Snacks, cash, and custom: Your ultimate guide to Pacific events

Whether you are attending a Pacific community event for the first time or grew up within the culture, navigating the protocols around weddings and funerals can feel overwhelming.

TVNZ’s 400 Wedding and a Funeral opens the door to these major life events, proving that even familiar traditions have deeper meaning beneath the surface.

Hosted by Bella Kalolo-Suraj and Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, the series brings together Pacific nations, including Sāmoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue, and Fiji, to explore how customs are shared and where they differ.

“400 Weddings and a Funeral is pretty much a guide for everyone, it’s an invite to all the do’s and don’ts, what to wear, what not to wear at these Pacific events,” Fa’avae-Jackson tells Niu FM’s The Morning Shack (TMS).

He said the show highlights that Pacific cultures are not a monolith, offering vital lessons for insiders and outsiders alike.

“It’s for non-Pasifika people, it’s also for some of our Pasifika people that might have those questions, going to our Pasifika events thinking, ‘Should I have worn this? What’s the protocol?’” Fa’avae-Jackson explains.

“This show is perfect for that. It’s got everything you need to know and it’s got some of our awesome knowledge holders in there as well.”

The 40-minute documentary leans heavily on respected community voices to unpack the meaning behind different practices, featuring contributors such as PMN broadcasters Tofiga Fepulea’i, John Pulu, Regan Foa’i, and Leitualaalemalietoa Lynn Lolokini Pavihi.

Other cultural experts include Dominic Ona-Ariki, Nicole Whippy, Tuatape Samson, Losalia Milika Pusiaki 'Aleva, Tu’u’u Apulu Uta’ile’uo Mary Autagavaia, John Kiria, and Malcolm Andrews.

Even the hosts say they found interesting things about their own cultures during filming.

For Kalolo-Suraj, who is of Sāmoan and Māori heritage, one highlight was the captivating “battle of the lāuga (orators)” at weddings and funerals where families and districts share genealogy and speaking skill.

Fa’avae-Jackson says the show also deepened his appreciation of Niuean traditions like the Ta Tika Tupe - a “wishing well” ceremony where guests dance and place money on a mat or hiapo (tapa cloth) as a form of blessing for newlyweds.

The show also balances depth with humour, reflecting the warmth found at Pacific gatherings.

Viewers are shown everything, from Cook Islands weddings where couples are adorned with handmade tivaevae quilts to the scale and generosity of traditional celebrations.

Kalolo-Surak jokes that while she appreciates practical wedding gifts, “Can you guys bring a wall, a deed, and a builder?”

The documentary highlights that Pacific weddings and funerals can stretch for “half a day”, grounded in values of family, faith, and service.

As TMS co-host Gaby Solomona puts it, her golden rule for attending: “bring snacks and some cash”.

400 Weddings and a Funeral is streaming now on TVNZ+.