Posts Tagged ‘Tourism Fiji’
Castaway Island, what a perfect place for a wedding! This pristine, private island was the ideal location for Melissa and Danny’s tropical wedding.

Melissa tells us how they met ‘We met through friends and became best friends. The rest is history!’ We loved helping these best friends create their dream day on Castaway Island.

When their guests arrived on Castaway Island, Melissa and Danny had arranged for welcome bags to be waiting in their rooms. They filled them with snacks, drinks, Pure Fiji sunscreen, lip balm, insect repellant and playing cards. Such a special touch and a great way to greet your guests.
To start the celebrations, the couple organised for a big island themed sunset cocktail party the night before the wedding. They enjoyed canapes and cocktails at sunset followed by many more cocktails and pizzas later in the night.
Melissa and Danny were married on the beach. The location couldn’t have been any more amazing!


On the day, the bride looked beautiful in a custom dress By Norma Bridal Couture.



The bridesmaid wore gowns the Stella and Samara Gowns from Bridesmaids Only and the flowergirl wore a Lace and tulle dress from KingSoleil on Etsy.

We love the casual beachside look of the groom and his groomsmen. They all wore shirts and chinos from Industrie and bow ties from Roger David.



Melissa bought silk flowers by Silkflora in Petersham to decorate the tables for the reception and for the bouquets. We think they look beautiful and what a great idea for when you can’t get the type of flowers you really want.

At the reception the guests enjoyed a seafood buffet followed by a two tier chocolate and caramel mud cake.




While the guests stayed at the bar and danced until dawn, Melissa and Danny snuck off to reminisce about their amazing day. When we asked Melissa and Danny about their whole wedding experience Melissa says ‘Aside from marrying my best friend in paradise, seeing the smiles on our guests faces every day was so special to Danny and I. Castaway is truly the most magical place we’ve ever visited and we are so blessed to now be part of the Castaway family. Nothing will ever compare to the experience we all shared together’.


We were so thrilled to help Melissa and Danny create their perfect wedding day and Melissa says ‘The whole thing would have been a nightmare if not for the fabulous Chelsea!’.
Thank you to Leezett Photography for the beautiful photos.
Diana and Bobby were married on breathtakingly, beautiful Vomo Island, one of if not our favourite place in Fiji for a romantic wedding.

A luxury private island escape with only 28 villas and 2 private residences, Vomo is home to soft sandy beaches, clear blue waters and was the perfect location for this stunning couple to celebrate their wedding day.
Diana was radiant on her big day in a strapless, white gown with a jewelled bodice.

The four bridesmaids wore pale blue knee length frocks and silver heels.

Bobby wore a classic black suit and white shirt.

Before the ceremony began, Diana and Bobby decided to have a ‘First Look’ photo session where the bride and groom get to see each other before the ceremony. We love the look on Bobby’s face as he sees Diana for the first time in her wedding gown!



The ceremony was held on the rocks beach which was set up with a fabric draped canopy and chairs for the guests.





After the ceremony the guests were invited to cocktails and canapés at the Rocks Bar while the bridal party had their photos.





The reception was held on the beach under the stars where Bobby, Diana and their guests dined on beautiful food and danced the night away.

The cake, by Taste Fiji, was delivered via helicopter on the morning of the wedding on the bestman’s lap!


At the end of the night, Bobby and Diana arranged a spectacular firework show. What a way to end their perfect day.

A big thank you to Stu & Malia Photographers and Lumen Films, who were brought over from the mainland by speedboat to capture the day.
Corinne & Mark we married at the beautiful Sheraton Fiji in September last year. They and an 11.30am ceremony followed by a lunch time reception in the Flying Fish Restaurant. Their brief to us was they wanted a pool party which was something we had not done before but I think we met the brief very well.

Corinne and Mark chose Fiji for their wedding location as they wanted a beautiful beach wedding and thought Fiji was very affordable and an absolutely gorgeous country. They also have 3 children and knew Fiji was very family friendly place.

They chose a wedding planner to ease the burden for themselves and make the experience as enjoyable and easy a possible.

“hiring a wedding planner It makes all the decisions so much easier and eases the overwhelming amount of planning that you need to do. Chelsea was great and negotiated with the Sheraton for us and organised everything! We just had to choose what we wanted”
The bride wore a lace/vintage style dress that was bought online

The groom and groomsmen wore natural coloured linen pants and white linen shirts, also bought online.

The bridesmaids wore full-length beige coloured dresses with rose detail on the chest.

They said the main highlights of the day was definitely the Kava Ceremony and jumping into the pool fully clothed.


Hair and Makeup Perfections went above and beyond, this is our favourite photo.

Prior to the wedding some of the wedding guests went Zip lining and to the Mud baths and had a great time. The day after the wedding we organised a half-day South Sea cruise with their guests which they said was very relaxing and enjoyable! They went snorkelling, paddle boarding, kayaking and relaxed with massages and highly recommend it.

“I would definitely recommend hiring a wedding planner like Chelsea as she is an expert and knows the ins and outs of a wedding in Fiji and can help to negotiate with the hotels to ensure you receive exactly what you want.”

“We had the best day of our lives! Corinne.
A big thank you to Sam from Ocean Studios for these great images.
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 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.

This week we attended the Tourism Fiji wedding workshop at the beautiful Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. It’s always a great night catching up with our contacts at the resorts and to see what new and exciting things are happing in Fiji.

Probably the most exciting thing about the evening was our session with the Sheraton Fiji. They exclusively released to us their new all inclusive wedding reception package for F$13,490 which includes the following for 30 guests
Lawn or beachfront dinner
Pre dinner canapés
Sheraton Reserve beverage package for 5 hours
Resort deluxe buffet
2 tier wedding cake with fresh flower topper
Beach Themed table settings, chair sashes, tea lights and hanging lanterns
Traditional Polynesian fire dancing show
DJ for 4 hours
Additional guest are F$250 per person up to a maximum of 50 people. Your ceremony package is additional to this price.
What great value for money!!

Following suit also was the Sofitel Fiji with their new all inclusive ceremony & reception package from F$8950 for 30 people. If you would like further information on this particular package please contact me.

The Hilton has also changed direction with their new wedding coordinator Jessica, she has extensive events experience. They have also released their new all inclusive ceremony & reception package starting at F$8000 for 30 guests. If you would like more information on this please contact me.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Paul from the new and exciting Nanuku Resort & Spa, which is located in Pacific Harbour, which is a 2.5 hours drive from Nadi airport. This new resort opened last week and it has 12 exclusive private Villas each with their own pools. All villas include, butler, nanny service, daily table d’hote menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a return Chauffeur service from the airport. I can’t wait to check this resort out.


It was a great event, lots of exciting news coming out of Fiji for the wedding market.
Chelsea Jayne Weddings has also been invited by Tourism Fiji to attend their upcoming Tourism Fiji Exchange event at the Sheraton Fiji this May. It will be an intensive week, meeting many more of the resort, and wedding suppliers, we will also be attending the opening of the New Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island.
