Location of wedding ceremony: Byodo-In Temple, Kaneohe
Location of reception (if different from above): We're cheating and just taking everyone to a luau. We're thinking Germaines. What do you suggest? Germaines or Paradise Cove?
Wedding date: March 05, 2009
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Since we're getting married at a Japanese temple, we're using that as our inspiration. Red, cherry blossoms, paper lanterns, parsols...you get the point.
Why Hawaii? Long, long time ago I lived in Hawaii. Did elementary and intermediate there. I try to go back every few years to visit friends. Years ago I took FI to Hawaii and he L.O.V.E.D it. ::thankgod:: So when it came time to plan our wedding it was either have 150+ guests in PA or a small intimate wedding in Hawaii (or vegas! LoL). Hawaii won hands down. I'm soooo excited!
Hi, I'm Gwen. I was so excited to see that they added a Hawaii board!!
Where are you located: Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach. We have the Hau Terrace so the ceremony will be outside on the lanai and then the reception will be held inside. The room has french doors on three sides though, so we'll keep them open and it will almost be like the whole thing is outside.
Wedding date: June 1, 2008. 17 days and counting. (We leave for Hawaii in 13 though!! WOOHOO!)
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Our wedding colors are brown and red, with orange and turquoise accents. The theme of our wedding is pretty Hawaiian-we're using lots of lauhala and rafia, hibiscus and pinapples throughout. We've not having a DJ, just a Hawaiian trio and 2 hula dancers. Very lowkey and relaxed.
Why Hawaii? My family is from California, his from Connecticut, so they had to travel one way or the other. I've always wanted a beach wedding, and we've never been to Hawaii, so its an adventure, wedding, and honeymoon all in one!
yay!! I've been a Bee addict for months now and I'm super excited to see a Hawai'i board!!!
Where are you located: Long Beach, California
Island of wedding: Big Island
Location of wedding ceremony: I don't know!!! Hopefully a private oceanfront estate, which we have yet to find...that we can afford at least!
Location of reception (if different from above): see above. Ideally, the mythical private oceanfront estate will house the ceremony & reception.
Wedding date: September, 2009
Wedding colors/theme/ambience:we are going for a very casual FUN wedding with a yellow theme based on my yellow sapphire engagement ring which i looooooove.
Why Hawaii? I grew up on the Big Island and we both love the islands. My fiance also proposed to me on a trip to Kauai so it has extra significance.
Location of wedding: Ceremony + reception at a private oceanfront villa
Wedding date: August 4, 2008
Wedding colours: Hot pink/mango with splashes lime/chartruse (still playing with this!)
Wedding theme: None. Low key wedding with close family + friends. We're having a chef's tasting dinner with wine pairings, DJ for background ambience + perhaps a little dancing :)
Why Hawaii: With family coming in from Australia, Europe, West Coast + East Coast we opted for Hawaii (as opposed to Asia, which was a strong contender for a while) Neither of us are from the US, so it made sense for us to have a destination wedding.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone on vendors, tips + tricks on planning your Hawaii nuptials! I have not posted on a board before, so I can't wait to brainstorm/share with the gals on this Hawaii board!
So glad that there is a Hawaii board now! Maybe those of us who live here can meet some time. I've found that it's kind of hard to plan a non-destination wedding in a place that's so known for them! Here's my info.
Where are you located: Makawao, Maui
Island of wedding: Maui
Location of wedding ceremony: Spreklesville Beach, North Shore, Maui
Location of reception (if different from above): A farm in Kula, Maui
Wedding date: March 14, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Colors are scarlett and pale blue (compromise between FI and me!) Ambiance/theme - Eco-friendly, tropical, local style, country. We are having our reception at a farm Upcountry. All of the food will be only from Maui. We are using mason jars as vases and using what ever tropical flowers are in season. Our food will be local style lu'au, and my halau (hula group/school) will be performing. Also, we're having a Hawaiian-style bluegrass band made up of many close friends.
Location of reception (if different from above): Private Estate
Wedding date: November 10, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Vintage Hawaiian casual and FUN - greens, yellows, orange
Why Hawaii? If we had reception at home we would have at least 500 people to please everybody. We wanted something more fun and intimate and look forward to spending the week with our family and closest friends.
