Local reunions and weddings are known for wooing that odd first time visitor to the shores of Samoa.

And 23-year-old Aimee Bell just happens to be one of those invited to a Samoan wedding with her partner James Wilson. They are residents of Timaru, which is a city in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.

The Kiwi couple know the bride and groom from their high school days in New Zealand and the groom is a Samoan, which explains why the island was chosen as the venue for the nuptials and Aimee and James travelling to Samoa. 

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Aimee said they have an extra week in Samoa after the wedding and she is looking forward to the experience.

“I always wanted to experience what a Samoa wedding would be like and if it’s different from a New Zealand wedding,” she said.

There are no plans as yet on how to spend their extra seven days, but Aimee indicated that they will just go with the flow and see what is available.

But first things first, the groom’s special day is a priority for them with James indicating that he knows the bride and groom very well, and their friendship goes back to their high school days.

“He comes over to play rugby for our school and we play together but he was older than me,” James said of the groom.

The bride is also no stranger to the Timaru resident as he said they all grew up together in the same town and went to the same school.

The school mates recently had a reunion and a great time according to James. 

“We play a few golf games and went to a bar to have a drink,” he said.

Student exchange programmes has also enabled Aimee to meet Samoan students in New Zealand, though she indicated James had befriended them for a much longer time.

“James who was friends with them and I was the young one when we were in high, but I found out later,” she said.

Aime works as a kitchen designer and James is a manager in New Zealand’s construction industry.