An Exotic Wedding, Fijian Style
By Paula Hasluck, President, Wailea Travel

What could be more exotic than to marry your beloved at sunset on a one-quarter mile white sand beach on a remote tropical island? I recently had the pleasure of attending a wedding at Vatulele Island Resort in Fiji. I arrived to the island from Nadi International Airport via a 30 minute light aircraft flight, and immediately knew that this was going to be a very special experience. Greeted by smiling, happy faces - and a chilled fruit punch drink, I was spirited away to my beachfront bure (boo-ray). Chilled champagne, a generous fresh fruit platter and lovely tropical flowers strewn around my bure (villa) set the tone. The resort accommodates a maximum of 18 couples, with each spacious thatched roof bure set back off the beach for maximum privacy.

Vatulele Island Resort hosts only 3 weddings per month and I am not kidding when I tell you it is the realization of a fantasy. On wedding day each couple is off doing something fun like a private beach picnic, snorkeling, and diving. (Vatulele Island Resort boasts a PADI Gold Palm status dive facility.) I had a massage on my private patio followed by a fresh grilled lobster and champagne lunch. I could hear the resort staff and villagers lightly singing while they prepared for the wedding ceremony and meke (feast). The villagers and resort staff are the nicest people I have met anywhere. Their genuine warmth and hospitality are like none I have ever experienced. It is a balm to the tired soul.

All resort guests are invited to the wedding the night before; a hand-made tapa (paper made from the bark of the mulberry tree) invitation is laid gently on your pillow. Exquisite. On wedding day, we all gathered together on the beach at the appropriate time. Everyone looked so relaxed and beautiful. The village choir started singing in a very mellow tone as the bride began her journey, across the lagoon, to the ceremony site on a flower decorated barge accompanied by traditional Fijian Warriors. The groom was waiting for his bride, his love, under the wedding arch decorated with brightly colored island flowers and palm leaves. He was absolutely beaming as he watched her arrive in such grand manner. The ceremony was quite solemn with a Fijian minister presiding and the lovely voices of the choir floating through the air.

After the ceremony there was champagne and congratulations all around; and then the Wedding Feast (lovo) began. Planned for days, cooked in the traditional way (in a heated underground oven), the delectable cuisine to come was much anticipated by all! Torches were lit and at the waters edge, under the stars, we all had the most delicious dinner. Afterward, the villagers adorned in traditional garb, performed ceremonial dance and songs (meke) and before long everyone was dancing under the brilliant stars. It was a splendid celebration.

Virtually all resorts in Fiji provide for a memorable wedding and honeymoon. With the range of accommodations and services available, there is something to fit everyone's pocketbook.
Weddings in Fiji are legal and recognized worldwide. They can be preformed with either a traditional ceremony or in an authentic ritual. Most resorts offer a choice of wedding packages from an intimate ceremony (just the couple, celebrant and witness) to more elaborate affairs. You will need to bring:
Passports
Birth Certificates (a few certified copies)
Certified divorce decrees (if applicable)

Give your self at least two days prior to the ceremony to adjust from your trip and to apply for your license at a regional registrar's office.