Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas and tropical holiday cheer!

Like in other parts of the world Christmas in the tropics is celebrated with carols, church services and family gatherings. Of course, December 25 in the tropics is hot and humid unlike in parts of the northern hemisphere where they can have a white Christmas. Having said that, the northern hemisphere Christmases still inspires Xmas decorations, especially in shop window displays. And, who know, you might come across Santa in his hot red suit and beard dashing through the sand. Mind you, he would be flat out finding too many chimneys to get down. I guess he just piles up the pressies under the nearest coconut palm.

(Photo: Fiji Tourism)

The Samoan currency is the tala (also known as the Samoan dollar), which is made up of 100 sene (cents). The note denominations are $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100. All major foreign currencies are exchangeable for tala in Samoa. For a quick conversion, think two tala to the Australian dollar.

Fijian dollar notes are available in $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50. There is no limit to the amount of money that can be taken in to Fiji (although there may be a limit on how much you can take out of your home country). An Australian dollar buys about FJD$1.50.

The currency in the Cook Islands is the New Zealand dollar. You may receive strange shaped coins occasionally (Cook Island currency) – these can only be used in The Cooks – once you board the plane they become souvenirs. And you may like to pick up a three dollar note as a souvenir.

In Vanuatu the currency is the vatu. Australian currency is widely accepted in Port Vila. One Australian dollar buys around 80 vatu. For an approximate exchange rate, just move the decimal point – so, 100 vatu = $1 and 1000 vatu = $10 etc. AU$13000 makes you a millionaire in Vanuatu!

Cook Islands Three Dollar Note from Banknotes.com

We are often asked what is the best time to marry in the tropics. It is a tricky question to answer. The weather is can be hard to predict in any part of the world these days!

In general, November to March are the hotter and more humid months but the weather isn’t oppressive and isn’t as extreme as temperatures can be in Australia in summer. I had an email from a Sydney-based bride earlier this year asking about the weather in Vanuatu. I ran a Bureau of Meteorology check – that day the temperature in Port Vila was 20 to 27 degrees with 56% humidity and the weather in Sydney was 20 to 27 degrees with 57% humidity! And Queensland had a cyclone that week which was followed by floods in Townsville… And this last December week has seen record temperatures across Australia well into the 40’s while in Vanuatu it has been a top of 31 to 32.

Our family lived in Vanuatu for three years and we didn’t have air-conditioning – ceiling fans and breezes off the lagoon were all we needed for comfort in summer. There is a saying in Vanuatu, “Whatever the weather, have a nice day” and, in the Cook Islands, they call rain ‘liquid sunshine’  because it can be sunny all day apart from one short downpour in the afternoon.

I wouldn’t base a date decision on weather or the potential for a cyclone – we can’t control Mother Nature BUT ask the resorts about their wet weather back-up contingency. I would also consider peak and non-peak periods. Travelling outside school holidays will usually give cheaper flights, more chances of accommodation specials, maybe wedding package bonuses/incentives (and certainly fewer children on the ground or in the pool!).

February can be a tough month for resorts because it falls between the peak periods of Christmas/New Year and Easter. One resort in Vanuatu closes in February to give staff annual holidays and do annual refurbishments and another offers free weddings as an incentive to couples inviting guests.

Photography: Andrew Read (Vanuatu brides)

While same sex marriage is legal in New Zealand, Australia and many other countries, it’s not in the Pacific destinations of Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and the Cook Islands. It is mainly a religion-based thing but also due to conservative governments. Of course there are LGBTIQ couples living in those countries and there are movements to have both attitudes and laws changed but that will be a while off.

Somewhat paradoxically, in the Fijian and Samoan cultures you often see boys raised as girls. This usually happens if a family has had all boy children and the next boy is designated ‘female’ to help Mum with the ‘female tasks’ – men are still pretty much the hunters and gatherers and the women look after the cooking and cleaning. In Fiji these men will live in the female staff quarters at resorts and, in Samoa, the men are known as ‘fa’fafine’ which means ‘like a woman’. Tourists often mistake femininity for the country recognising ‘openly gay’ people and they even have fa’fafine beauty contests!

Interestingly, while Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is adamant there will be no same sex marriage in Samoa he is also patron of the Samoa Fa’afine Association.

We are often asked if destination weddings are legally recognised in Australia and New Zealand and, yes, they are (and worldwide). Having said that, the wedding can’t be registered with Australian or New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages because it is registered in the country you marry in. If you feel a need to have your wedding registered with B,D&M back home, you could have a registry office wedding there and a symbolic ceremony/renewal of vows in your tropical destination.

On the legality side the documentation required is usually birth certificates, passport ID pages, divorce papers or death certificate of previous spouse if applicable and a completed Intention to Marry form. If you have your own witnesses there will be a form for them – if not, witnesses will be provided. In Fiji and the Cook Islands you have to attend the Registry Office in person and, in the Cook Islands you need to be in the country for at least three working days prior to the wedding. In Samoa it is four days but your resort wedding coordinator will look after the paperwork. In Vanuatu we lodge copies of the documentation before you arrive and all will be ready for you on the Big Day. There’s no rule about having to be in Vanuatu for a certain time before marrying – in fact, we marry lots of couples who just have a day in Port Vila when their cruise ship docks.

Photo: Andrew Reid