Tracy and Craig met by chance, right in the middle of a 50km trail run in Yandina, Queensland, in 2022. Three years later, they were back at that same trail event, both running the 21km course. When they reached the lookout at 10.8km, Craig got down on one knee and popped the question.
Tracy had always wanted a barefoot beach wedding. It was Craig who suggested Fiji, because he’d never been, and for Tracy, who loves Fiji and had always wanted to go back, it was the perfect opportunity. They chose Castaway Island Resort in the Mamanuca Islands and celebrated with 22 guests from Australia.
We catch up with Bride Tracy on planning their wedding in Fiji:
The Planning
I’m pretty easy to please, so a wedding package that suited our guest numbers, in that beach location, made choosing easy. We had guests coming from both east and west coasts of Australia and the USA, so choosing Fiji was such an easy option knowing most of our guests had to travel regardless. And who doesn’t like the idea of a tropical holiday?
We used Fiji Bride as our wedding planner. Our planner was clear in providing options, sorted all of our flights and transfers, cared for all of our guests’ needs and was quick to respond to any of my questions. Knowing everything was taken care of made the whole process so easy, and not at all stressful.
Our wedding coordinator was easy to deal with, and all of the options, including extras, were outlined from the beginning. Our planning was really inspired by our easy-going, fun-loving way, and by being able to choose such a beautiful beach location.
Getting Ready
My dress was from Missacc online, with accessories from Harli + Harper. I chose a very soft, flowy gown with a lace bodice that suited me perfectly and was just right for being barefoot on the beach. Craig wore a shirt from Connor and shorts from Myer.
The Ceremony
We were married at Monkey Rock on Castaway Island. I wanted my toes in the sand, and it was perfect. The Castaway Island Resort team set up the ceremony with their own décor, and the resort also provided the flowers and my bouquet.
Our style was elegant beach casual, and we wanted our guests to experience some authentic Fiji. We had Fijian warriors, a family choir sang for us, and we also chose a meke.
We wrote our own vows, about what connects us: our love for each other and our desire to go on adventures.
The Photography
Our photographer was Isoa from Tokman Imagez. When I contacted him, his response was so personal, and I felt a real connection and that he understood what we wanted for our beach photos. We were after beach and sunset shots, and we love, love, love our photos.
The Reception
Our reception was at Restaurant 1808 on Castaway Island, so we could carry on the toes-in-the-sand experience. We went with the resort’s own styling, and added tiny ducks to the décor, because there’s a back story about rubber ducks.
For dinner, we chose a mix of traditional Fijian flavours plus a standard buffet, so there was something for all of our guests. Castaway Island made our cake, a two-layer chocolate cake that was delicious. My daughter looked after the music and set up the perfect dance playlist for us.
At the end of the night, we walked our niece back to her room, as her mum was already in bed, and then Craig and I stayed up talking until 2am.
The Holiday
We spent nine days in Fiji in total. After the wedding we travelled down to Maui Bay, where we did a village tour and a zipline adventure. We also bought a beautiful wooden statue from the Baravi gift shop as a reminder of our wedding celebrations.
The Highlights
The location, the staff, the food, the styling: the whole day was perfect, right down to the lunch provided while we were getting ready. We didn’t want to leave, and everyone made us feel so welcome.
Advice for Future Brides
Find a wedding coordinator, and you won’t be disappointed with choosing Fiji for your destination wedding.
