Posted on

Grace & Jack – Sofitel Wedding

We have been wanting to share a wedding at the Sofitel Fiji for a while as we are a big fan of this picture-perfect Denarau location. However we couldn’t quite find one recently that ticked all the boxes, until we came across the wedding of Grace and Jack, captured perfectly by Leezett Photography/Productions. In fact there are so many gorgeous photos that we couldn’t fit all of them into this blog! However we will have plenty of additional inspiration for you across on our social media pages, so stay tuned!

We catch up with bride Grace on what went in to planning her special day:

BRIDES & GROOM: Grace & Jack
THE DATE: 6th October 2018
THE LOCATION: Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 62

We met at a mutual friends 21st Birthday in Adelaide and have been inseparable ever since. We wanted our wedding to not only be about us, but about our children, family and close friends so we chose a destination wedding. We love to travel and after hearing about Fiji from our friends and family we knew it was the perfect place to have our wedding.

We asked friends for location advice, followed Instagram pages, website forums and did lots of internet research. Once you know what you’re looking for, it was easy to find the perfect location and the suppliers we wanted to use. After finding the location and the suppliers we knew we had to have it, it was only a matter of getting in contact with them. The resort and the suppliers were very helpful and able to answer all of our questions.

Bula Bride is also an amazing forum with lots of really good information. We did a lot of research through this website and especially loved reading about the real Fiji weddings.

Posted on

Bula Bride’s Tips for creating your dream wedding cake 

Hi Brides! Let’s chat about your Wedding Cake!

Your wedding cake is one of the centrepieces of your wedding reception, and will wind up featuring in a number of photos. Picking your cake can be tricky! You will want it to make sure you keep the following things in mind, especially if you are planning a destination wedding.  

1. You need to finalise your guest list (and wedding menu) first.  

First things first ladies….PLAN AHEAD! Picking your guests, finalising your guest numbers and organizing your wedding menu are all crucial to deciding what kind of a cake you will end up choosing. We suggest making sure you have all your guests dietary needs noted down as well. (Having a gluten free, or sugar free option like cupcakes is always nice for your guests that have strict health and diet restrictions.) 
 
Cakes by Taste Fiji

Posted on

Tennille & Conor – InterContinental Wedding

At the end of September last year, a month that is usually warm and dry in Fiji, Tennille and Conor were instead delivered a rather wet day. They chose to embrace the rain and elected to continue with their ceremony outside at a spot on the lawn they had handpicked as the perfect place to say their vows. The colour of the skies didn’t affect their joy at getting married, and as they promised to love each other forever they also got ready to reveal a special secret to their guests later on in the day.

We catch up with Bride Tennille to get the details on her destination wedding in Fiji:

BRIDE & GROOMS NAME: Tennille & Conor Murray
THE DATE: Sunday 30th September 2018
THE LOCATION: The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 146

Conor was raised in Sydney, NSW Australia and I was raised in Goroka, Papua New Guinea, we are both half Papua-New Guinean. Conor and I met back many years ago when we were teenagers, when he and his family were visiting family in Goroka, but nothing ever amounted of us being together. We fell out of contact until we were both in our early 20’s when we met again at his cousins 21st birthday party. Conor went on to live in the UK for 2 years and I went on to study Interior Design in Brisbane, Australia. It was only by chance that we got back into contact again after a couple of years when Conor sent me a message via Facebook. It makes me laugh thinking about it now and how easily it could have been to not keep in touch at all. 6 and a 1/2 years later and after the arrival of our beautiful baby boy Cillian (pronounced Kill-Ian), Conor asked me to marry him on a secluded beach on a drizzly summers’ day in southern NSW Australia. It was absolutely magical.

We both had visited Fiji several times and fell in love with the culture and the people as it reminded us both a lot of Papua New Guinea

We chose The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa after spending the day playing golf and relaxing on the beautiful Natadola Beach. It made sense for us to have it at a location where all our guests could stay in one location but with enough space to spread out and enjoy their holiday as well as catching up with friends when it suited them. The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa was perfect for that.

