Wedding | Hannah & Joe | Lomani Island Resort
Hannah & Joe officially met during the summer of 2018 through some mutual friends in Manhattan Beach, California. But they soon realized their paths had almost crossed many times over the years. They had a mutual family friend, their mums went to high school together, and their great grandparents were even neighbors. Needless to say, they not only had a lot in common, but they were able to vet each other quickly! Joe had glowing reviews from all the mutual contacts!
We catch up with Bride Hannah on what lead her to booking a destination wedding in Fiji:
Joe took me by complete surprise on December 23, 2021 when he dropped to one knee by the place where we had our first date in Manhattan Beach. We were on a beach walk with our dog, Cheddar, like we do almost daily, but this walk turned into something even more special!
I have had the honor of working with Tourism Fiji since 2019 and knew how special of a place Fiji is. We both decided we wanted a destination wedding and so Fiji felt like the natural fit! We agreed on it instantly. We were inspired by the beauty of Fiji! I wanted to feel very tropical, with native flowers and a local Fijian flair.
We chose Lomani Island Resort on Malolo Lailai for its ideal location in the Mamanucas, known for bright turquoise waters and white sand beaches. Truly paradise! We wanted to charter a resort to have it to ourselves so Lomani’s size was ideal for our group.
PLANNING PROCESS
Once we had narrowed down the general location in Fiji we went on a trip there to visit a handful of resorts. As soon as we arrived at Lomani, we knew it was the perfect fit. We visited there on May 6, 2022 and decided right then that we wanted to get married there exactly a year later.
Bula Bride was very helpful in finding my wedding vendors. I found my wedding events company, florist, hair & makeup stylist, and so much more!
Having the wedding in Fiji made the process so much more fun and exciting. I was daydreaming constantly. There are some challenges with planning a destination wedding and having to choose some vendors without getting to try them out first, but everyone I worked with ending up being wonderful.
GETTING READY
For hair and makeup, I used Lydia Whippy from Totoka Hair & Make Up. She’s amazing!
My dress was from BHLDN. I wanted it to be simple and beachy…and one that I could jump in the ocean in after!
THE CEREMONY
Our ceremony was at Lomani Island Resort. We stood in the sand with the ocean in the background and our guests were in chairs set up on grass.
Fiji Wedding Atelier did our ceremony setup. We went for a Fiji tropical theme. Lots of bright colors and foliage inspired by the islands. I had Fijian warriors walk me down the aisle to add some cultural flair and they blew a conch to announce the bride’s arrival. Lomani Island Resort provided my bouquet and Fiji Wedding Atelier provided the rest of the florals.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY
We used Cheer Photography, Michelle was fantastic! She came highly recommended by others in the industry and I loved the look of her previous wedding photography.
I love everything about our photos. She captured so many authentic moments. As a couple who does not love their photo taken, Michelle made us both feel so comfortable and natural and we had a blast taking photos with her!
THE RECEPTION
We also had our reception at Lomani Island Resort. We had intended for an outdoor reception, but moved dinner under the covered restaurant at the last minute due to rain. It was really convenient having that option at Lomani Resort and the rain actually made the reception even more fun!
Fiji Wedding Atelier provided the decor and we had the same tropical inspiration. We had Polynesian fire dancers perform during dinner.
We did a seafood buffet organized through Lomani Island Resort. It was delicious and our guests could not stop commenting on how amazing the dinner was!
We chose to forgo the traditional wedding cake and instead has various desserts created by Lomani’s chef. We were able to include all of Joe and my favorites!
We had DJ Will as our MC and DJ. He was very professional and experienced.
OTHER TIME IN FIJI
We stayed a total of 12 nights. We arrived to Lomani a week prior to the wedding with just our immediate families. It was really special to have that time with them before the rest of the guests started arriving. Then we did a “mini” honeymoon for 4 nights at Wakaya Island Resort after the wedding festivities concluded!
The day after the wedding we chartered Cloud 9 floating bar for the afternoon. It was an absolute highlight for our guests!
OUR HIGHLIGHTS
Being on vacation in such a magical place with your closest family and friends is so incredibly special and an absolute blast. I cannot recommend it enough. We will cherish those memories made for the rest of our lives.
OUR TOP TIP
Plan some additional events for your wedding attendees so they can truly enjoy Fiji. We did a day at the local sandbank, snorkeling every day, and Cloud9 on the final day.
Who Did They Use
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Wedding Venues
Lomani Island Resort
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Fiji Wedding Photographers
Cheer Wedding Photography
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Day Trips, Tours & Transport
Cloud 9
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Hair & Make Up
Totoka Hair & Beauty
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