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Siobhan & Reihana

It’s really great hearing from Brides that have utilised Bula Bride as a resource to help research their Fiji wedding and know we have helped with inspiration and ideas. Equally we love hearing that brides are taking the time to be organised and communicate effectively with their suppliers as often it can be hard to plan a wedding solely by email. (For hints and tips on this please see our blog on communicating with your suppliers)

Siobhan took her time to research her suppliers end ended up with a perfectly planned wedding day married to the love of her life. We share her story and her planning in advance of her wedding day:

We met back at college and through our circle of friends we eventually hooked up. The rest is history and we finally tied the knot after 11 years together.

Fiji was a holiday destination for my parents and I when I was younger. When I turned 21, Reihana surprised me with a trip to Fiji for the two of us. Fiji has always been a special place for us and now after getting married in Fiji, it is now even more so.

The planning for our wedding involved a lot of emailing and very detailed instructions. I picked a selection of suppliers based off recommendations and spent a bit of time researching through Bula Bride to see what advice brides had to give. I had some amazing suppliers, an amazing Wedding Coordinator (Salu) at Mana Island who I worked with and Katie Bouzaid, International Travel Consultant at House of Travel Johnsonville to guide me with travel arrangements.

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Mandy & Scott

When I spotted the photos of American couple Mandy & Scott eloping at Royal Davui I was immediately taken in by the beautiful simplicity of their day. It spoke to me of everything a wedding is supposed to be – a celebration of love, two people hand in hand, sharing a special promise to each other. I immediately contacted Mandy to ask her to share her Fiji elopement story and fortunately she agreed. Being a travel writer herself it’s been an easy and beautiful read uncovering her journey from falling in love to getting married in Fiji.
Mandy shares with us her story.

Our Story
A couple of summers ago my father called and asked me to come home and spend the summer with him because he was ill. I am a travel, health, and lifestyle writer and luckily had the flexibility to do so. I made the arrangements and drove across the United States from North Carolina to Utah to see my dad in the hospital on July 4th.

Little did I know that my parents new next door neighbour would be my future husband. Scott, was his name. We met in passing a few times, and one day I made brownies and took them over to say hello. We sat on his front porch talking for about an hour and then I left. The next time I saw him he asked if I wanted to go on a motorcycle ride with him, but I was leaving for Santiago, Chile. He kind of looked at me like, who are you? I laughed and walked away.

Upon my return there was a happy birthday sign in his yard. This convinced me he had a girlfriend, since he still had not asked for my phone number. Well no harm done in buying a man a 12 pack of craft beer on his birthday, and so I took him a gift. He still never asked for my phone number, so I left him a note on his truck. We went out to dinner one time before I left for a Mexico trip at the end of the summer. I was not planning on coming back to Utah until the holidays at this point, and really did not know what would happen.

Fast forward to December that year. We kept in touch via text message, but one thing I could not shake is how much I was thinking of him, someone I really barely knew. When I came home for Christmas that year, we hit it off immediately, and started dating, I spent time between between North Carolina, Utah, and cloudsurfing (flying for work). When I made the decision to permanently move to Salt Lake City late in the spring of 2016, we both knew we would be together for the rest of our lives. He asked me to marry him December 3, 2016, and well, the rest is history.

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Courtney & Andy

Andrew and Courtney – two super awesome people – both ex-New Zealander’s, now based in Denarau, Fiji. Together they run one of Denarau’s most successful day trip sailing businesses, Coral Cats Fiji; and are raising two beautiful young children together. With Fiji now being home, their love for the ocean, good food and good times; Fiji was always going to be the place they would say ‘I do’ in style.

Having known Courtney and Andy for four years I knew this wedding was going to be amazing. There are a few components to any wedding (and i’ve been to a few) that I feel are compulsory:

1. The Bride deserves to look amazing and feel beautiful
2. Endless bubbles
3. Good food and plenty of it
4. Great entertainment – you want a party!

And having been lucky enough to attend as a guest, Courtney and Andy’s wedding was one of the best I’ve ever been too, from the beginning to the end. Not only did they nail the critical components, but their wedding was relaxed, informal and FUN. A winning formula for a Fiji wedding!

