Wedding on Muri Beach for Radio ZM winners

Romance was in the air for Eddie Rakanui and his lovely bride, Debbie on Sunday 14 February, which also happens to be Valentines Day.
The wedding ceremony was conducted by marriage celebrant, John Kenning, JP as the bride shed tears of joy during as they exchanged vows of love on the beautiful white sands of Muri.
Edwin and Debbie have been together for 12 years and live in Wellington with their little daughter but had not yet got around to making their union official. Then while listening to Radio ZM recently, Debbie heard about a nationwide competition with a prize return airfares and a wedding in Rarotonga for a couple who had the most romantic story to tell and decided to take part.
To their delight and amazement, the beautiful young couple won the competition and were flown over courtesy of Pacific Blue airlines and are guests of Muri Beach Club Hotel, and the ceremony was held on the beach complete with wedding arch and flowers strewn on the beach in the shape of a heart.
The event turned out to be a family affair for the groom with JK’s wife Maara is sister to Edwin’s mother and Radio Cook Islands personality, Moana Vaevae being first cousin to Eddie’s mother, Flora Rakanui Putauru.However, his uncle Puna Rakanui could not be at the wedding as he is attending an overseas conference.
The Radio ZM competition was the brainchild of wedding planners, Ani Manuel Talbut and Mary Manuel Fortes from weddingsinrarotonga.com as a way of launching their wedding services and promoting Rarotonga as a romantic wedding destination. .
Ani is based in Auckland and contacted the radio station to suggest having the competition as a way of promoting Rarotonga as a wedding destination and then persuaded Pacific Blue and Muri Beach Club Hotel to take part in the promotion. Her sister, Mary took care of the local promotions.
The bride wore jewelry from Aketa fashion boutique in Muri which also took part in the Radio ZM promotion.