We did a lot of internet searches and reading up on wedding blogs such as Bula Bride. I also visited a wedding expo in Brisbane when I was in Australia. Pinterest was also my best friend leading up to the wedding. We only used the resort’s wedding planner team, everything else was sourced and organised by me. Living in Papua New Guinea it made it very difficult to tie things together with such poor internet and phone connections on our end due to hush heavy rainfall but with perseverance we succeeded.

Video: Phoebe Galloway Films
Photos: Kamacatchme

Posted on

Alesha & Stuart – Sheraton Tokoriki Island

Presenting our first Bula Bride wedding feature with the groom in a kilt! How has it taken this long?!

The unique wedding attire caught our eye and then we were equally impressed by the beautiful sunset images captured by Ocean Studio Fiji at Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island.

Many of you may not be familiar with this resort as it is a fairly new addition to Fiji – opening just a few years back and then reopening again after the resort was devastated by Cyclone Winston. Boasting an upmarket resort situated on the island of Tokoriki, it’s not hard to see why Alesha & Stuart choose this location for their wedding. It’s easy to get too, has stunning beaches and turquoise water, plus the 5-star Sheraton Resort make wedding dreams come true. We catch up with bride Alesha on what went in to planning her Fiji destination wedding:

BRIDE & GROOM: Alesha Stone & Stuart Davis
THE DATE: 11th of March 2019
THE LOCATION: Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 12

We met in 2011 at a Birthday party for Stuart’s Nephew who was turning 3. We had our first overseas holiday together to Fiji in 2015 and fell in love with the people, the culture and the Fijian life. We felt that returning to the place of that first holiday for our Wedding would be the perfect way to celebrate our union. We chose Sheraton Tokoriki Island because of the proximity to Nadi for guests to travel and the child friendly nature of the resort.

We spent a lot of time selecting where to stay and the logistics of getting everyone there as well as who we wanted for the various aspects. All in all it took about 4 months to organise however the help of our wedding planner Lavenia of Paradise Bride Fiji and the Sheraton staff made the process very simple.

Posted on

5 reasons you must do an underwater photoshoot in Fiji

There are always new trends in wedding photography that grow in popularity among brides-to-be. Once such trend that will suit newlywed couples feeling adventurous after their wedding, is an underwater shoot or ‘Trash the Dress’ session.

These photography sessions are stunning works of art that make your wedding photos one of a kind! The water gives free flowing movement to your wedding gown and hair and creates an beautiful ethereal feel.

Underwater photography adds a wonderful aspect of playful romance as the two of you are swimming through the crystal clear turquoise water together, holding hands.

We catch up with leading destination wedding photographer Lia & Stu on why a Fiji honeymoon or wedding underwater photoshoot is a great idea:

Background:
We moved to Fiji from Hawaii in July 2010. As water photographers, we didn’t think ocean clarity could get much better than what we knew in Hawaii. Oh, how wrong we were! Now nearly 8 years later we are still blown away by the underwater world here. Fiji is also at the top of the list as a dream honeymoon location for newlyweds around the world. If you love the water as much as we do you to will be blown away! Check out this list of 5 reasons why you must do a Fiji honeymoon underwater photoshoot!

Posted on

Christine & Oni- Outrigger Wedding

They met in a nightclub in Fiji when Christine travelled to Fiji for work and it was love at first sight. Though Oni moved to Australia to be with Christine, on their wedding day they wanted to return to the island they both now call ‘home’.

We catch up with Bride Christine on what went in to planning her Fiji wedding day in paradise.

BRIDE & GROOM: Christine & Onisimo Rokotuinasau
THE DATE: 27th October 2018
THE LOCATION: Outrigger Resort
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 85

We met at Whitehouse Nightclub in Nadi – I was there for a work trip and Oni was out with friends. We met on the dancefloor and that was it. We dated long distance for 2 years and then Oni moved to Australia.

We chose Fiji because it is our home. Literally for Oni and its home in my heart. We wouldn’t have got married anywhere else and it enabled his family to attend. Outrigger has always been one of my favourite resorts and we spent time there when we started dating, it just has the most amazing atmosphere.

