The average concept of a videographer from what I have seen locally is one guy holding a consumer camera (not a professional one) and another guy holding a huge light which is shone in your face to whiten you out and bring up all the imperfections that layers of painstakingly applied foundation was meant to conceal.

In Fiji  with regards to videographers we have low end and high end videographers and not too many good value for money videographers to fill in the middle. None the less here is the name of a local company that does half decent work.

1. Skylight Productions (Suva)

I may stand corrected in this regard, I did meet a videographer at a Wedding I coordinated a few weeks ago and other then the initial introductions he was not seen again (as in he wasn't in everyone's way) will have a look at the final outcome if it is any good then I shall put the company's details on this page quick smart.

Memory fades even of your most important day, so it is important to make sure you capture the images of your Wedding day. I recommend looking through carefully the photographer's portfolio and together with your fiancé decide on what style of photography you want for your Wedding photos then discuss this with your chosen photographer.

Personally I prefer a mix of posed and candid shots rather then the all staged photos, like all the choices in your Wedding your photographer will be someone that suits your taste, style and the all important budget.

Here in Fiji most photographers are not ‘qualified', there are a few but most are people with passion for photography which has developed over the years into their source of income. Again as with everything reliability is another important factor you must consider when choosing your photographer, last thing you need to worry about is delaying your wedding because there is no photographer in sight.

As in the case with everything before you even start looking at the photographers available, make sure you know what you can afford this will help guide you towards a photographer that is in your budgeted price range.

Here are a list of photographers in Fiji that currently have Wedding Packages:

(Note I have put where they are based, however that does not mean they cannot do work in other parts of Fiji)

• Adi Nacola (Suva)
• Bill Cambell (Nadi)
• Bruce Southwick ( Suva)
• Isoa Tokaelau (Nadi)

So important! Your make up and hair for your Wedding day. A good makeup artist should make you look like a natural blushing bride and not like a drag queen. Some of us are just better at applying make up then others, I for one, know I do a half decent job on myself however I know I have a long way to go in comparison to some of my friends who apply makeup with such flair and precision.

If you are one of the lucky ones that does a good job yourself then I would recommend doing your own make up for the big day. Having said that I recommend practice in the weeks leading up to your Wedding and make sure you have a full stock of everything you need (bonus you keep the make up you use if you do it yourself, and we all know good makeup ain't cheap).

The last thing you need is for your foundation to run out after you have only applied it to half of your face or something drastic.

Trust me, its those little things that we take for granted that have run out or cannot be found when you need it, as well as that chances are if you run out on the day and make a dash to the local retailers to get "Product xyz" you are more then likely to get the response "Sorry we are out of stock" followed by "I have no idea when the next shipment is due".

Those exact phrases I have been on the receiving end from a particular retailer (no names mentioned of course" from December 2007 when I first walked in to get a refill of "Product xyz" and believe it or not June arrives, I trotted along to the same retailer thinking 6 months for an international brand surely is plenty of time for re-stocking. Can you take a wild guess as to the responses I received when I made my request?

Anyway getting back to the point check and double check on the little things such as lipstick, gloss, foundation etc if you are doing it youself practice and make sure you have everything you need (full bottles & tubes).

Now the same goes for hair, you can do it yourself, however I actually love getting my hair done it makes me feel special and you are special, it is your special day it's your Wedding day. So I recommend getting a hairdresser in to make sure your hair looks fabulous.

Locals

Make sure you let your hairdresser know the occasion that is happening after your booking as in "I am getting married you are going to make me in to a beautiful bride"...no pressure of course. I would recommend checking out other hairdressers as back up I have a very good reason for this its called reliability.

Short story: I had to MC a launch event, my fabulous hairdresser was fully booked for that particular day so I asked around an was recommended another hairdresser who was supposed to be excellent with styling for functions. Fine, I make my booking for the day of the event at 3.00pm I think it was because the event started at 6pm and the plan was I go straight from the hairdressers to the event as they were near each other. So here I am, I turn up at 2.45pm for my 3pm looking fabulous minus the hair of course. I advise the receptionist that I am here for my 3pm appointment then take a seat and look for the latest trashy magazine to read.