Hi Everyone! Oh my goodness, how exciting...a Hawaii board! My situation is a little different...I live here (Oahu) but am getting married in Tennessee! We will be having a Hawaii reception, though...not sure where/when yet (after the wedding, obviously). So I look forward to hearing any ideas on Oahu reception sites...outdoors.
Where are you located: Honolulu, HI
location of wedding: Tennessee
Location of wedding ceremony: little country church
Location of reception (if different from above): One in Tennessee, and one TBD in Hawaii
Wedding date: September 27, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: orange, green, brown. Trying to keep it a low-key "country chic" wedding. Local food, locally-made favors, lots of personalized accents.
Why Hawaii? Weeell, I hate that most of my Hawaii family (friends) wont be able to make it to the mainland for the wedding. My FI and I want to host an after-wedding Hawaii reception here to celebrate with our Hawaii family.
Hi Hulafish -- We had ours at Kualoa Ranch, which was pretty dang affordable as far as venue rentals here go. The thing that cost us most was doing all the rentals. But maybe it would be fun to do mimic the "country" style of your Tennessee wedding for folks here.
Where are you located: Oahu
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch
Location of reception (if different from above): same as above
Wedding date: May '07
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Asian ambiance, with pastel pink and blue and silver and gold as the primary colors used
nejireta - I will definitely post some pictures when we get back...or maybe even while we're there. We're bringing our laptop of course and I do have this small little addiction to weddingbee.
aichan - how cool that you are getting married on the hau terrace too! since you live on the island, i'm guessing you've gotten to do a run through and see how everything looks and is set up? Is it wonderful? I've only had a few pictures to go off of and I cannot WAIT to see it in person. I'm actually giddy with excitement!
i hope everyone has a great three day weekend, and I'll check back in from the beaches of Waikiki!!!
Location of reception (if different from above): hopefully the same but still TBD
Wedding date: also TBD
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Well I suppose that's also TBD but I'd like to have some elements of Hawaii but make it our own as well. I'm hoping for sort of a garden feel.
Why Hawaii? We live here. We moved here together over two years ago and saw our relationship get even stronger in a new place so not only is it a gorgeous place for a wedding, I think it symbolizes so much for us.
And since I have so many TBDs, I'd love to hear more about how every found their locations and what were the deciding factors? I feel like I'm going in circles trying to figure it all out.
Anyone interested in sharing their Hawaii wedding pictures?
gwen - the Halekulani is GORGEOUS and the service is wonderful. It is one my absolute favorite places for a special dinner, or if we're feeling generous to ourselves to go to the bar (Lewer's Lounge).
Kini - if you haven't heard about it/checked it out, I suggest the Wedding Cafe. There's one in Manoa Marketplace and one in Ward...uh, Warehouse, I think? I knew a lot of what I wanted already, so I ended up not really using them very much, except for their cake workshop (you get to try cakes! woohoo!), but they have all kinds of resources -- you can look at all the books and magazines for free and they have regular workshops where you can meet vendors. You get to interact w/ the vendors in a more intimate setting than a wedding expo, so you get a better chance to see if you like them and their work.
Deciding factors for us were that we didn't want to have it in a hotel, so that only leaves you a handful of options that won't bankrupt you. Also, we wanted somewhere that wasn't super A.R. about what we did (let us throw petals, play loud music, wouldn't cut off our power at 10PM, etc.).
If you're not from here, these two magazines are published locally, and do a good job of giving info on stuff to do, places to eat and shop, etc.:
For wedding specific stuff, there's Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine which is published locally too. Pacific Weddings is done on Maui, I think, but I always felt like it was less Hawaii-style than what you see in HB&G. Which is not to say that it isn't full of stunning weddings, 'cause it certainly is! I guess I just felt that as a local girl, HB&G was more "real" and PW showed more of the "destination weddings" over weddings from people who lived here full time.
