Joseva Sokovagone Tuitubou and Letirina Lutu, who originally planned to marry in December, tied the knot yesterday in a ceremony attended by family and government officials at the Nasau Village Hall on Koro Island. The occasion was made possible by Deputy Registrar General and marriage officer Viliame Kubunameca, who was in Koro Island accompanying Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga.
Ms. Lutu, who hails from Tuvuca Village in Vanuabalavu, Lau, and has familial connections to Naceva Village in Cicia, expressed her emotions when asked about the surprise ceremony. “When we started living together, I always reminded my now-husband that we needed to get married because we have two children and we live in the village. To be married today is a dream come true for me,” she stated. She added, “I always told him that we didn’t need to get married in a church, as long as we had a civil marriage.”
Mr. Tuitubou, feeling somewhat shy, expressed gratitude for the government’s initiative to provide marriage services directly to communities. “I am thankful that the Government brought the service to the people. It makes it easier for us and we don’t have to pay for the fare to go to Suva to get married. I am happy this happened, and I will cherish my wife and our two children,” he said.
During the ceremony, Mr. Kubunameca emphasized the significance of marriage vows, likening marriage to sailing on an open sea, encountering varying conditions. He offered practical advice for a successful marriage, stating, “There are rules in a happy marriage; never yell at each other unless the house is on fire, never bring up past mistakes, never be angry at the same time, criticize each other lovingly, and never go to bed with an argument unsettled.”