BACOLET, TOBAGO – It’s easy to see why Ohana Villa has become one of the most desirable wedding and retreat destinations in the Caribbean. Even by the standards of Tobago, where there isn’t a bad (or even average) vista on the entire 116 square mile island, this tranquil spot on a cove overlooking the Atlantic offers the kind of spectacular sea-meets-sky views that create lifetime memories. Lighting designer Jonathan Sammy brought out this site’s full beauty at a recent wedding by drawing on the color rendering and gobo projecting prowess of CHAUVET DJ and CHAUVET Professional fixtures.

Sammy used 64 Freedom Par Quad-4, 10 Intimidator Spot 355Z IRC, four COLORband PiX USB, eight Freedom Stick and eight COLORado 1-Tri IP fixtures to light the upscale ceremony, which was created by Orin Orun Enterprises Limited, an AV Production company. His lighting design did more than add sparkle and color to the event, it also accented many of the flourishes that distinguish the villa, which was designed by acclaimed Trinidad and Tobago-born architectural artist John Otway.

Water played a key role in Otway’s design concept. The villa features two infinity pools joined by a gazebo, a meditative reflective spot and a koi pool along with abundant gardens. Positioning the Freedom Par Quad-4 fixtures and Intimidator moving lights on truss totems and decks, Sammy accented the transcendental quality of the building’s grounds.

The Villa itself is characterized by simple and open design elements that blend Caribbean and Asian influences. Sammy notes that the wireless and battery powered Freedom fixtures made it easier for his lighting to blend with the serene surroundings.

“Being able to connect our lighting wirelessly saved us on cables and allowed us to have such a small footprint that the fixtures weren’t even noticed,” said Sammy. “This was very important to us, as we didn’t take away from the décor of this beautiful venue.”

Sammy outlined the building’s deck areas with COLORband PiX USB wirelessly controlled linear fixtures. Programmed to create warm color glows, the COLORband lights engendered a welcoming sense of intimacy at the wedding.

Drawing on the gobo features of the Intimidator Spot 355Z IRC, which has seven pre-installed gobos plus the “Wedding 6-Pack,” Sammy added a greater sense of depth to his design by displaying a variety of evocative patterns on the villa building. “The gobo options that the Intimidator offers are very impressive,” he said.

Also coming in for praise from Sammy was the color rendering capabilities of the COLORado and COLORband fixtures.” The Chauvet fixtures are sold at an affordable price point, but they perform at a very high level,” he said. “The vivid richness of the colors really make them stand out. In this particular wedding, we wanted colors that looked very natural and very deep so our design blended with the setting of the building.”

In the end, Sammy’s design did more than blend. With its crisp gobos, even light and inviting colors, it helped move this already stunning facility one step further up the aesthetic ladder.

Photos: BovellScott Photography