Location of wedding ceremony: Keoniloa Bay (near Poipu)
Location of reception (if different from above): dinner at The Beach House
Wedding date: May 24, 2007
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: simple, natural
Why Hawaii? Because it's awesome! Actually we started off looking at local venues to NYC and realized that nothing nearby was the dream wedding we wanted. So we went 12 hours across the country and look back so fondly at our awesome time on Kaua'i and our amazing wedding.
Location of reception (if different from above): same location as ceremony
Wedding date: Sept. 22, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Bright tangerine and fushia, tropical, and informal
Why Hawaii? We love the islands; the food, the surfing, the people. I went to UH Manoa for a summer and both of us visited with family when we were young. So we would like to continue the fond memories.
I am super excited to see this board:)
Anyone know of Oahu Djs or make-up/hair stylists?
I am looking into The DJ Hawaii and Chop Salon on Ala Moana. The receptionist said Cassandra is really good (she sometimes tours with Janet. Janet Jackson that is).
I went to the Wedding Cafe, both Ward and Manoa. The staff was helpful and I loved the Invitation Showcase. Their vendor recommendations are good. However I am looking for new recs.
If any of you are considering Halekulani or Ko'olau Golf Club, I have tons of pictures. Shoot me your email:)
Kini - I choose Ko'olau because it is not a hotel and it overlooks both Kaneohe and Kailua Bay with dramatic mountains.
PrincessKittyHi - I echo everything you mentioned. Wedding Cafe is a great all in one place. It's a great concept, I'm surprised there are not more places like this. I totally love HB&G and PW. I have a subscription:)
Alohakt, I see that you are getting married at the Ko'olau! Gorgeous! I actually attend church there! (Presbyterian church has service in the grand ballroom). Where will your ceremony be? And will the reception be in the main dining room? I am curious because I am still searching for a reception location...
Yay! A Hawaii board! Anyone else out there? Lets do an introduction.
Where are you located:
Island of wedding:
Location of wedding ceremony:
Location of reception (if different from above):
Wedding date:
Wedding colors/theme/ambience:
Why Hawaii?
posted by nejireta 3 months agoI'll start!
Where are you located: Hershey, PA
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Byodo-In Temple, Kaneohe
Location of reception (if different from above): We're cheating and just taking everyone to a luau. We're thinking Germaines. What do you suggest? Germaines or Paradise Cove?
Wedding date: March 05, 2009
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Since we're getting married at a Japanese temple, we're using that as our inspiration. Red, cherry blossoms, paper lanterns, parsols...you get the point.
Why Hawaii? Long, long time ago I lived in Hawaii. Did elementary and intermediate there. I try to go back every few years to visit friends. Years ago I took FI to Hawaii and he L.O.V.E.D it. ::thankgod:: So when it came time to plan our wedding it was either have 150+ guests in PA or a small intimate wedding in Hawaii (or vegas! LoL). Hawaii won hands down. I'm soooo excited!
posted by nejireta 3 months agoHi, I'm Gwen. I was so excited to see that they added a Hawaii board!!
Where are you located: Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach. We have the Hau Terrace so the ceremony will be outside on the lanai and then the reception will be held inside. The room has french doors on three sides though, so we'll keep them open and it will almost be like the whole thing is outside.
Wedding date: June 1, 2008. 17 days and counting. (We leave for Hawaii in 13 though!! WOOHOO!)
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Our wedding colors are brown and red, with orange and turquoise accents. The theme of our wedding is pretty Hawaiian-we're using lots of lauhala and rafia, hibiscus and pinapples throughout. We've not having a DJ, just a Hawaiian trio and 2 hula dancers. Very lowkey and relaxed.
Why Hawaii? My family is from California, his from Connecticut, so they had to travel one way or the other. I've always wanted a beach wedding, and we've never been to Hawaii, so its an adventure, wedding, and honeymoon all in one!
posted by gwenjune 3 months agoGwen, you're wedding sounds like it's going to be wonderful! You must share photos!!
posted by nejireta 3 months agoHello!
i'm glad they added a hawaii board too! and it's good to see that people from faraway are having weddings on oahu! congrats :)
i can't answer your survey yet because I haven't been proposed to yet...still waiting :) but just been reading weddingbee for awhile now.
anywho, congrats again!
posted by hellocari 3 months agoyay!! I've been a Bee addict for months now and I'm super excited to see a Hawai'i board!!!