We catch up with Courtney on how she planned and delivered an amazing wedding at Musket Cove Island Bar, Fiji:

 

How we met

 

Andrew and I have mutual friends who decided it was their mission to set us up on a date. Not being so keen on the whole blind date thing I kind of put it off so they invited me to a “friends” birthday BBQ. When I knocked on my friends door Andrew answered it and we knew we had been tricked! We hit it off right away and after rather a lot of Margaritas we decided we both quite liked each other. We haven’t really been apart since!

Photos by Malia Johnson:

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Getting help planning your Fiji wedding

This week we wanted to share some insight with you on who you can turn to to help get your Fiji wedding organised. We look at the different services offered by Resort Wedding Co-ordinators, Destination Travel Agents and Wedding Planners, and what the differences are if you choose to get some additional assistance to help you book and plan your Fiji wedding.

    Main Image above: Ocean Studios Fiji Photography
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Hannah & Lee

Lee and I met in 2015 and instantly fell in love. Having a 2 year old little boy, I didn’t think it was possible at the time for a man to not only fall in love with me, but also my precious little boy as well. But he did.
A couple of months into our relationship, Lee took me too a cute little spot by the water one afternoon a day before my birthday and pulled out a rug, some cheese and crackers, roses, a bottle of Moet champagne and got on his knee and asked me to be his wife. It was a feeling I will never forget. So crazy, so soon and so in love! After a 2 year engagement, a little baby girl and so many achievements together we married!

Lee and I always wanted a destination wedding but we couldn’t quite put our finger on where. We researched our little hearts out and just fell in love with Fiji. It stood out to us!

Planning this wedding was an absolute breeze. Everyone was so easy to deal and communicate with. I also couldn’t have done it though without my friend Myriam and appreciated all of her help in the lead up and making the day run sooooooo smoothly for us.

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Where is the best place to get married in Fiji?

So, where is the best place to get married in Fiji?

Deciding on the location to have your Fiji wedding or honeymoon can be a tough choice, with so many options available. Naturally your budget will help to narrow this down, however, ultimately this is going to be a one-off and very special experience, so putting some thought into what you want to get out of your trip is very important. And if you are having guests, thinking about what will also be the best experience for the group is also important.

    Main image above: Ocean Studios Fiji Photography

We have put together some suggestions that may help you choose the best place to get married in Fiji, or find the right location or just help you to think about what can make the experience special no matter where you go in Fiji. The good news is, from small budgets to large, Fiji has a range of options to cater to everyone.

1. Choose a location that matches your needs
Checking into a resort full of kids or embarking on a trip to a too-remote island, when it was not exactly what you expected from your wedding holiday could throw a spanner in the works of your much-desired Fiji wedding or honeymoon. The atmosphere at the resort will be crucial to the success of your trip, so it is important to choose a resort that is suitable for the type of wedding you want to have, and matches your budget and needs.

Luxury resorts that specialise in romance and couples getaways offer a unique experience and an intimate atmosphere. If you are looking for a personalised experience, take a look at a 5-star resort and book a stay to include your wedding or elopement, plus several extra nights on an all-inclusive package. You can’t go past the serenity and luxury of resorts like Turtle, Raiwasa, Namale, Savasi, Tides Reach or Laucala and if your budget does happen to stretch to one of these options for your wedding day, you won’t regret it.

Images: Raiwasa Grand Villa, Matei, Fiji offers luxurious weddings and honeymoons

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Alison & Louie

We have a big following of American Brides getting married in Fiji so it is special to share this story from one couple who travelled from their home state of California to elope here at the beautiful Coral Coast of Fiji.

We catch up with Alison on why she choose a Fiji destination wedding and what made the day so special:

Louie and I have been together for over 8 years and when it came time to finally tie the knot, we wanted it to be an intimate ceremony between us somewhere memorable. We also still have a significant amount of student debt and eloping to a far off tropical destination like Fiji was the perfect solution.

We did a lot of research on various resorts that would offer wedding packages to make it easy on our end, since we were coming from California and finally settled on the Outrigger on the Lagoon, Fiji. To our surprise, we later learned of the excitement/buzz around the Outrigger as they rarely have destination weddings from Americans.

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Jason & Samantha

Today I am SO excited to share with you the wedding of Jason & Samantha. I had the utmost pleasure, alongside Taste Fiji in bringing Jason & Sam’s wedding to life at a private property on the Coral Coast.

