A large group of people, including women in formal dresses and traditional attire, pose together outdoors. Some are seated while others stand behind them, smiling under sunny weather.
The colour and culture of Pacific Island weddings and funerals is on full display in TVNZ’s newest show. (Photo: Supplied).

Pop Cultureabout 11 hours ago

400 Weddings and a Funeral is an insider’s guide to Pacific functions

Ātea editor
A large group of people, including women in formal dresses and traditional attire, pose together outdoors. Some are seated while others stand behind them, smiling under sunny weather.
The colour and culture of Pacific Island weddings and funerals is on full display in TVNZ’s newest show. (Photo: Supplied).

Ever wondered what to do at a Polynesian wedding or funeral? This new TVNZ documentary is the show for you.

If you’ve ever spent time around people from the Pacific, you’ll know that while there are similarities among the cultures, there are a lot of differences too. That’s the beauty of Pacific cultures – they’re so vast, yet intertwined. While the rich tapestry of customs and traditions of these islands spread across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa is beautiful to observe from the outside, being in it can be daunting at the best of times, and even more so if you’re unfamiliar with protocols.

400 Weddings and a Funeral is a show made for people who want to learn more about the customs and procedures of Pacific Island weddings and funerals. Presented by actors Bella Kalolo-Suraj and Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, the one-off 40-minute documentary traverses the dos and don’ts of these important occasions across cultures through real experiences.

Even if you are relatively familiar with the customs of a certain culture, you’ll probably still learn something from 400 Weddings and a Funeral. The show features short cuts from sitdown interviews with a range of cultural experts and knowledge holders from various islands across the Pacific, including Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Niue. Each brings with them their own unique understanding of the customs and traditions of their respective cultures.

To begin the show, Kalolo-Suraj and Fa’avae-Jackson highlight food and singing as what most people first think of when it comes to Pacific Island gatherings, but emphasise the importance of family in all that Pacific Islanders do.

A man and woman stand in a modern kitchen. The man holds an apple while the woman gestures animatedly. Groceries, including fruit and cartons, are spread on the counter in front of them.
Bella Kalolo-Suraj and Haan Fa’avae-Jackson host 400 Weddings and a Funeral. (Photo: Supplied).

The duo soon split, with Kalolo-Suraj heading to a Samoan and Tongan wedding, while Fa’avae-Jackson attends a Samoan funeral.

At the wedding, Kalolo-Suraj stops to talk to the camera at various stages of proceedings, explaining what’s taking place and why. One of the more memorable moments is when she’s outside eating and is almost brought to tears by the chop suey. “That’s exactly how my mum used to make it,” she says.

Footage from various Pacific Island weddings are spliced into the show, each illustrating the different practices of various islands at each stage of the wedding. Kalolo-Suraj explains what’s happening at each step, before the show cuts away to the different experts talking about the significance of things like bridal party entrances, traditional ceremonies, and performances.

At the end of the wedding, the show takes on a more sombre mood as we transition to Fa’avae-Jackson at the funeral. The first part of this segment is a recreation of a typical island funeral set-up at an unassuming suburban Auckland house. There is a marquee outside and Fa’avae-Jackson talks through some basics like bringing a cash donation, taking your shoes off at the door, and making sure you say hello to everyone in the room.

Similar to Kalolo-Suraj’s wedding segment, clips of the interviews with the cultural experts are interspliced with footage from various Pacific Island funerals. At each step, Fa’avae-Jackson discusses some practical tips and helpfully explains the significance of what is happening.

Pacific Island humour is evident throughout the show, with frequent references to loans, or fa’alavelave. While the custom is joked about, the experts and hosts do emphasise the importance of the practice across Pacific Island cultures, explaining how the gifting of resources has evolved in modern times. Once solely food and fine mats, money has become what most people give at a Pacific Island or wedding, with Kalolo-Suraj advising guests should always bring at least one $20 note to a Pacific Island wedding.

A close-up of a burlap pillow with tufts of dark and light brown hair on it, inside a white box. A pink and green anthurium flower lies on the pillow, and some straw is visible in the background.
Traditional Pacific Island practices like cutting hair for the burial of a loved one are explained in the show (Photo: Supplied)

Bring your notebook, because there’s a lot packed into the 40 minutes – tips on what to wear, the importance of religion in the Pacific Islands, and how different cultures honour different occasions. Whether it’s Cook Islanders giving furniture and appliances for the bride and groom’s home, Fijians honouring the bride with a kava ceremony, or Samoans wrapping their loved ones in a tapa before burying them, 400 Weddings and a Funeral succinctly illustrates the beauty of Pacific Island culture.

This show is a great primer for someone who might be apprehensive about attending a Pacific Island event, an insightful look into how different Pacific cultures honour the occasion, and a source of pride for those Pacific Islanders who enjoy seeing their culture reflected and celebrated in such a way.

400 Weddings and a Funeral airs tonight, Saturday May 16 at 9.35pm on TVNZ One and TVNZ+.

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