To research and organise our wedding, a lot of hours were spent internet browsing! Bula Bride was one of my go to resources, browsing on apps like Instagram and Pinterest also gave us ideas. I did the majority of the bookings and organising myself with the help of Oni, bridesmaids and my parents.

For the main components I organised this myself as I am a travel agent. I also organised the majority of the Australian guests travel. I enlisted the assistance of a wedding planner and stylist, Charnele from The Wedding Shop Fiji who guided me on styling ideas and setup options and assisted me to make decisions throughout the planning process.

Posted on

Karen & Wes – The Remote Resort

We just love Fiji Elopements! The combination of a dream location, a romantic holiday, a little luxury and of course saying ‘I Do’ to the love of your life sounds like a pretty great way to get married!

In northern Fiji, you’ll find a beautiful boutique luxury resort on the east side of Vanua Levu, near the world famous Rainbow Reef. The team at the Remote Resort Fiji resort personally tailor make every single wedding – no two are ever the same. This allows you to choose entirely how you’d like your elopement to be. We catch up with recent Fiji bride Karen on her elopement to Fiji and what went in to planning their special day in paradise.

BRIDES & GROOM: Wes Dennett & Karen Thomas
THE DATE: 18th September 2019
THE LOCATION: The Remote Resort, Fiji
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: None – just the wonderful staff at the resort!

Posted on

When Freddie Met Lilly – Easton Collection

When Freddie met Lilly is an exclusive Bridal and evening wear label in the heart of Brisbane, Australia; launched in 2012 by Fashion Designer Vanessa Hoe.

After working for 21 years in the Australian Fashion industry, Vanessa saw an opening in Boutique Bridal, and sought to deliver an individualistic bridal experience to her clientele. An experience at When Freddie met Lilly extends luxury comfort, and privacy to clients, with a focus on one on one customer service – all within a stylish architecturally designed studio.

We take a look at their latest collection and inspire you with some beautiful designs we think are just perfect for a Fiji wedding.

Posted on

Georgia & Thomas – Sheraton Wedding

Georgia was already a seasoned visitor to Fiji – so when it came time to marrying the love of her life it it was an easy decision to choose her favourite holiday destination for her wedding day. After a trip to Fiji a few months before they married, the location was in place, the suppliers booked and all that was left to do was to get ready for an amazing wedding day. We catch up with Georgia on all the details of her beautiful Fiji wedding:

BRIDE & GROOM: Georgia Magnus & Thomas Lander
THE DATE: 03/11/18
THE LOCATION: Sheraton Resort, Denarau Island
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 60

We choose Fiji to get married because my family have been going to Fiji for 10+ years and it was our the place of our first holiday away together.

As we have travelled to Fiji for many years and stayed at the Sheraton every time it was an easy decision for us. Fiji has a special place in both our hearts. We used Paradise Bride from the Sheraton to help organise and plan our wedding, they were very easy to communicate with over the planning period, very responsive to emails.

Posted on

Saskia & Ardie – Sheraton Wedding

Saskia & Ardie’s wedding caught our eye when Lydia from Totoka Hair & Make Up messaged me to say she had just done a stunning bride and thought the wedding was going to be equally as gorgeous. “I think the groom plays rugby” she said, and sent me a couple of sneak peak photos that had gone online. She wasn’t wrong about all her comments – the bride WAS gorgeous, the wedding WAS stunning, and the groom is well known All Black Ardie Savea. We couldn’t wait to take a look at this beautiful wedding!!

We catch up with bride Saskia on what went in to planning her wedding day in Fiji:

BRIDES & GROOM: Saskia & Ardie Savea
THE DATE: 2/12/18
THE LOCATION: Sheraton Resort Fiji
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 65
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Hollow & Co

“We met at school through friends, and have been together ever since”

We choose Fiji as a location because we LOVE Fiji. We have been many times and always enjoy the atmosphere and people.

Researching and organising our wedding involved finding a resort, and then communicating with our awesome wedding planner, Miriama from Paradise Bride. She was incredible and did everything on the Fiji side of things, while we just decided on what bridal party will wear etc. She was amazing. Everything put together just looked gorgeous.