It was just how it should have been. It was the perfect day.
Relying on the weather for an outdoor beach side wedding, we knew we were taking our chances. And we had a backup plan, but it didn’t matter. Because the weather couldn’t have been better. The skies were completely clear, the sun was shining white hot and a good breeze kept us cool and was pushing in the tide.
Tara was stunningly beautiful. She didn’t just look like my bride, she looked like my Queen. And I couldn’t have been more proud in my life. In her hair was a crown of tiny flowers of red, white, yellow and orange and her eyes seemed to glow despite the brilliant sunlight. We were both so happy.
It was a private ceremony. Besides Reverend Tuiwai and the four guitarists serenading us there was only Eugene and his wife Tima who were present to witness the marriage and their five year old daughter Mary who was both our flower girl and ring bearer. I said my vows and somewhere in there I remember saying “I do” twice by mistake. I’m sure it was symbolic somehow. And then I watched Tara say her vows and the little oceans in her smiling eyes began to overflow. It was when Reverend Tuiwai had us hold each others right hand and placed his right hand on ours that the moment seemed the most real. Even Eugene commented on it later, the old softy. He got all teary eyed and had to look away. And right there on the prettiest little beach in Vanua Levu Fiji we were pronounced husband and wife and I was told I could finally kiss the bride.
After signing our marriage license and toasting with some rum punch, we got into our vehicles and made our way back to the house. The band came with us up to the house and played for another couple hours as the guests started to arrive. It wasn’t long before all the friends we’ve made during our six month stay here in Savusavu were standing on the deck with a drink in hand and having a great time. The day before the wedding Smokey and Usa decorated the outside of the house by taking coconut tree leaves and braiding them around the eight posts of the house and then dressing the leaves with ginger flowers and vines. On the day of the wedding Smokey and Usa were our barbequers extraordinaire, cooking up the countless lamb chops and fish steaks that Eugene and Tima had marinated and prepared the night before. It was strange, after spending so much time here in the house by ourselves with the odd guest up for a quiet lunch or dinner, to have the house so full of people all laughing and talking and enjoying themselves so much. Tima made our cake and it was beautiful and when it came time to cut it Tara and I said speeches and of course forgot to thank or even mention so many people. Then we each grabbed a handful of cake and shoved it each others face. For sure I got the worse end of that particular event. It took me a few minutes in the bathroom to remove cake from my nostrils.
Despite requesting that nobody bring gifts…we received gifts. A weaved straw mat designed and decorated for chiefs, a traditional wood carved shallow kava bowl with mother-of-pearl inlays and a wood set of coasters. All of which we have to figure out a way to fit into our luggage by the end of the week.
The party was a hit. Everyone had a great time and had such lovely things to say to us about it for a whole week afterwards. None of it would have happened without the help of Eugene and Tima Wong and the rest of their family, so to them we are eternally grateful. We want to thank our family and friends who accepted the fact that we were getting married in such a far away place and we love everyone for their patience and understanding. Thanks to my brother Cory for recording his version of the song Over the Rainbow/It’s a Beautiful World which we must have played forty times over the course of the evening and brought us home a little.