Lots of whispering and consulting (staff at the salon I am referring to here) later they advise me that they cannot do my hair as the person booked to do my hair (who might I add is also the owner of the salon) has not turned up for work today and all other hairdressers were midway through appointments and would not be able to get my hair done in time (I have very thick, long hair). Calls to the mobile of "missing in action" hairdresser proved futile, and finally after 10 minutes of my huffing and puffing the receptionist told me it was pointless as "missing in action" hairdresser was last seen ‘full cut at a local watering hole the night before" (Fiji Guest translation: Full Cut can also be described as: drunk, wasted, intoxicated, plastered) and that the same thing happened the previous weekend.

I asked "what about the other appointments for that day?.. what happened to them?" Response: A shug of the shoulders followed by "Can't do much".

Happy Ending: I ran over to my Fabulous Hairdresser Elaine(heavily pregnant at the time) who was just locking up after her last customer. Elaine saved the day by doing something fabulous (what exactly I don't know) but the end result was only 10 minutes later and it was great. Moral of story: Make sure they are reliable, ask around and get a back up hairdresser just in case.

Fiji Guests

If you need to get your highlights touched up or your color needs a bit of a lift I recommend getting it done at home with your local hair dresser who knows what you want, what you like, what you are used to at least 1 or 2 weeks before you depart for your Fabulous Fiji Wedding! I have had my hair done in Brisbane, Sydney and London and I would still chose my fabulous local hair dresser Elaine over any other, so the same would apply to you, finding a good hair dress is no easy feat so stick with what works. I would still recommend getting a hairdresser for your Fabulous Fiji Wedding just for styling for the day.

• Edge Hair Design (Complete bias here, this is Elaine my fabulous hair dresser's salon)

Flowers are not cheap, it is always best to consult with the florist to find out what is in bloom at the time of the year you are having your Wedding. Fiji does have beautiful local flowers that can be used for all aspects of your wedding, where needed, flowers can also be flown into the country, time and budget allowing of course.

Fiji is small by comparison to our neighbors such as Australia and New Zealand and this is reflected in the number of specialty type organizations such as florists.

There are a number of florists in Fiji, listed below are the florists that I have previously used without any complaint:

• Maroi Flowers
• Tadra Flowers

 

Many faith's are practiced in Fiji with the most predominate being Christianity, Hinduism and the Muslim faith.

Being a practicing member of your faith, you are already aware of the traditions and customs. Having said that I do still strongly recommend getting in touch with your church for an initial meeting to discuss your Wedding plans before beginning any ‘Wedding Planning' for a number of reasons' availability and clarification of traditions being the most important.

The following is a list of the places of worship for the main faiths across Fiji:

(Church Details from the Yellow Pages, Capacity information provided by Father Matai Cokonasiga of St. Christopher's Church, Nadi)

Methodist Church

At the time of the uploading of this site, I have called several times for this information however I have not had a response, as soon as it is provided to me I will upload Church details.

Catholic Church

At the time of the uploading of this site I have spoken to the HQ of the church in Suva who will be getting back to me with the information requested. As soon as I have it will be uploaded. (Request date: Thursday 19^th June 2008)

Image: Courtesy of Sheraton Fiji

                                    Image: Courtesy of Island Hoppers

Carried to the venue by Warriors? Arrive in your own charted helicopter? Turn up in a ‘Grunting' speed boat or simply turn up in a chauffer driven Mercedes Benz. You do have a number of options for your Wedding Transportation the key deciding factors in determining this is as always budget however accessibility and availability of your chosen mode of transport will make the decision for you.

