Elopement at the Shangri La, Fiji

Elopement / Shangri La, Fiji / 0 Comment / October 9, 2019

It all started on an online dating website but from the first date they knew it was the right fit. A couple of years later Melanie and Geoffrey had a small wedding at the Shangri La Fiji with only their parents and siblings : 10 of them in total. The ceremony was held at an art deco style cabana by the ocean.

These are Melanie’s words :

Why did you choose Fiji? And why that particular location?

We were going on a family holiday to the Shangri-La and decided to get married while we were all together. We wanted an intimate, family wedding and couldn’t think of a better time or place to get married. We kept it pretty simple and went with the recommendations of the resort.

Who was your hair and make up done by? Any comments?

The resort salon did my hair, it fell out during the ceremony and I wasn’t really happy with that part but it did look good enough for the photos. I actually had a hair extension piece made for my hair but I don’t think the hairdresser was really experienced with hair pieces so it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I took it out after we finished dinner and before we went to the bar for a drink. I also did my own makeup, I don’t wear a lot of make up and wanted to stay as natural as possible.

How was the ceremony?
We went with more of a family style ceremony. Tyler is my son from a previous relationship and Geoff has taken to the role of step-father like a duck to water. Tyler adores Geoff and vice versa. Geoff and I exchanged our vows to one another then we included Tyler in our “family vows”. We made promises to each other as a family. We felt it was important to include Tyler in our ceremony as the day was about us coming together as a family.

What did you think about the photographer?

Anais Chaine Photography ended up being so thorough and a really important part of our day. She took the time to get to know us and we couldn’t have asked for a better photographer to suit us as a family. We wanted natural and fun shots to reflect us as a family and it was exactly what we got.

Any tips for future brides?

My advice is to go with the flow. We ended up with a windy afternoon but some things are out of
your control. Everything may not be perfect or how you envisioned it to be but your wedding day is not about the flowers or the dress or the weather. It’s about celebrating the love you have for each other and your future together. So if your hair isn’t just right or the food wasn’t what you wanted, don’t let it get to you, enjoy your day and look back on the things that went wrong with fond memories and laughter.
I will always remember laughing and playing on the beach after the ceremony. Watching our family enjoy the day as much as we did. It was a perfect day (despite the rain, the wind, my hair and the cake). My son and I walked down the aisle together with Geoff to form our new family. Geoff’s face was lit up with pride and love. I knew saying my vows would be emotional but I practiced them a hundred times with ease, I ended up getting one sentence out before I started crying! It was a funny moment and everyone shared a few tears and had a laugh together. Tyler was also excited to be included in the ceremony and was emotional when Geoff and I said our words of love to him.

After the ceremony we laughed and played on the beach and even got caught by a sneaky wave
which ruined Geoff’s shoes and mine but it was so funny! The rest of our photo shoot was in squishy shoes but it just added to the memory of the day.”

Dress : Affordable Bridal in Canberra.

Groom shirt : Myer.

Flowers : provided by the resort.

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