Big Season Expected For Wedding Travellers

Media Release
18 September 2007

Big Season Expected For Wedding Travellers

The South Pacific is increasingly the wedding location of choice for New Zealanders, with large numbers of Kiwi couples already starting to book their 2008 weddings and honeymoons in the islands, says New Zealand’s largest travel retailer.

Flight Centre says competition between the Pacific Islands for the wedding dollar is making it cheaper – and a lot simpler – for couples to take advantage of wedding packages utilising a resort’s own wedding planners.

According to Flight Centre’s South Pacific product manager, Raumati Wikaire, while the cost of an overseas wedding once meant smaller bridal parties and guest numbers, competition between airlines and hotels, and specific wedding packages can make it significantly cheaper for the bride and groom than a wedding in New Zealand.

“A ceremony in the Pacific Islands, which was once considered out of the realm of average Kiwis, is now quite realistic” says Ms Wikaire.

“A couple can have a beautiful service on a Pacific Island beach with flowers and minister as well as airfares and five nights accommodation from under $5,000. Guests can attend and have their own five night holiday as well from $899 each.”

Fiji is still the most popular destination for New Zealanders travelling overseas for weddings and honeymoons. Statistics from the Fiji Visitors' Bureau show that more than 27,000 people travelled to Fiji to attend a wedding in 2006, and 54,500 people travelled there for a honeymoon. New Zealand is the largest contributor to this number, with six percent of the total arrivals recorded as Kiwis there to attend a wedding.

But many other islands are catching up to Fiji, with several top end resorts in Rarotonga, Vanuatu and Samoa building chapels and offering full packages that include a wedding planner, accommodation discounts for groups, flowers, live music and reception entertainment.

Another big trend this year is the number of people wanting to take advantage of bridal registries, where wedding guests can choose to contribute money to the cost of the wedding or honeymoon.

“Many couples already have homeware and appliances and would rather receive a perfect honeymoon or future holiday rather than a traditional gift,” says Ms Waikaire.

“While some people frown upon the idea of asking for money for a wedding gift, asking for it to be put towards a package is proving extremely popular. We had more than 150 couples with a bridal registry last year, but looking at the increase in the last few months we expect to double that number to more 300 in 2008.”

And Ms Waikaire also advises couples to think ahead: “As the South Pacific is already a popular holiday destination, the increasing popularity of weddings there means couples need to plan their dates well in advance to make sure they get the time they want.”

Ends.

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