planner on site sorts everything, we did get a few on lookers but they were ushered away. The beach sounds a good idea but you won't get privacy, people are on holiday and kids will be on the beach playing.

Have a great day, we did.