Posts Tagged ‘Beach weddings’
Kiara and Antony always knew they wanted a destination wedding for their special day. They dreamed of a tropical location and first thought that the Cook Islands or Hawaii would be great option, but after a quick trip to Fiji their heart was set on this beautiful oasis.
Destination weddings can be tricky to organise so both Kiara and Antony knew they would need some help and called us in to assist them. Kiara tells “With the distance, time difference and also not being very familiar with Fiji, I needed someone who had organised a lot of weddings in Fiji and knew the best places and best suppliers to use. It was something my husband and I discussed and we decided that spending that extra money was worth saving us the stress and fear of the unknown. We did not regret it”
With the help and guidance from Chelsea Jayne Weddings, Kiara and Antony made the decision that the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Club & Spa on the Coral Coast would be the perfect location for their wedding.
With all the guests staying at this gorgeous resort, Kiara and Antony arranged for drinks in the Kama Lounge the night before the wedding so that everyone could meet and get to know each other. What a fantastic idea!
The ceremony was held in the chapel within the beautiful grounds of the resort.
Kiara looked beautiful in her amazing full length mermaid style wedding gown in off white with tulle and feather details. How amazing are her Manolo Blahnik shoes to match.
Antony and his groomsmen wore long sleeve white shirts made from light cotton and dark grey pin stripe trousers.
The bridesmaids wore gorgeous Tiffany Blue full length gown with a jewelled halter neckline.
The reception was held in the beautiful Navo Restaurant, we kept the decor simple but keeping in the Tiffany blue theme.
When we asked Kiara what her favourite part of the day was she couldn’t choose just one! ‘So hard to decide. 1. Having my closest friends and family there in this amazing location on the best day of my life. 2. The excitement the day before and after. 3. Waking up the morning of and taking in where I was and what I was going to do that day. 4. The sun setting in the background during the speeches and looking around at everyone in this amazing pink light from the sunset and having a moment of: Oh my god, this is my wedding!!
Kiara and Antony were so impressed with the level of service they received from their wedding suppliers and by the excellent service by the Intercontinental ‘we were treated like royalty!’
We asked Kiara if she would advise couples planning a destination wedding to hire a wedding planner and she answered ‘Absolutely. Worth every penny. The saving in time and stress and worry made the additional expense of a Wedding Planner totally worth it. Through the Facbeook pages you often hear brides complain about Resorts and Suppliers not getting back to them. Chelsea would respond to me even if it was to say, am chasing them up again, still haven’t heard’.
Thank you to Stu and Malia (www.maliajohnson.com) for the beautiful photos.
When Kylie and Ian were planning their wedding, they decided to turn their special day into a family holiday for everyone that would create wonderful life long memories of this very special time. What better place to do this than Fiji!
Kylie and Ian decided very early on in the planning stages that they needed help and guidance from someone who knew exactly what was needed to organise a wedding in Fiji. That’s where we came in. We helped Kylie and Ian create the most beautiful memories on their wedding day, with the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa providing the perfect backdrop.
In the days leading up to the wedding the bridal party and their guests enjoyed everything the resort had to offer including snorkelling, fishing and swimming. What a way to begin the festivities!
When the wedding day arrived, Kylie looked stunning in her ‘Violet’ gown designed by Maggie Sottero.
The junior bridesmaids looked so pretty in their dresses from Myer.
Kylie’s flowers were artificial as she was unable to get the types of flowers and colours to match in with her theme, this is a great option if you do not want tropical flowers and worth some consideration.
The groom wore classic grey suit pants and vest with an ivory shirt and tie.
The photos from the day show just how beautiful the celebrations were and when we asked Kylie what the highlight of her wedding day was and if she would have changed anything she responded ‘The highlight was having the most important people in our lives celebrating with us and no, I wouldn’t have changed a thing!’.
Due to the windy weather Kylie moved the reception to the water court which is a really beautiful wet wether option at the InerContinental. It is still outdoors however has a full roof and beautiful water court in the middle which is a great spot to have the fire dancers do there thing.
