Getting Hitched...

When I visited my mother in Fiji at the end of 1998, it was only meant to be a holiday, but when I went out one evening to see a blues band, I was introduced to a tall, dark and handsome man by the name of George. It was an electric meeting that we now know was written in the stars, providing the first chapter in the story of our life together…

Totally captivated by one another, our flirtatious friendship was bursting with magnetic energy and, in April 1999, it inevitably led to our first kiss. We quickly found ourselves in that giddy, dreamy, gasp out loud kind of love that makes you feel as if you’re dancing on top of the world.

We ended up working at the same university and it wasn’t long before we moved in together. We simply couldn’t get enough of each other and floated through those warm, magical days in a blissfully happy haze.

One day, in October, we were in our little rented house overlooking the Pacific Ocean, when George seemed to be constantly glancing out of the window with a look of concern. I soon realized why, when the flower delivery van turned up at the gate. With a beautiful bouquet in one hand and a sparkling ring in the other, this wonderful man, who had become the centre of my universe, went down on bended knee and asked me to marry him. I was totally over the moon. I couldn’t imagine a world without my amazing soul mate, so of course I said yes.

With a limited budget and lots of family members half way across the world, we decided that travelling to another beautiful South Pacific country for an intimate beach wedding would be the perfect plan. I bought a little white dress from a surf shop in town and purchased a pretty evening dress on sale from another store for the bargain price of F$10 (about three British pounds!).

A couple of months later we jetted off to Samoa and spent the first night at Aggie Grey’s Hotel in the sleepy capital, Apia, on the island of Upolu. We felt as if we were on a breathtaking adventure, caught up in a euphoric whirl that wouldn’t let us go, even when I temporarily lost my engagement ring in the swimming pool!

We later drove to Coconuts Beach Club resort, on the South Coast, and checked into our perfect tree house style room, connected to the hotel by an elevated wooden walkway. We were encouraged to have an early evening ceremony, because the days were so hot, but we preferred the idea of a sunny afternoon affair so we stuck with our plan. I’d always imagined being barefoot for the occasion, but, after getting ready, I quickly realized that the ground was burning hot and I needed footwear to get to the beach, so I had to wear my old flip flops, which were looking gloriously shabby after being chewed by our dogs at home! Meanwhile the curls in my freshly styled hair were rapidly dropping out in the humidity, but I didn’t care at all…I still felt like a princess, shining in one of the starring roles of a fairy tale.

The beach scene was stunning, with a gorgeous floral wedding arch set against the backdrop of a sublime tropical beach. With just us, the vicar, a photographer and a young man and woman from the local village who acted as witnesses, we exchanged vows on that perfect afternoon on December 7th, 1999. It was one of the best days of my life; beautifully whimsical, perfect in it’s simplicity and radiant with love. I was gleaming with feelings I wish I could bottle and go back to for another dose, just to relive the all-encompassing magic.

The hotel manager then came to the beach with a bottle of champagne and we made a toast to our future before walking back to the hotel to sign our marriage certificate and eat cake. Brandishing my new gold wedding ring, I truly thought I was the luckiest girl in the world.

When George carried me back through the door to our room, as tradition dictates, I found that he’d arranged for our bed to be covered in flower petals. And just then, the rain started to pour…if we’d had an early evening wedding it would have been a wash out. The day couldn’t have panned out more immaculately. If I had to do it all again I wouldn’t change a thing, it was so idyllic in every way.

By the time we were ready for dinner, the rain had stopped and we took our places at a candlelit table for two on the beach, enjoying our first meal together as husband and wife under the impressively star studded sky.

We spent our honeymoon touring Samoa, travelling around Upolu and the other main island of Savaii. We drove through exquisitely maintained little villages, decorated with colourful flowers and dotted with fales (circular, wall-less wooden structures) along the beachfront, where relaxed locals seemed to spend a lot of time taking it easy in the heat of the afternoon.

We sunbathed on powdery white beaches and wallowed in the turquoise sea, endlessly captivated by our beautiful surroundings and each other, riding the high of being a new Mr and Mrs. It seemed almost surreal when we happened upon an isolated Italian restaurant one evening, where we spent the night eating delicious pasta while listening to opera music. It was if we were living in our own dreamlike world where we didn’t know what would happen next, but we knew it would be good!

When we were waiting to board our flight back to Fiji, I remember feeling really touched by the benevolence of an elderly New Zealand couple. The departure tax counter wouldn’t accept cards, there was no cashpoint machine and we’d spent all our money, so they paid the fee for us on the understanding that we’d pay them back at the airport in Fiji. ‘We couldn’t see you left behind’, they said. It’s a moment that always reminds me of the powerful impact of a simple act of kindness and reaffirms my faith in human nature. The same couple asked if we were on our ‘OE’ (a New Zealand term for ‘Overseas Experience’, time spent travelling to and exploring other countries, the equivalent of a gap year in the UK). I suppose we must have looked so young and fresh faced. We were very proud to explain that we’d actually been in Samoa to get married.

Back in Fiji we enjoyed a Reception with family and friends which was quickly followed by Christmas and New Years Eve…a highly anticipated evening that marked the dawn of a new millennium. It was a month packed full of delightful celebrations and we said goodbye to the 20th Century with a spring in our steps, love in our hearts and smiles etched onto our sun-kissed faces.

Three months ago, George and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary and I can honestly say that my love for him only grows stronger as the years roll by. He’s the perfect husband and an amazing father to our six children. My best friend, team mate and confidante, he completes me on every level, supporting me in everything that I do while working extremely hard and consistently putting our family first. That wondrous day in Samoa marked the start of an enchanted journey that we continue to enjoy and I’m eternally thankful that I found such an outstanding man to share my life with.