Bryan Morris – Aruba’s Premier Wedding Photographer

In my five years shooting weddings full time. I’ve learn that the way packages are setup by the various wedding planners is that they offer photography at one location with always the option to upgrade which however is very seldom enforced.

A bride having a visual of a beach ceremony in her mind almost always choose for photography at the beach. This is not their fault, they should be educated by their wedding planners on the beauty of our City Hall downtown.

Brides approach a civil ceremony on Aruba with a preconceived notion that the ceremony is the same as in their hometown. Just get into a pale office, sign these papers and we’re out of here.

Permit me an attempt to describe to you how this visual is as far from the truth as the east is from the west.

I’ll be displaying a few images of the building and then a few portraits shot in and around the building.

This is the front section of the house this is currently being used as the exit after the ceremony

This is a close up on the exit of the City Hall (Entrance of the house)

This is a side view of the house.

This is the current entrance of City Hall.

This is the view of inside, standing in the door.

This is the inside from behind the seat of the registrar.

These are images during the ceremony. Notice carefully that the images are a bit warm that’s because of the incandescent lights in the hall. It can be cooled down digitally but I like the warm feel the lights give the images, therefore I don’t do much alterations.

Images taken in the garden of City Hall.

This is the rear section of City Hall.

This wall is off to the left of this section in the image above this.

The many possibilities with these red colored walls.

This wall is literally 20 feet across the street from the rear section of City Hall.

OMG! That was my expression at the beginning of the wedding season when I saw this wall. This was once a screaming green backdrop and they’ve now decided to paint it this color. Bummer!

This is not even 2 minutes walk across the street from the orange wall. The possibilities here at the Willem III Tower are endless. You can shoot in and around of the building if your photographer would ask politely.

These were all taken at the Willem III Tower either inside or outside of this building.

Now you should have an idea of the many photographic opportunities in and around City Hall in downtown Oranjestad.

In conclusion of this three part series of “To marry or not to marry at City Hall”, I would say To marry, but not only to marry but have a reputable photographer to cover this event.

Blessings,

Bryan Morris

Popularity: unranked [?]

This edifice was not constructed for the purpose it’s being used today.

This house was built by the great builder of that time Mer(d)ardo ‘Dada’ Picus. This project was most probably drawn up, supervised and built by him. This massive project for that time spanned 1545 m2 through three different streets, Wilhelminastraat, Schoolstraat and Oranjestraat.

This building was the home as well as the doctor’s office and pharmacy of Dr. Jacobo Eloy Maria Arends born on April 19th, 1893. It was built for the marriage to Maria Monica Lacle, born on May 4th, 1900.
She was the daughter of Adriaan Lacle, whom Adriaan Lacle Blvd was named after.

Back then it was imperative to have a new furnished house to put your wife in if you had plans of getting married. Construction commenced shortly after the engagement in 1922. Monica was not allowed to see the house so she was prohibited to come in close proximity of the house.

The home was furnished by the sisters of “Loy” as the doctor was lovingly called while they were on vacation, so Monica got to see her new house fully furnished upon return of her honeymoon.

Family Arends migrated to Aruba since the second half of the 18th century; the family was very affluent business people.

Dr Eloy Arends graduated in Amsterdam and became the first government’s physician on the island of Aruba, a very different career choice.

Even though Dr. Eloy Arends chose a different career choice, from a social point of view he was still following in his family’s footsteps. Many parties were hosted in this home.

After Dr. Eloy Arends’ passing in 1960, his son Jesus Eloy Maria Arends, dentist lived in the house, before renting it out as a restaurant, Oriental Restaurant. It also shortly functioned as a center for the political party, MEP. In 1986 he sold the house to the Aruban government because restoration would’ve been a task, way beyond his budget.

The restoration of the Eloy Arends building was the first big task that the monument bureau, the monument advisory board and the monument fund functioned as organizational framework.

Blessings,

Bryan Morris

Popularity: unranked [?]

I’ve had an interview with Mr Cayetano “Betto” Christiaans at the City Hall downtown Oranjestad, Aruba. I’ve had a great time getting information from Mr Christiaans, this is the first of a three part series.

Enjoy,

Bryan Morris

Bryan: How long ago was the building restored?

Mr. Christiaans: October 1997

Bryan: The area that weddings are conducted now, what part of the house was this?

Mr.Christiaans: This was the living area

Bryan: When did Aruba open up for destination weddings?

Mr. Christiaans: January 1, 2002

Bryan: How many weddings are done per year?

Mr. Christiaans: Anywhere between 800 and 900

Bryan: That’s all?

Mr. Christiaans: Yes, in 2002 was the only year the wedding count went over the thousand mark.

Bryan: What percentage are destination weddings?

Mr. Christiaans: About 40% are destination weddings

Bryan: Explain the procedure of getting married from the beginning to end.

Mr. Christiaans: Contact me (Betto Christiaans) and register 20 days prior to wedding date, fax all documents, if they’re OK, you can either ship the originals or bring them as you come to the island.

Bryan: What is your preffered manner of shipping the documents?

Mr. Christiaans: FEDEX

Bryan: What’s the ship to address for the documents?

Mr. Christiaans: Att. Betto Christiaans, Schoolstraat 2, Oranjestad, Aruba

Bryan: Do you offer the services of providing witnesses and what’s the cost?

Mr. Christiaans: Mondays to Fridays we can provide you with witnesses between the hours of 10 AM to 12 Noon and 1 PM and 3:30 PM. This service is free. Gratuity is appreciated.

