How to plan a Tobago Wedding!

So you’re engaged and dreaming of exchanging your vows on white sandy beaches, a place with year round warm weather and drinks that don’t stop flowing? Sounds like you’re thinking of Tobago my friend. Tobago is the sister island to Trinidad, a small Caribbean island filled with pristine water perfect for scuba-diving, tonsss of nature reserves to explore and mouthwatering food that with ignite your taste buds! Tobago is described as rustic, an untouched Caribbean island filled with magic.

Getting to Tobago is easy. There are direct flights to TAB from Miami, JFK and depending on the time of year, some European cities. Otherwise, you can fly into Trinidad (POS) and take a 20 minute flight to Tobago. Then you’ve reached paradise!

Picture yourself exchanging vows with your partner with a beach all to yourself!

Now, there’s a few things to note if you’re a non-resident and want to get legally married in Tobago. You must arrive in T&T at least 3 days before your wedding and obtain a special marriage license. For Trinidad and Tobago citizens living abroad, you must be living away for 3 or more years.

If you’re planning to get legally married in your resident country first, things get a lot easier. There would be no need for a marriage license, all you have to do is plan the wedding, pick an officiant and show up with your partner!

Tobago Wedding Venues

The beautiful sprawling grounds at Stonehaven Villas, Tobago

There are lots of choices in Tobago, depending on your vibe. You can pick any of the many beautiful beaches to hold your beach wedding, or if you’d prefer an indoor location or one with shade, here are some great options (and places to stay):

1. Pigeon Point Heritage Park - after taking your portraits on the famous Pigeon Point jetty, head into their hall to dance the night away with your guests! And a trip to Tobago isn’t complete without a tour of the Nylon Pool! Check out their details here.

2. Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort - This hotel can facilitate your wedding on their beach, by the poolside, garden or their ballroom. Their honeymoon rooms come with a cozy jacuzzi and hey, if your partner likes to golf, its the perfect spot to get some sport action in.

3. Stonehaven Villas - these 14 luxury villas are the utmost Caribbean chic and they are all secluded to ensure you really get your privacy. You can host your smaller wedding at one of the villas and hey, why not rent them for a few extra days and enjoy your days in the sun.

4. Ohana Villa - This stunning villa located in Backlit has an infinity pool, overlooking the best Tobago sunsets. I mean, what a way to end your wedding day! Check out all the details here.

5. Castara Retreats - Castara is one of my favourite areas in Tobago, the people are incredibly friendly and you really feel like you’re on a true Caribbean getaway. Their eco lodges all give amazing views of the beach below and their outdoor-style kitchens have you feeling like you’re in the jungle. Castara Waterfall is a 10 minute easy walk away and the perfect way to take a ‘beach break’ (as if you’d even need it).

There are a lot of other villa and home options available for rent on booking sites and I’m sure many of them will accommodate a small wedding, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Tobago Wedding Vendors

Apart from having an awesome photographer, there are a few things that can be organized - if you’d like them. For hair and makeup, I recommend Mariposa and Jodi Balfour, an amazing local makeup artist. I can definitely help finding other vendors, and there’s also an option to fly them over from Trinidad for the day.

Don’t forget, there’s lots of beaches for you to take advantage of a couples or family photoshoot! Picture here, Englishman’s Bay.

Things to do in Tobago

I’m not judging if you want to lie on the beach and sip on drinks for your stay, but if you’re an ocean lover like me, you MUST go on a scuba or snorkel dive. Tobago has some of THE BEST diving spots in the Caribbean, full of life and underwater friends. There are lots of dive shops to choose from, like ERIC (whose dive proceeds go towards its conservation missions) and Tobago Dive Experience, where you can stay at one of their lodges right above the dive shop and across the beach.

Birdwatching is a big activity, given that Tobago is filled with many species. The best time to birdwatch is December-April and you can check out more info for guides here.

For night life, you can check out the bars in Buccoo or Bon Accord that stay open late into the night.

I hope I’ve made you consider our sweet sister isle Tobago for your destination wedding, or even just a vacation. You’ve got the basics covered, now all that’s left to do is book your ticket and come!!