Wedding in Paradise

In our own way we Kate and I each took advantage of the location on the morning (and afternoon for me) of our wedding at Lagoon Beach.

Kate and the girls did some snorkelling around the lagoon followed by, what I'm sure was way too many cocktails (at least I was sober when I said my vows). An early disaster was averted when, after not appearing within a reasonable Island Time of the scheduled time Kate called the hair and makeup people to find that their booking had gone astray. No worries as they were soon organised and over to Lagoon Beach. As one of the ex-pats said, “here, you can organise a big event with a moment's notice but try to organise it a week in advance...”

Tim and I headed down to the Australian High Commission to see the passport people (the second passport disaster of the trip was for someone to wash and dry a passport with their clothes) and then to Numbawan cafe for a Tanna Coffee and internet access. Despite the persistent, sometimes heavy rain Tim and I went for a paddle up to Emden Lagoon.

While we were having fun the staff were busy preparing the resort (in the rain) by mowing the grass, clearing the paths, and decorating the Nakamal leaves and flowers from the gardens around the resort, not to mention preparing the Melanesian feast of fruits, Vanuatu salads, roast chicken, whole poulet fish, a coconut crab and Vabuatu beef.

In many respects the wedding and reception itself was like any other save for a few differences. Kate was supposed to arrive by outrigger Canoe but the rain meant otherwise so instead she arrived by one of the local buses (think maxi-taxi and you'll have an idea of what serves as the certainly tens, maybe hundreds of buses cruising around Vila ready to take you anywhere around town for 150 vatu). As planned her arrival was announced by conch shell while several Kastom warriors sang her to the wedding arch, which instead of being on the beach (as planned) was out of most of the rain at the edge of the Nakamal. Pastor Gideon conducted the civil service (after arriving late, organising his papers, and switching off his mobile after it rang moments into the service) much like any, he said some stuff, we said some vows, someone read something, exchanged some expensive bits of metal, kissed, signed the paper work yada yada yada...

It was then onto the nibbles and cocktails, photos in the now light rain, followed by our banquet. brief speeches, first dance, desert... like any other wedding. Throughout there was some table tennis and some beach volley ball. Then, somehow, almost everyone ended up in the pool, most sipping cocktails, wines or Tuskers, a few even smoking cigars, and Kate swimming in her dress (I'd dispensed with all the formal attire except for the tie). Just like any other wedding really, but somehow different.