“We are both travel enthusiasts so we wanted to tie the knot in a place that would bring our friends and family together to experience something new and exciting for all of us. We wanted to pick a locale with warm weather, natural beauty, opportunities for adventure, culture and most importantly, a fun and welcoming community. When we began to consider Fiji, it was clear that it was everything we wanted and more.” ~Samantha

Bride Samantha contacted One Love Fiji Weddings looking for something outside the box & tailored for their big day. The couple were after a relaxed, simple & tropical style wedding. And the Myola Villas were the perfect spot, with its rustic charm, panoramic views of the coast and gorgeous gardens.

Sam shares with us details of their day. Australian Photography & Videography duo Sail Me to The Moon were there to capture it all.

The Fellas Wore / Groom: Custom tailored suit by Knot Standard for the ceremony: Ted Baker shorts & button down shirt with custom Converse All-Stars for the reception

Guys: Jason’s brothers wore traditional Fijian sulu sarongs for the ceremony paired with the Barney Cools “Lisse” trim fit floral button down shirts; J Crew lightweight chino club shorts & custom Converse All-Stars for the reception.

Hair & Makeup / Was by Ash at Hair N Mkup Perfectionist. Holy black magic, he is AMAZING and his whole team is so sweet & fun!

The Bride Wore / Dress: Celestine gown by Carol Hannah Shoes: L.K. Bennett “Alex” point-toe wedge pumps; changed into Pedro Garcia “Estee” sandals after the ceremony Accessories: Rings by Anna Sheffield: engagement ring is a custom inverted black diamond Bea ring (the 1st of its kind-Jason had it set inverted to showcase the beautiful emerald cut & Anna loved it so much that she sells it that way now), accompanied by a white diamond Crescent band & gold Sheaves band; blush streak belt, gold and freshwater pearl vine headpiece (both by Carol Hannah).

Theme / The planning & styling was coordinated to a tee by (Dua Tani) Bula Bride & Taste Fiji. The theme was simple, elegant, understated; natural colors to quietly compliment the beautiful landscape of Fiji-lush, overgrown greenery; soft white and neutral textiles; natural botanicals; including limes from the plantation orchard served as name cards at dinner.

The Flower Girls / We had 6 flower girls ranging from 4 to 11 years old, so we let them pick their own dresses that were age appropriate for each of them and showcased their individual styles and personalities. The varying texture and character of the mismatched dresses looked amazing photos and they all ended up with dresses that they love and will wear again and again.

The Reception / Was held in the gardens of the property. One long dinner table set in the garden decorated with linen tablecloth, limes from the orchard as name cards, lush greenery & candles, festoon lights overhead…so dreamy.

The menu was catered by Taste Fiji. We had a selection of locally sourced dishes served family style along the table: seared local reef fish; slow roasted beef fillet; grilled chicken breast; artisan breads & spreads; mango salad; indian spiced crushed new potatoes; rocket, basil & cherry tomato salad; pickled cucumber with chili.

The Highlight /

With us living abroad, spending a whole week with our closest friends & family was amazing and–ending it with us tying the knot & a big party to celebrate was so special.

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Pat & Marley

Since starting as a wedding consult/planner I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing couples. Pat & Marley were one of them. Bride Marley was a dream to work with and so excited in every stage up until their Sofitel FijiWedding.

The best part is hearing the feedback on how the day went and most of all seeing the photos. To see the smile on the couple’s faces and the love beaming from their hearts.

Marley shares with us today the details of their day. Captured by destination wedding photographer Emma Clearly.

The Location / When I was a little girl I remember my Gran saying to me that Fiji is the most beautiful place in the world. From then on it was only a dream of mine to be married there.

The Cake / We had a doughnut tower (choc, caramel, mocha and banoffee filled) from Taste Fiji as our wedding cake which we had with a champagne toasting straight after the ceremony. As there were no children at our reception this was a great way to include them and also gave the guests something to do while we had family photos.

The Favours / Our favours were actually “Wet Pussy Shots” served in cork bottles. Pat used to buy these for me when he was trying to woo me in the clubs in our early days.

The Advice / The hardest thing for me was trusting someone else to do things for me and not knowing how it was going to come together until the day. Have full faith in your wedding planner and vendors tell them what you are after and trust them. They are the professionals and they do this every day.

I spent so much time stressing about things that didn’t even get noticed on the wedding day. Don’t stress just have fun with it! We wanted our wedding day to be laid back, casual and so much fun.. but also perfect. And this is exactly what it was.. a huge party. The whole day (besides me being sick and it being super windy), there was never a dull moment from start to finish our guests had the best time. It was the best wedding so much better than we expected.