Where are you located: Long Beach, California
Island of wedding: Big Island
Location of wedding ceremony: I don't know!!! Hopefully a private oceanfront estate, which we have yet to find...that we can afford at least!
Location of reception (if different from above): see above. Ideally, the mythical private oceanfront estate will house the ceremony & reception.
Wedding date: September, 2009
Wedding colors/theme/ambience:we are going for a very casual FUN wedding with a yellow theme based on my yellow sapphire engagement ring which i looooooove.
Why Hawaii? I grew up on the Big Island and we both love the islands. My fiance also proposed to me on a trip to Kauai so it has extra significance.
posted by lilikoi 3 months agoWhere are you located: Columbus, OH
Island of wedding: Maui
Location of wedding ceremony:Molokini Lookout/Seawatch Restaurant
Wedding date: August 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: pink and black, relaxed, low key reception with good food with family and close friends
Why Hawaii?My family is from CA and PA mostly, his is from OH, traveling was in the cards for everyone, might as well make it to hawaii
posted by elle 3 months agoWhere are you located: Los Angeles, CA
Island of Wedding: Big Island
Location of wedding: Ceremony + reception at a private oceanfront villa
Wedding date: August 4, 2008
Wedding colours: Hot pink/mango with splashes lime/chartruse (still playing with this!)
Wedding theme: None. Low key wedding with close family + friends. We're having a chef's tasting dinner with wine pairings, DJ for background ambience + perhaps a little dancing :)
Why Hawaii: With family coming in from Australia, Europe, West Coast + East Coast we opted for Hawaii (as opposed to Asia, which was a strong contender for a while) Neither of us are from the US, so it made sense for us to have a destination wedding.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone on vendors, tips + tricks on planning your Hawaii nuptials! I have not posted on a board before, so I can't wait to brainstorm/share with the gals on this Hawaii board!
Mahalo!
posted by MsKookaburra 3 months agoWhere are you located: Bay area, CA
Island of wedding: Maui
Location of wedding ceremony: Private Estate in Makena Beach
Location of reception (if different from above): Seawatch Restaurant
Wedding date: September.2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Mauve, Cream, Touch of Lavender
Why Hawaii? My family have to travel from overseas, his family love to travel. We decided to pick 'in the middle' of Pacific Ocean!
posted by clairame 3 months agoSo glad that there is a Hawaii board now! Maybe those of us who live here can meet some time. I've found that it's kind of hard to plan a non-destination wedding in a place that's so known for them! Here's my info.
Where are you located: Makawao, Maui
Island of wedding: Maui
Location of wedding ceremony: Spreklesville Beach, North Shore, Maui
Location of reception (if different from above): A farm in Kula, Maui
Wedding date: March 14, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Colors are scarlett and pale blue (compromise between FI and me!) Ambiance/theme - Eco-friendly, tropical, local style, country. We are having our reception at a farm Upcountry. All of the food will be only from Maui. We are using mason jars as vases and using what ever tropical flowers are in season. Our food will be local style lu'au, and my halau (hula group/school) will be performing. Also, we're having a Hawaiian-style bluegrass band made up of many close friends.
Why Hawaii? We live here!
posted by ankile 3 months agoWhere are you located: Houston, TX
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Private Estate
Location of reception (if different from above): Private Estate
Wedding date: November 10, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Vintage Hawaiian casual and FUN - greens, yellows, orange
Why Hawaii? If we had reception at home we would have at least 500 people to please everybody. We wanted something more fun and intimate and look forward to spending the week with our family and closest friends.
posted by destiny1110 3 months agoHi Everyone! Oh my goodness, how exciting...a Hawaii board! My situation is a little different...I live here (Oahu) but am getting married in Tennessee! We will be having a Hawaii reception, though...not sure where/when yet (after the wedding, obviously). So I look forward to hearing any ideas on Oahu reception sites...outdoors.
