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January 2021

Moorea Destination wedding and a Bora Bora honeymoon

HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BORA BORA HONEYMOON AFTER A DESTINATION WEDDING IN MOOREA

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I am often asked for my advice on which Tahiti islands are the most beautiful and worth visiting. Which one is best for a destination wedding in Tahiti? Is it best to elope in Bora Bora? Which island should be booked for the honeymoon? While there is no right or wrong answer to any of those questions, I often get inquiries from couples thinking of a Bora Bora wedding. Everyone has heard of Bora Bora. It is known as the Pearl of the Pacific so for many a wedding in Bora Bora sounds like the most romantic and the obvious choice. Let me explain why I believe you are best to book a Bora Bora honeymoon rather than a Bora Bora wedding.

 

A Bora Bora Wedding Or A Bora Bora Honeymoon? Is Bora Bora The Right Place For You?

 
If you’re sold on having a Tahiti destination wedding, the first step will be to decide where to hold the celebrations. You will want to weigh up the extra budget your guests will need to travel to your chosen location at this point. The only way to reach Bora Bora is by air so there’s no way around the airfare cost if you’re having a Bora Bora wedding.

It is important that your guests feel comfortable with the extra expense to be there with you on the day. You certainly don’t want them to spend so much money traveling to your wedding locale that they just cannot enjoy their vacation in Tahiti because they’re short on cash.

 

Considering A Wedding In Bora Bora’s Cost For Your Guests Is Crucial

 
Bora Bora is known as the “romantic island” and most often visitors will stay in their resort for the entire time, enjoying the luxury facilities. Most Bora Bora resorts are indeed located on small islets off the main island, so that means you need to take shuttle boats to venture off your resort. That requires advance planning… so unless everyone is booked at your resort, it will be difficult to “meet up for a drink” when you and your guests are staying at various places.

The same goes for the wedding day itself: realistically if you’re considering holding your destination wedding in Bora Bora and are staying at a resort, all of your guests will need to commit to staying at your chosen property. You may end up having fewer people to join your celebrations if the cost of the stay doesn’t fit one’s budget. You can read more of my advice on having a wedding in Bora Bora (at a resort) in this article.

 
Moorea destination wedding guests

 
So most often, my couples will choose Moorea over Bora Bora to hold the actual wedding. Moorea is so close to the capital island of Tahiti that it can be reached with a short 30-minute ferry ride across. Not only is it very budget-friendly, but Moorea also offers a large selection of accommodation options. There you can find bed & breakfasts, small hotels, vacation rental houses & villas, or luxury resorts.

There’s something for everyone plus every accommodation is located on the main island. This allows for your guests to tour the island or plan lots of activities very easily, not to mention that meeting up for pre wedding events or activities is also made easy.

Did I mention that Moorea is also gorgeous?

Head over to these Moorea destination weddings and see for yourself!

 
Moorea destination wedding guests 2

 
However, after the wedding day/weekend/week is over and you’ve spent your share of time with your guests, you’ll surely want some alone time with your (now) spouse.

 
Destination wedding in Moorea

 
So now is the time to escape to a Bora Bora honeymoon! Bora Bora is known as the honeymooners’ paradise! You can read some dos and don’ts for your honeymoon in Tahiti in this Insider’s Guide to Honeymoons in Tahiti blog post.

Bora Bora offers ultimate privacy and is the perfect place to indulge into a relaxing honeymoon after months of wedding planning and days of celebrating the wedding in Moorea.

Flying to Bora Bora after the wedding is also a great excuse to leave your wedding guests (behind) enjoying their own vacation, without offending them.

To sum up, hosting a Tahiti destination wedding in the same locale as your honeymoon may prompt more than a few unwanted guests to join in on your alone time, and you want to ensure that your honeymoon is… well, a honeymoon!

 
Photo Credit: Kate Webber Photography

 
** last updated on November 2020 **

 

Will You Spend Your Honeymoon At Your Wedding Locale? Need Help Planning Your Tahiti Destination Wedding? Contact Me To Get Started!

