Elopement in Moorea

Jason and Yien Sing eloped to the beautiful island of Moorea in French Polynesia.  Originally from Malaysia and currently living in Phoenix, AZ, the two caught a flight across the world to one of the most picturesque, clear blue water locales on earth.  The duo said “I do” with just the two of them present (along with a few locals to enhance the ceremonial experience).  We asked the couple who wed without friends and family surrounding them if that was a unique experience.  The answer?  They certainly never felt alone as the love was pouring in from all directions.  “We wouldn’t say that we had no guests present, tourists from all around the world were blessing us, the friendly hotel staffs, the fishes, the singing birds and the ocean. We couldn’t have asked for more.”

So many factors go into the wedding location selection – the guest count, cost, view, amenities, and other material needs.  But Jason and Yien Sing had different reasons for selecting Moorea as their destination wedding spot.  They shared with us, “Chinese describes a solemn love as mountain and sea because a pledge of love should be as firm as a mountain and as wide as an ocean. In Chinese also an eternal love last till the sea dries up and the rocks are rotten. This is the reason we chose Moorea over other islands.  Moorea has very beautiful mountains and spectaculars bay.”

The ceremony infused local culture and bright vibrant colors, both of which we just can’t get enough of!  “The ceremony was fun, special, warm and natural.  The Polynesians are very loving and friendly. They are also very good dancers and musicians; we just love the simplicity of the ceremony, too organic! We felt the Mother Nature’s hugs throughout.” 

What was this blessing of paper, we asked.  “Well, we registered in the U.S and had a symbolic ceremony in Moorea, so regarding the paper, it’s a piece of certificate made from tree bark with our vows and Tahitian names written on it. The leaf was placed in between the bride and the groom’s hand and then the high priest poured coconut water on our hands. We don’t remember what is symbolic of the leaf but our guess is to seal our vows.”  Love this!  A great idea if you don’t meet the legal requirements to wed at your destination.

When the wedding was said and done, the newlyweds remained on property for a week, enjoying the sun and sand on their romantic Moorea honeymoon.  “We knew that resorts in French Polynesia are known to decorate the newlyweds room, the wedding coordinator was so sweet, they tried to find out what time we were out for our romantic diner and they snuck into our room and decorated it with fresh fragrant tropical flowers and flickering candles all over and filled up the Jacuzzi tub with colorful flowers.”

“Another surprise was from our next door neighbors, Rick and Gary.  They saw our ceremony and felt touched so they bought us a local souvenir as our wedding gift and had the hotel staff deliver the gift together with the wishing to our room.”

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

 Destination Wedding Photographer: Helene Havard Photography

Wedding Location & Honeymoon: Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa