A Dream Fiji Honeymoon
AN INTERVIEW WITH KATIE SEYMOUR
THE WINNER OF BRIDE & GROOM MAGAZINE 2017 WEDDING OF THE YEAR
As the winners, Katie and her husband Matt were treated to a luxurious week at Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji
Q. What were you doing when you found out you were the winners; and how did it feel?
Katie: I had a voicemail from Bride & Groom magazine asking me to give them a call. At this stage I actually thought it was going to be a "thank you but you weren't successful" conversation. So I just phoned Simone back while I was at the front counter not really thinking too much about it. Then she said "I've got some really good news...." and I just said "OH MY GOODNESS!” and then she told me that they had picked us for Wedding of the Year!
I was so shocked and unbelievably excited! I just kept saying "oh my gosh, I cant believe it, thank you so so much" over and over and did a few excited screams (trying hard not to alert any of the neighbouring shops!). Then I rang Matt straight away and told him and he pretty much had the exact same reaction - we just truly could not believe that WE had been picked. It’s something you read about but never think it could be you – such an incredible treat! I rang my Mum and told her and she was screaming non-stop, she was so excited for us! From there we kept it to ourselves until the magazine went on shelves then shared the exciting news with our closest friends. It was a very surreal moment and still now I can't believe it! We are so, so thankful!
Q. What were your very first impressions of Nanuku Auberge Resort?
Katie: We hadn't been to Fiji before and it was somewhere we'd always wanted to visit so it was incredible we got the opportunity to. Nanuku is a 2.5 hour drive from the airport so we got to see a lot of Fiji before arriving at Nanuku which we absolutely loved! You got a feel of the culture which you often don't get when you just go straight to a resort off the plane. When we arrived at Nanuku we were greeted with a traditional warrior greeting and given fresh towelettes to refresh ourselves, a fresh coconut (divine!) and a hibiscus. The traditional greeting was so awesome and as we walked through the resort and came to the front to see the incredible location and views, we were blown away! It was so, so stunning!
Q. What activities/adventures did you engage in (if any)?
Katie: We made the most of relaxing at the resort and just taking in the incredible setting and scenery. We went paddle boarding in the sea and up the river and hiked up the mountain at the end of Nanuku beach to see the spectacular views! We also participated in a few of the cultural experiences that Nanuku offers as we loved learning about the Fijian culture.
Q. Where did you dine while on property?
Katie: We dined at the restaurant for all our meals and wow wow wow, it was definitely one of the highlights at Nanuku! The food was incredible – every dish was delicious and it showcased a lot of fresh, seasonal Fijian produce. I also have a lot of dietary requirements and I cannot commend Oliver Scarf, the Executive Chef, enough! He was so helpful and accommodating to my needs which made it so easy and stress-free! We have never experienced such delicious, top quality food time and time again. It really was amazing and a highlight!
Q. Did you enjoy any cultural experiences/ceremonies at Nanuku – Kava Ceremony etc.
Katie: We absolutely loved learning about the Fijian culture so we took part in as much as we could! We learnt how to husk and scrape a coconut to make fresh coconut milk and then learnt how to make fresh Kokoda which they have every Sunday in the villages – it was so divine! We couldn't get enough! We also learnt how to cook prawns the traditional way in a bamboo stick on a fire – again, so delicious! We learnt about the traditional kava ceremony which was so interesting and a really fun night!
Q. Did you visit Nanuku’s Lomana Spa while at the resort – for what treatments? How did they feel?
Katie: We enjoyed a couple’s Aromatherapy Massage from the Lomana Spa which was so relaxing!
Q. What was your absolute highlight staying at Nanuku?
Katie: Our absolute highlight of staying at Nanuku would be the people. They really made our stay so special! Everyone is so welcoming, greeting you by name every time they see you, so happy, friendly, helpful and approachable. We met so many of the lovely, friendly team at Nanuku and felt like one of the family. It was a really sad day leaving because you feel so at home at Nanuku, it made saying goodbye so hard! We also loved how you get to really experience traditional Fijian culture – I think this is something that Nanuku does really well!
Q. Would you recommend others stay at Nanuku?
Katie: Yes we would definitely recommend others to stay at Nanuku! We absolutely loved our time there and had such an incredible honeymoon. It is a smaller resort than some of the others in Fiji which means it is more personal and you really feel at home. Nanuku also showcase Fijian culture which I think is really special.
Find out more on Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji here
See Katie and Matt’s wedding here