Depending on the venue of your Wedding (Ceremony & Reception) your three major modes of transportation on Viti Levu, (Fiji's largest main island, were Nadi Airport is situated) you have the option of seat in vehicle (normally a bus) or a private car transfer. If you can afford it a chauffeur driven Mercedes Benz is a nice way to arrive in style. Local Inbound operator Coral Sun Fiji or Imaam's Taxi service offer this option. Your other choice would be to hire a vehicle from a reputable Rental Car company such as Avis or Hertz and dress it up and organize for someone (reliable) to be your driver.

If you are getting married at one of the outer island resorts such as Castaway Island or Matamanoa Island Resort you can always ask for other options available for example by Canoe, Speedboat or Helicopter maybe? Just keep in mind the practicality of your arrival, arriving by helicopter might sound fabulous, however as we know the last thing you need after having your hair done is wind.

Fiji has a relatively complex transport set up considering its size, so the transport needed for your Wedding is heavily reliant on the venue you choose.

For locals, the usual suspects is a good place to start in your search for your wedding rings Tappoo, Prouds, Lord's Jeweller's and Boomerang. (If you know of any others please email me so I can add to the list) the responsibility of looking after the rings before the weddings falls in the very capable (we hope) lap of the Best Man.

When you think of it, the Best Man has two of the most important roles in any wedding firstly the safe keeping of the symbol of your love, the wedding rings then followed by the all important Best Man's speech which will either leave your guests rolling in laughter or wondering who on earth is this drunk blithering idiot.

(Image: Courtesy of Adi Nacola, Rings from Fiji Wedding's Coordinated Wedding)

Once you have become engaged and decided on a date for your wedding, it is important that you make an appointment with your local church/ place of worship to discuss your wedding plans and preparations with the priest. This is important to ensure that both the priest and church are available on the date you have set for your Wedding.

$ It is not expected, however, do plan in your wedding budget a donation for the church.

Should you wish to get married outside of the church at a venue where both the ceremony and reception are being held (this is becoming more popular) you can either request that your local priest officiate the ceremony at the venue (ask them first, do not assume that they are able to do so) or you can hire a celebrant to officiate your wedding ceremony.

# Punctuality is important; you need to ensure your celebrant is clear about the time they are expected to turn up

Fiji Guests:

Having a celebrant officiate your wedding ceremony is the most commonly practiced option, however if you are interested in getting married at a church of your religious denomination ask your local wedding planner to find out if this is possible.

$ As you are not a local member of the church do plan in your wedding budget a donation for the church.

Once your Marriage license is issued you can now take part in your wedding ceremony where you will be given a Wedding Certificate which is signed by:

• - Bride & Groom
• - Witnesses
• - Officant of the ceremony (Priest/ Celebrant)

Obviously this is an important document so I recommend having a folder for it and give the responsibility to the Maid of Honor to look after it, leaving it on the head table during the reception is just begging for food and wine to be spilt on it.

(Image Courtesy of Sports & Events Management, Wedding coordinated by Fiji Weddings 2008)

Overseas visitors intending to get married in Fiji are required by law to obtain and sign a marriage license from the nearest marriage registry prior to the marriage ceremony with an average of 36 hours in advance. Special arrangements can also be organized. The couple must provide the following personal documents to the Registrar for verification purposes at least two weeks before the wedding:

• Original birth certificates for the bride and groom
• Valid passport
• If applicable, divorce papers
• If previous spouse is deceased, a death certificate
• Certificate of Single Status or Certificate of No Legal Impediment must be produced if:
  • Marriage between a Fiji citizen and a foreign citizen
  • Marriage by former citizens of Fiji
  • Marriage between foreign citizens residing in Fiji
• Marriage applicants with visitors' visas or bona fide tourists to Fiji from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, and EEC countries are exempted from the above requirement. Different rules apply for some other countries.
• Marriage applicants from Japan must produce the Koseki-Shouhon to certify their personal details.
• Written parental consent is required if either party is under 21 years of age
• Two witnesses who are 21years of age and over must be present

