Boy was I excited when Pete and Vanessa told me they were having a destination wedding in beautiful Fiji! What a perfect opportunity to take a little holiday with my family too.
Pete and Vanessa would have to be one of the most relaxed couples I have met. Their laid-back and warm personalities really complimented their choice of location for their very special day. Deciding to make their Wedding into a week of celebrations was one of the best choices they made! Their family and friends travelled from Australia, New Zealand and London to be with them as they made this commitment to one another.
Ironically, on the days leading up to the Wedding the weather consisted of mostly sunshine with the odd shower here and there. However, on the day we hoped most for Sunshine, instead we woke to heavy rainfall. This didn’t hinder the spirits of the Bride and Groom that the weather would come clear in time. All of those positive vibes must have paid off because the rain eased off just in time for the Ceremony, and returned just as the newlyweds came back down the aisle! Of course, everyone got a little wet but playful laughter filled the air and memories were made for all. The rain decided to hang around, but we were still able to capture some beautiful outdoor shots with the willingness of the Bride and Groom.
Pete and Vanessa’s reception was fun and relaxed, everyone was having a blast! They surprised their guests with traditional dancers and fire twirlers as entertainment which was a huge hit!
A few questions for the Bride and Groom…
Why did you choose a destination Wedding in Fiji?
We loved the thought of having our closest friends and family celebrate our Wedding with us not just for the one day, but all get away together and make a holiday of it for an entire week. The highlight of choosing to get married in Fiji was that we wanted a special place to create special memories for not just us, but for all our family and friends that got to be a part of it. Watching all our family and friends meet up around the resort and enjoying each other’s company made us feel so incredibly lucky and happy with our decision to do a destination Wedding.
Fiji is an amazing and beautiful place, and as we both love the beach and tropical getaways we thought Fiji would be the perfect place for our big day. We wanted something relaxed, simple and special for our Wedding – Fiji offered this. We had the best time and would do it all over again in a heartbeat, and we look forward to returning in a couple of years’ time for a reunion!
How did you find organising a destination Wedding with Sofitel Fiji?
Sofitel Fiji handled everything from the flowers, dinner, cake, celebrant, styling, everything we needed. Their friendly service, food, venue and atmosphere at the resort was amazing and we highly recommend Sofitel if you are planning a Fiji Wedding. Sofitel had a dedicated Wedding Team who were full of knowledge and ideas and this was really helpful through-out the planning process. Our wedding planner was extremely helpful and sent us options for our wedding, and was able to accommodate all our special requests. It was very easy to organise from Australia and made the planning process really enjoyable.
Your feelings on the day?
Everything on the day came together perfectly. You go through so many different emotions on the day and not everything will go exactly as you may have planned but it’s still an amazing and special day. The morning of our wedding was filled with tropical showers and a last minute change of reception venue to ensure the rain would not be a worry on the night. The tropical weather cleared and our ceremony took place under the Sunset Bure on the Sofitel Beachfront. As soon as we had been pronounced Husband and Wife, and were walking hand in hand down the aisle, it really started to pour down! We thought this was remarkable timing and was the funniest thing. Looking back on our day, it was perfect and we would not change a thing.
Your experience working with Sunset Lane Photography?
Belinda’s work was nothing short of amazing! We have fallen in love with every photo, not only because they captured our special day, but because Belinda was able to capture all the special moments, the little details, and the emotion we felt on the day which we will cherish forever.
We had so much fun working with Belinda. Belinda is highly professional, but also made us feel relaxed and enjoy every moment of having our photos taken.
Belinda truly has an amazing talent for capturing the most beautiful moments and all the love and emotion that comes with it – we honestly couldn’t be more happier with her work.
We highly recommend using Sunset Lane Photography! Absolute credit to Belinda for an incredible job! Thank you so much :).
Hair and Makeup - Totoka Hair and Makeup Fiji
Bride Gown and Veil: Karen Willis Holmes
Bride Earrings & Bracelet: Swarovski
Bride Shoes: Dolci Firme
Bridesmaid Dresses: Forever New
Groom & Groomsmen Suit’s - Roger David
Venue: Sofitel Fiji
Styling, Flowers, Cake and Celebrant - Sofitel
Photography - Belinda at Sunset Lane Photography
Editing Style Chosen - Vibrant
