PAULA Karikaritu of Joma Village, Naceva, in Kadavu couldn’t stop smiling when he saw his beautiful fiancée Kelly, walk towards him during their wedding day.

The couple couldn’t contain their joy when they wed in front of family and friends at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, knowing that the journey had just begun as a married couple.

Simply meeting over a rugby tournament in 2014, the couple shared lightly how they can’t wait to start their lives together.

Kelly Karikaritu a case manager from Hamilton New Zealand said she was so nervous the first time she met Paula – a builder by profession.

Kelly who refers to her husband as her soul mate said marriage to her meant a lifelong commitment of being with her best friend and it was apparent with their two-year engagement as the couple made sure to build a stronger foundation before settling down.

“Paula is honest, loyal and he always makes me laugh. Most of all he loves me for me,” she said when describing her husband. Paula who opted for a traditional Fijian attire for the wedding said his wife was the love of his life and she ticked all the right boxes for him.

“I love Kelly and what I adore the most about her are her big heart and her soul. Like her I was also nervous when I first met her at that rugby match,” he said.

The couple had their families from New Zealand, Fiji, Australia and Canada at the wedding.

The couple chose Fiji because they both loved the island way of life and because Paula was from the tropical destination.

“Fiji is just so welcoming, people are so friendly, we have family here and it’s just a fun place to visit and get married,” the couple said.

Kelly, for her special day, wore an elegant wedding dress from Bridal Gallery in Hamilton, New Zealand.

She chose the wedding dress because it was simple but elegant at the same time, especially for a Fiji wedding.

She had her best friend of 17 years by her side as her maid of honour and cousins and other close friends as her bridesmaid party.

Paula had his brother as his best man for his special day while his groomsmen consisted of close family and friends too.

The couple is yet to decide on where they would be spending their honeymoon.