Last December, I received a message from Noortje that she and her husband would like to have a small, intimate ceremony on January 23, 2024, on the beach in Bonaire. On that day, exactly a year earlier, they had already been married legally in the Netherlands.

They had never been to Bonaire before, so, trusting from afar, they dared to leave the planning of their wedding entirely in someone else’s hands.

Therefore, the disappointment was all the greater when it turned out that the weather on Bonaire would be very bad on January 23, with a lot of wind and rain. Of course, that’s the last thing you want when you live in the Netherlands and dream of a sun-drenched wedding in the Caribbean! On the evening before the wedding, the couple and I brainstormed about other options, dates, and locations, but ultimately it was decided to stick with our original plan and location.

In the morning, we unfortunately had to set everything up and decorate in the rain and wind, but luckily, by the afternoon, the sun came out! And it stayed that way for the rest of the day, which was a tremendous relief!

Their eight-year-old son was a witness to his parents exchanging their vows. How beautiful and special that he could experience his parents’ commitment to each other so consciously! Besides the important role of being a witness, he got to help the officiant with the ceremonial hammer clap after the vows were exchanged, and he proudly escorted his father to the altar.

What was special about this location was that it was a secluded beach with nothing around, but I believe we were able to create a beautiful bohemian setting for the lovely intimate ceremony for this wonderful couple!

Photographer: Casper Douma