 

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Ocean reef wedding at sunset in Moorea

OCEAN REEF WEDDING OF JESSICA AND JAKE AT SUNSET

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Jessica and Jake were not going to get married in Moorea. They had their wedding plans all set for a Kauai elopement, but then Covid. Comes the month of August, and Hawaii announced that the borders would remain closed. And with that, Jessica and Jake’s vision of an ocean reef wedding went down the drain.

They were devastated, as were so many couples who have seen their wedding plans either cancel or postpone because of the pandemic.

 
Ocean reef wedding at sunset in Moorea

 
Comes the hero photographer, Meg from Bradyhouse Photographers. She and husband Pete had spent a vacation in Moorea just a few months before, right before Covid stroke. They loved the island (who wouldn’t?) and so, they suggested to Jessica and Jake to book a last minute trip to Tahiti to keep their original wedding date and make it happen!

Borders in Tahiti had reopened in mid-July, and you can fly Los Angeles to Tahiti in less than 8 hours. That’s about the same as flying to Hawaii from the U.S. mainland.

Jessica and Jake jumped right in, and started planning their micro destination wedding in Tahiti from the ground up. The wedding was only 3 weeks away, and that’s when they reached out to me.

 
Post ocean reef wedding photo shoot on the beach at sunset in Moorea

 
Here is part of what Jessica explained to me:

What we originally had planned is what we’d like to replicate on Moorea as much as we can. We had planned for a sunset cliff ceremony overlooking the water (love the idea being high up and overlooking the water and hearing the waves). […]
What we do need help with is not only having an unofficial officiant, recommendation for a gorgeous secluded ceremony location, recommendation for someone to do my hair and makeup, a bouquet with maybe some flowers for Jake and our two guests. We were originally having our Kauai officiant read a very authentic and spiritual ceremony. We did see the ceremony offered by our hotel in Moorea, Manava, but the traditional Tahitian ceremony did not align with what we were looking for. THEN we saw your classy website and had to reach out!

 
We don’t have cliffs overlooking the ocean in Moorea. I am however granted access to this gorgeous islet – clearly a gem location. There I can officiate my couples’ ceremonies on the reef-side when they envision an ocean reef wedding. How gorgeous and private is that?

 
Ocean reef wedding location in Moorea

 

Why An Ocean Reef Wedding At Sunset Was Preferred Over A Morning Beach Celebration

 
My only concern with Jessica & Jake’s plans was that their wedding date fell on a Sunday. While the island has been much quieter than normal during the pandemic, with way less visitors, it was still quite busy on weekends with locals crossing over from Tahiti for a quick beach gateway.

My recommendation is typically to favor a week day rather than a weekend day for the best privacy but Jessica and Jake had this date at heart.

The private islet reef-side location during golden hour was the most perfect, and one I had dreamed of using for an ocean reef wedding for quite some time. Jessica and Jake did some photos post ceremony both on the reef-side where the ceremony was held, but also on the beach side of the islet at sunset.

 
Reef-side ceremony on a private islet in Moorea

Ocean reef wedding in Moorea

 
They had another photo session planned for the next morning where they went on a lovely catamaran tour, and did beach + water photos in the bright morning sun and vibrant colors, with no one to be seen around. I told you: Mondays are always quiet!

 
Tahiti wedding venues sailing boat vows ceremony

 
I said that before, but I am so so appreciative of my couples trusting me in developing and officiating their elopement ceremony in Moorea. In these challenging times with so many travel restrictions around the world, I felt even luckier as Jessica and Jake made the extra effort and pivoted from their Hawaii wedding plans entirely – and to be witnessing their destination do’s.

Wish you the best of happiness Jessica & Jake!

See more photos of Jessica & Jake’s ocean reef wedding ceremony in my gallery, and photos + video of their encore photo shoot the next day with talented Bradyhouse Photographers here.

• Moorea Wedding Planner + Officiant in Moorea: Nelly at wedOtahiti
• Wedding Photographers: Bradyhouse Photographers
• Florals: Delphine Grassone
• Hair (both days): Maryline
• Make-up (both days): Audrey Bodilis

 

Not Sure How To Plan A Wedding In Tahiti? Contact Me Here To Get Started With Planning Your Tahiti Wedding!

For more articles like these subscribe to my monthly newsletter HERE (and Get the Free Report to pick the best Wedding Ceremony Location in Tahiti)!