(Information courtesy of Fiji Visitors Bureau)

Fiji in a "Nutshell"

The name Fiji comes from the Tongan name for the islands and was given to the archipelago after the arrival of the Europeans. Fiji has over 300 islands and English is the National language, locals also speak in their native tongue so quite often you will find locals can speak up to 3 languages (Fijian, Hindi and English).  As a nation we are made up of a number of racial group's with the two major groups being indigenous Fijian's (they are the smiling faces you see on all Fiji promotional material), Indo - Fijian's is the other major racial group then their is the rest of 'us others' that make up the minority of the population here in Fiji. We (the minority) are made up of other Pacific Islanders, European's  and everything else that does not fit into either of the two major races, my favorite term is 'fruit salad' we have a bit of everything!

Like all countries we have a 'colorful' and interesting history, if your visit to Fiji takes you to our Capital Suva do try and visit the Fiji Museum to learn more about the history in particular you get to see what club work's best to break a neck or if you prefer check out the ‘brain picker' and yes, Fiji's history does include cannibalism.

Where is the action?

When you arrive...

Firstly you arrive at the Nadi International Airport ( Fiji's only International Airport) if you have pre-booked your stay then you will be met by local ground operators (don't worry they all have sign's up so it's hard to get lost) if you haven't already made your bookings then walk straight ahead and they have an information booth there based on what you are looking for they will recommend a couple of operators that have their offices based at the airport where you can book your accommodation, transportation and any tours & cruises you are interested in.

Where to stay...

Fiji has a full range of accommodation from budget backpacker through to 5 star resorts and beyond that we have some amazing ‘Billionaire's playground properties' so don't feel pressured into booking accommodation beyond your budget you do have options.

The main tourism belt is firstly the ‘Jet Set' town of Nadi there are a number of hotels and motels within walking distance of the Airport, beyond this we have Denerau Island which is the home to international chains  such as The Hilton, Accor's Sofitel Resort, Starwoods Sheraton Fiji, Sheraton Villa's and The Westin. Also on Denerau Island is Port Denerau the main water gate way to outer islands.  The outer Islands off Nadi are grouped into The Mamanuca's and the Yasawa Islands they host a range of accommodation again from budget through to luxury this is were you will find your postcard perfect beaches and swaying palm tree's.  Depending on your flight arrival time most people choose to go straight out to the Islands or the Coral Coast and if time does not permit (late night arrival's etc) the norm is to spend the night in Nadi before traveling on to your main destination. The Nadi area used be the pit stop for the Coral Coast and the Outer Islands, however with the continued development of Denerau Island it has become a destination in it's own right.

An hour's drive from Nadi International airport the first of a number of hotels that makes up the Coral Coast can be found, Fiji's largest resort The Shangri La's Fijian resort a great property, particularly for families like other parts of Fiji the Coral Coast has a range of accommodation options available. Further on from the Coral Coast and a 45 minute drive from the Capital Suva City is Pacific Harbour it is far enough from the city to be ‘away from it all' but still close enough to be an easy drive away from the ‘action' so to speak.  

Outside of Viti Levu there is Vanua Levu the 2^nd largest island that makes up the group of the Fiji Islands, Savusavu town (of which I am proud to say my Grandfather was the first Mayor) is popular amongst yachting enthusiasts and those looking for a step into the slow lane. Fiji can be said to be on ‘Fiji Time' which really mean's nothing is ever done on time (if you are looking at it from a business perspective) or time to switch off and enjoy the flow if you are looking at it from a holiday point of view. Now Savusavu at least for me takes Fiji Time and slows the pace down even more but hey that's my opinion.

What to do...

There truly is more to Fiji then lying on the beach sipping cocktails, obviously the majority of visitors to our shores have that as their plan and that's great. However if you would like to venture out from the traditional surf, sand and sun routine Fiji has a lot more to offer then most realize.

Coming Soon...

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