The 4ft LOVE sign was actually Kylie’s idea, and as this was not available in Fiji our amazing friends at Grace Creation had this made for her. How beautiful is this all lit up, a great backdrop and prop for photos.
The days after the wedding were spent exactly like the days before, relaxing and enjoying the resort while having their nearest and dearest with them before heading off to Hawaii for their honeymoon.
The very last question we had for Kylie and Ian was what advice would you give to couples planning a wedding in Fiji and all they had to say was ‘Call Chelsea!’.
Kylie and Ian certainly made some beautiful life long memories for all involved. What an amazing day!
Thanks to Nadi Bay Photography for the wonderful photos from the day.
Lisa and Craig are blessed with a beautiful big family and with Fiji being such a child friendly place, it was the perfect location to celebrate their special day. Lisa says ‘We chose Fiji as it’s a beautiful destination with friendly welcoming locals. We also wanted our wedding to be a holiday for our family and friends that travelled. Importantly we wanted all our kids to enjoy themselves on holiday too’.
Lisa was pregnant and then had a newborn while organising the wedding, so having the time to plan her perfect day was scarce. She didn’t need any extra stress so this is where we stepped in to help create the wonderful wedding they were both after.
The Sheraton Fiji was the magical backdrop for their wedding. Having visited the islands of Fiji on a previous trip, Lisa and Craig and their family and friends enjoyed what Denarau had to offer. They visited the many different restaurants for dinner, the kids had great fun at the water park and on the banana ride, the boys played golf and the women were pampered at the Sheraton health spa.
When the big day arrived, Lisa looked beautiful in her Collette Dinnigan ‘Rococo’ gown in ivory.
The boys wore classic grey tailored suit and didn’t they look gorgeous!
The girls looked so pretty in their layered dusky pink dresses with flowers by Heidi Briggs.
The ceremony was held on the beach under a beautiful white canopy and lanterns hung between palm trees. What an amazing setting!
The reception was also held outside and it was filled with lots of love and laughter. Lisa said ‘A beautiful ceremony was followed by such a memorable, fun and happy night shared with our wonderful family, friends and many kids. Not to forget the awesome dancing and entertainment the kids brought to our night, we will cherish forever!’.
Lisa and Craig combined their wedding with their honeymoon and stayed for 10 nights at the Sheraton.
When we asked Lisa if she would have changed anything about her day she said ‘Maybe more photos during the day, even a videographer. Even though I was quite relaxed the day went too quick and it’s a bit vague. Otherwise I did have an awesome day and enjoyed it immensely’.
Lastly, we asked Lisa and Craig if they have any advice for couples planning a wedding in Fiji and they said ‘If you are able to use a wedding planner we strongly recommend one as it takes the stress out of ensuring everything is booked to your liking and paperwork is correct. The help we received from Chelsea Jayne Weddings was very professional and greatly appreciated’.
A big thank you to Kristjan Porm Photography for these beautiful images.
Mia and Aaron knew exactly what they wanted when they started planning their wedding. As it was both of their second marriages, they really wanted to do something this time around that was just about them, and their love for one another and their family. Mia says ‘We loved the idea of a destination wedding, so we could combine it with a family holiday at the same time with our 3 beautiful children – and as Fiji was somewhere we had travelled previously and loved, we thought it would make the perfect backdrop to our magical day’.
To help create the perfect celebration, Mia and Aaron didn’t hesitate in hiring a wedding planner to assist them. With both leading very busy lives and Mia having planned her first wedding without the help of a wedding planner, she knew that this was something that would make the whole process smoother and a lot less stressful. She told us ‘We decided to invest in a wedding planner, and one that specialised in Fiji weddings in particular, and it was one of the best decisions we ever made in the planning of our wedding. It took a lot of stress and worry off both of our shoulders, knowing that Chelsea had absolutely everything under control’.