Bryan: Is there a preferred time of day or day of the week to have a wedding?

Mr. Christiaans: No we are open from Monday to Friday office hours so anytime then it’s OK, we also open on Saturdays upon request but that has an additional cost.

Bryan: What’s the cost of a civil wedding?

Mr. Christiaans: $150 including ceremony, wedding book, certificate of translation, verification apostille. This is the price for during the week and in the weekend it’s $275.

Bryan: Seeing that most wedding planners just offer one hour of photography, the couple rather use that one hour for the beach, having in mind that the civil ceremony is similar to back home in the US, Canada or the UK in a white office, just sign papers and that’s it. What would you say to anyone considering photography only on the beach?

Mr. Christiaans: It’s a beautiful building with a lot of history, very colorful in a tropical setting. So, great for pictures.

Bryan: Getting this information of a civil ceremony out, what would you like to stress to the potential or future brides having a civil wedding on the island?

Betto: It’s an honor to marry you here in our beautiful City Hall. The process if very easy, Just get me all the necessary paperwork and I’ll be happy to process it for you and ultimately marry you.

Bryan: Do you have a website or an email address?

Mr. Christiaans: I do have an email address, cayetano.christiaans@aruba.gov.aw

Bryan: Mr Christiaans, it was a pleasure to spend some time with you and discuss a little about what you do. Thank you very much for all your help.

Mr. Christiaans: Bryan, the pleasure was mine; thanks for assisting in every which way you can in getting the word out there.

I also walked away with a list with the requirements needed to get married here on the island.

1. Birth certificate of the couple (With names of the parents) and furnished with an apostil given by the secretary of state where the birth took place.

2. A declaration of unmarried (A search given by the department of health)

3. If you were married before, a divorce certificate or death certificate of your previous spouses with an apostil also.

4. Copy of your passports

5. Letter of intent to marry

6. Copy of passport of two witnesses

7. All these documents should be faxed into Mr. Christiaans with your registration latest 20 days prior to your intended date to marry.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Shoot for the moon, if you don’t make it you’ll still be among the stars – Unknown

In everything you do, just give it your best shot!

Blessings,

Bryan Morris

Popularity: unranked [?]

It has been some time that I haven’t been around.

Since the ailments of my daughter, I was backed up with a few projects which I had to catch up on before I get on to a few busy days. During the few busy days I was really hoping to sneak in a few posts but I came down with a heavy dose of the influenza virus. I think that my immune system was probably being chipped away little by little while I spent that week at the hospital. I’ve never felt this bad except for last summer when I was infected by the Varicella Zoster Virus. That’s just a funky name for chicken pox.

Well yes, it seems as though we’re being followed by a plague, because this time around we’re all sick except for Shaydee. So you know she’s our nurse just as we’ve been a few weeks ago.

Now, enough of my sad stories.

In these past weeks that have seemed to have gone by uneventful, I must say that was not the case. I’ve had a very interesting meeting with Aruba’s registrar, Mr. Cayetano “Betto” Christiaans. This meeting along with some investigation turned up some very interesting information.

I’m currently working on this, I will hint you that it will be a three part series called “To marry or not to marry@ City Hall”

I must also inform you that this year 2008 is a year of festivities, I’ve recently celebrated my 5^th wedding anniversary and the photography business will soon celebrate 5 years as well. So look forward for many specials and even surprises. There’s a lot on the horizon, so keep coming back.

Blessings,

Bryan Morris

Popularity: unranked [?]

My family and I want to express our gratitude to all those that sent emails, after I’ve posted last week that Shaydee was in the hospital. Shaydee was dismissed from the hospital on Sunday and it seemed that her ailment worsened. With a whole lot of love and care she was ushered into Monday where she was much better and on her way to recovery. She reminded her mother that she was promised that they would bake a cake together. My wife was off on Tuesday so they went shopping early in the morning while the boys were at school and came back and started to bake.

Shayenne instructed Shaydee what to do and she followed the instructions to the T.

This is what they came up with. I must say that she’s completely recovered on her second day after she was released.

Blessings,

Bryan Morris

Popularity: unranked [?]

I’ve had the honor and priviledge to cover the elopement of Lori and Scott at the Civil Town Hall in downtown, Oranjestad, Aruba.

Lori is the artist, she creates jewelry, crafts, enjoys painting and reading and of course who can pass up a day at the beach.

Now Scott enjoys his big boy’s toys. He’s into ATV’s, dirt bikes, jet skis and his Jeep Wrangler that he runs around the farmland that they live on in rural Ohio.

Scott asked Lori to marry him since Christmas Eve 2004. They’ve been together 3 years previous to that. The idea of an elopement on Aruba was birthed after getting a week stay in a condo on Aruba as a gift. Lori thought “Why don’t we make this a wedding moon?” This happy couple has been together for 7 years and they enjoy quiet, peaceful nights with a fire by the pond and driving their Jeep with the top of on warm summer days.

Upon asking Scott what does he like most about Lori, Scott replied with a politically correct response “I like everything about Lori” we do know that he has a or maybe a couple favorites, right Scott?
Like a true lady, Lori’s response to the same question about Scott was: “I love Scott’s smile and laugh the most. We laugh together every day and I think that’s why we’ve been together for so long.”
Lori and Scott it was an absolute pleasure documenting this very important day. Thanks for allowing me into your lives.

Blessings,

Bryan Morris

If you didn’t have enough you can see more here.

I need you to listen to the words of the song, this is Lori’s current favorite and it’s great. I really like it!

Popularity: unranked [?]