The island of Manafaru lies in wait, as our boat zigzags across a seemingly endless blanket of blue, the dark inky textures replaced with a transparent turquoise the closer we get. Any residual stress of wedding planning seeps away as if absorbed by the ocean waves, with only the sun, sand and ceremony laid out before us.
We dock at JA Manafaru to a coterie of smiling staff, and disembark straight into the welcoming arms of Sabaah, our island guide. Then straight to our Sunset Water Villa, our chosen home for the next four days of barefoot wedding festivities in paradise. These villas are sensational and add more than a little hint of romance – in particular the panoramic views of the sun dipping behind a fiery horizon. This is one of the reasons you come to the outer atolls, in which JA Manafaru is located, for those unceasing and uninterrupted sky lines – no light pollution to disturb the beauty, just a smattering of small islands in sight. Privacy and seclusion on order from dusk to dark.
The villa’s design only enhances that sense of ‘desert island luxury’, with wooden floors, thatched roofs and light-filled rooms that feel spacious yet not empty. The flow of the villa brings nature inside, the sun streaking through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, and the sound of the waves permeating the walls. Even when it’s hot outside, the ocean breeze keeps the villa cool.
Before the last few bits of wedding admin demand our attention, we swim… First in the infinity-edge pool, then in the sea, which we slip into from steps leading down from our deck. The marine life here is exceptional, in part due to the island’s remoteness, leaving the reefs largely undisturbed. Think of a colour, or any colour combination in the world, and you’ll find it on a fish! The kaleidoscopic nature of the underwater sea life is quite staggering, all easily seen with just a snorkel. You can, of course, scuba dive too, but the fish with the best colour palettes stay close to the surface to absorb the sun, making them easy to see for all.
The next day, our wedding blessing takes place on the beach. A white dress for my bride, a kilt for me, and the most beautiful floral archway and ocean views to frame the proceedings. Sabaah gifts my bride a beautiful hand-made bouquet of Frangipani flowers, before Beru Beru drummers beat our procession down the sandy aisle, perfectly timed to the ocean’s rolling symphony. Waleed, the island’s celebrant, offers some sentiments around love, before we exchange rings and vows together, cut our beautiful three-tiered cake, and take a shared sip from a coconut, which we’re told symbolises good luck and prosperity. Well, when in the Maldives… There are few words to describe what a beautiful and raw moment this is – our bare feet sinking into the sand, blue skies blessing our ceremony, and just us cementing our union on an Indian Ocean island. The team is incredible, by our sides whenever we need them (down to finding a safety pin for my kilt!) but disappearing into the shadows to offer us moments of privacy. We take some photos with arguably the world’s best backdrop, then retire to our villa to toast our future with a glass of ice-cold champagne.
As the sun sets, we emerge from our cocoon to refuel. For a night as special as ours, The Cellar is the perfect setting. The first – and deepest – underground cellar restaurant in the Maldives, it is available only by booking and is as private and intimate as it sounds. Heavy local wood doors hide this vaulted secret, as winding stairs built from Indonesian volcanic rock take us down, deep under the island where a circular, sub-terranean dining room awaits. Its wine-rack walls are filled with vintages from around the world, a personal sommelier on hand to pair each dish we eat with the perfect sip. One bottle we try is the Louis XIII Cognac, which is the premier cru of the Cognac region – a rare and unexpected find in the Maldives. By candlelight, we savour eight different courses, from poached Maldivian lobster cooked in beurre blanc with celeriac purée, paired with a glass of French Louis Latour Mâcon-Village Chameroy, to a Maldivian grilled reef fish with tiger prawns, roasted pumpkin mash and green asparagus, sipped with a glass of Spanish Vionta Albariño Rias Baixas. Should you wish, you can send over a playlist ahead of time to personalise your experience even more. We drift away, full and happy, to Frank Sinatra’s My Way.
The rest of our honeymoon is enveloped in one-of-a-kind experiences, where we sail away for a private castaway picnic on a deserted island one day, a hamper filled with poached Maldivian lobster, tiger prawns, sushi, teriyaki seared tuna and fresh juice. Once unpacked and a small gazebo erected and decorated, the team takes the boat back to the resort, allowing us a few hours of absolute privacy on the island. Sabaah has thoughtfully packed both binoculars for dolphin spotting and snorkelling equipment, so we eat, swim, snorkel, sunbathe and, in a humorous ode to Tom Hanks’ Castaway movie, make friends with Wilson the volleyball who presides over our castaway experience.
Other days we kayak, have a sauna at Calm Spa Sanctuary, indulge in afternoon tea at White Orchid Lounge, visit Magey Hiyaa, the island’s cultural awareness centre, and play board games as we ride out a rainstorm. We also find Andiamo Bistro and Pool, JA Manafaru’s poolside Italian. Palm trees wrap around the restaurant, contrasting against the blues of the pool, making it a serene spot to while away the hours over pasta, salad, and risotto ai funghi. With a Pina Colada in hand, and the soporific sound of the rock waterwall in the background, it becomes our new favourite place to relax and refuel on the island.
Our days feel full but restful, letting us bask in our bubble of love for a little longer. On the last day we don’t stray far from our villa, actively trying to soak up as much of this paradisiacal serenity as possible. And that’s the true beauty of a resort like JA Manafaru, where you can perfect the art of doing very little whilst making memories to last a lifetime. It really has been the most unforgettable experience and a unique way to start our married life together. Here’s to our silver wedding anniversary on the island…