In the days leading up to the wedding, Mia, Aaron and their guests made the most of the location with a big emphasise on relaxation, something they don’t get to do very often. They enjoyed sipping cocktails by the pool and lazing about on the day beds. Mia also enjoyed a full body massage the day before the wedding, the groomsmen attempted a spot of fishing and the children loved visiting the kids club.
The big day finally arrived and Mia looked simply stunning in her custom made Elizabeth De Varga Gown.
The bridesmaids wore the most amazing coloured coral coloured dresses from Two Birds Bridesmaids. The bouquets were Dark Pink Gingers for the bride and Light Pink Gingers for the Bridesmaids. 
The men all looked fantastic in their suits from Roger David. We love the pops of colour from the ties against the suits!
The ceremony was held in the Chapel on the beautiful grounds of the Sheraton.
With the sun setting and the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, the guests made their way to the reception which was set up on a grassed area right on the ocean’s edge. What a magical setting!
Mia and Aaron were so happy with how everything went on their wedding day with only positive feedback about the whole experience ‘Even though some things didn’t always run according to plan, there were never any issues as with the help of Chelsea (in the lead up) and then, with the beautiful wedding co-ordinators at our resort, everything was seen to and adjustments were made seamlessly and effortless’.
When we asked Mia to choose a highlight from her day she found it hard to choose just one and said ‘The whole week spent in Fiji was just perfect. Not only did we have a wedding day, but we got to have a wedding week shared with our most closest and dearest friends and family’.
Finally, Mia gave couples planning a wedding in Fiji some great advice ‘Trust in your wedding planner – she has done this more times than you count on your hands and toes. The relationship that Chelsea has with the Fijian wedding suppliers is invaluable, and knowing that she was able to help create for us what we had envisioned for our magical day is priceless!’.
A big thank you to Nadi Bay Photography for the beautiful photos.
When Phoebe and Josh were searching for a location for their wedding, they stumbled across an image of a beautiful chapel that sat in the middle of what looked like pure paradise. Phoebe jokingly said ‘wherever that chapel is, we HAVE to get married there!’. After a little research they discovered it was in Fiji and that was that. They had found the perfect location for their ceremony!
The location was the beautiful Sheraton Fiji, situated on the tropical oasis of Denarau Island. Because neither Phoebe or Josh had been to Fiji before, let alone planned a wedding, they decided to hire Chelsea Jayne Weddings to help make the experience stress free.
When we asked Phoebe if she would recommend hiring a wedding planner she said: ‘Absolutely, 100%. I wish I had of known just how easy Chelsea would make it all. Everything flowed beyond perfectly and was organised to a superb standard. We have a very busy schedule – with an almost 8 yr old daughter who loves her sports, both of us working and 2 pets to look after. Having Chelsea enabled us to have the wedding of our dreams (even better actually) without minimal stress or lost time.’
Phoebe looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day in her champagne coloured gown ‘Aphrodesia’ by Airs & Graces.
Josh and his groomsmen looked the part in suits by Milano, ties and shirts by Hardy Amies London and shoes by Julius Marlow.
The bridesmaids completed this picture perfect bridal party in two different styles of dresses both in ivory from the ‘Modern Vintage Bridesmaids’ Collection by Alfred Angelo.
Looking back on her wedding day Phoebe couldn’t choose just one highlight from the day. She said two aspects of the day that really stood out for her were the entertainment (Polynesian/Fire Dancing) and the food (the Deluxe Buffet) which she said was seriously the best. She said there was SO much food and she had guests who said they would have come all that way for the food alone!
Instead of a traditional hens and bucks party, Phoebe and Josh were joined by their guests for a day cruise around the islands with a pit stop at Musket Cove. There they enjoyed a delicious lunch, some snorkelling and some fun and games on the island. Endless amounts of drinks and snacks were also included on the cruise and it sounded like such a terrific day. Both Phoebe and Josh highly recommend this fun day trip.
Phoebe and Josh spent 10 nights at the Sheraton resort. They said it was magical. They were impressed by the lovely staff and the delicious food. They said the best part of it was the Starwood Privilege Card which covered the villas and the Westin restaurants also. To learn more about the Starwood Membership Programme visit http://www.starprivilege-pacific.com.
As for a honeymoon….Josh says ‘No official “honeymoon” on our own yet, we might have to go back to Fiji!.
We asked Phoebe and Josh what advice they would give a couple organising a wedding in Fiji and they both agreed that you should definitely hire a wedding planner, relax, do not stress and be patient…..you are on Fiji time! This advice worked perfectly for them when they woke up on their wedding day to rainy, grey skies. Their stress free attitude got them through a location change for their reception. As Phoebe said herself ‘everything will be perfect!’.
We love getting feedback from our clients and this is what Phoebe had to say about her experience with Chelsea Jayne Weddings: ‘Chelsea is so accommodating. There was literally nothing that we wanted that she didn’t make happen. Thank you Chelsea from the bottom of our hearts. You are extremely good at what you do, and because of you – our wedding day was organised to perfection without us barely lifting a finger. Thank you.’
Also a big thank you to Sabrina Horn Photography (http://sabrina-horn.com) for the amazing photos.
The Sheraton Fiji is one of our most popular resorts for weddings. Christie and Cameron had holidayed in Fiji previously and loved the relaxed feel and lovely people. They wanted to capture that for their day and have a low stress wedding for them, their families and guests.
A very big thank you to Michelle from Cheer Photography for these beautiful images.
The ceremony was held on the Sheraton Beachfront and a reception followed on the Villa Pool Deck at the Sheraton Denarau Villas.
Christies dress was custom made from Hilde Heim in Enogerra, Brisbane. Satin bodice with layers of silk mesh skirt. Lovely and cool, easy to move in and great choice for the Fiji weather.
Cameron’s outfit was from Rodger David, and the groomsmen wore charcoal suits with navy ties and pocket squares to match the bridesmaids.
The bridesmaids wore navy dresses from Baccini and Hill, Melbourne. The dresses were cotton with a satin weave so they looked luxurious but were very cool.
The highlight of the day apart from marrying Cameron was the reception. Great speeches, wonderful MC, excellent entertainment. It was an amazing party that continued well into the night.
Prior to the wedding their guests went on a day or half day cruise out to the islands with South Sea Cruises. The boys went deep sea fishing and caught some tuna which they brought back and the Flying Fish who cooked it for them.
We asked Christie what advice would she give couples organising a wedding in Fiji?
Do what makes you happy (as a couple, no one else).Get a wedding planner and enjoy the process as much as possible. If that means doing heaps of DIY things to take over or just letting the resort take care of everything it’s up to you.
Men will never spend hours on Pintrest or Goggling the various flower types available at your time of year so just do the research and let them pick from a few choices!
Do an engagement session with your photographer, especially if you have never met them face to face or have never had professional photos. It really put us at ease and meant we knew what to do on the wedding day and that helped make for great photos and speed up the photo process.
Is there anything you would have changed about your wedding day?
We would have organised a friend or staff member to have champagne and beers for the bridal party during photos. It’s very rushed after the ceremony and photos do take a while.
We asked Christie Why she choose Chelsea Jayne Weddings to help plan her wedding-
We chose to hire a wedding planner due to the logistics of planning a wedding overseas and the fact that we were unable to travel to Fiji to source and try our own suppliers we thought having someone with the experience and recommendations would benefit us.
Would you recommend hiring a wedding planner?
Yes! Absolutely after hearing other brides’ experiences (Fiji and Australian weddings) I would recommend it. Having Chelsea doing the hard yards meant we could focus on the day without the stress of chasing up quotes, slow replies to emails etc. We were able to enjoy the wedding preparation process which I think a lot of people don’t get to do as they have to communicate with so many people.