Where are you located: Honolulu, HI
location of wedding: Tennessee
Location of wedding ceremony: little country church
Location of reception (if different from above): One in Tennessee, and one TBD in Hawaii
Wedding date: September 27, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: orange, green, brown. Trying to keep it a low-key "country chic" wedding. Local food, locally-made favors, lots of personalized accents.
Why Hawaii? Weeell, I hate that most of my Hawaii family (friends) wont be able to make it to the mainland for the wedding. My FI and I want to host an after-wedding Hawaii reception here to celebrate with our Hawaii family.
posted by hulafish 3 months agoHi Hulafish -- We had ours at Kualoa Ranch, which was pretty dang affordable as far as venue rentals here go. The thing that cost us most was doing all the rentals. But maybe it would be fun to do mimic the "country" style of your Tennessee wedding for folks here.
Where are you located: Oahu
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch
Location of reception (if different from above): same as above
Wedding date: May '07
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Asian ambiance, with pastel pink and blue and silver and gold as the primary colors used
Why Hawaii? We live here!
posted by princesskittyHI 3 months agoExcited that there is a Hawaii board. And wanted to say *HI* to Gwen since I am getting married at the Hau Terrace at Halekulani too! :)
Where are you located: Honolulu, HI
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Halekulani, Hau Terrace
Location of reception (if different from above): same
Wedding date: September 19, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Orange and pink with touchesof green
Why Hawaii? I've been living here for 6 years and fiance is from Hawaii
posted by aichan 3 months agonejireta - I will definitely post some pictures when we get back...or maybe even while we're there. We're bringing our laptop of course and I do have this small little addiction to weddingbee.
aichan - how cool that you are getting married on the hau terrace too! since you live on the island, i'm guessing you've gotten to do a run through and see how everything looks and is set up? Is it wonderful? I've only had a few pictures to go off of and I cannot WAIT to see it in person. I'm actually giddy with excitement!
i hope everyone has a great three day weekend, and I'll check back in from the beaches of Waikiki!!!
posted by gwenjune 3 months agoWhere are you located: Honolulu
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: TBD
Location of reception (if different from above): hopefully the same but still TBD
Wedding date: also TBD
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Well I suppose that's also TBD but I'd like to have some elements of Hawaii but make it our own as well. I'm hoping for sort of a garden feel.
Why Hawaii? We live here. We moved here together over two years ago and saw our relationship get even stronger in a new place so not only is it a gorgeous place for a wedding, I think it symbolizes so much for us.
And since I have so many TBDs, I'd love to hear more about how every found their locations and what were the deciding factors? I feel like I'm going in circles trying to figure it all out.
Anyone interested in sharing their Hawaii wedding pictures?
posted by Kini 3 months agogwen - the Halekulani is GORGEOUS and the service is wonderful. It is one my absolute favorite places for a special dinner, or if we're feeling generous to ourselves to go to the bar (Lewer's Lounge).
Kini - if you haven't heard about it/checked it out, I suggest the Wedding Cafe. There's one in Manoa Marketplace and one in Ward...uh, Warehouse, I think? I knew a lot of what I wanted already, so I ended up not really using them very much, except for their cake workshop (you get to try cakes! woohoo!), but they have all kinds of resources -- you can look at all the books and magazines for free and they have regular workshops where you can meet vendors. You get to interact w/ the vendors in a more intimate setting than a wedding expo, so you get a better chance to see if you like them and their work.
Deciding factors for us were that we didn't want to have it in a hotel, so that only leaves you a handful of options that won't bankrupt you.
Also, we wanted somewhere that wasn't super A.R. about what we did (let us throw petals, play loud music, wouldn't cut off our power at 10PM, etc.).
If you're not from here, these two magazines are published locally, and do a good job of giving info on stuff to do, places to eat and shop, etc.:
http://www.hawaiimagazine.com
http://www.honolulumagazine.com
For wedding specific stuff, there's Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine which is published locally too. Pacific Weddings is done on Maui, I think, but I always felt like it was less Hawaii-style than what you see in HB&G. Which is not to say that it isn't full of stunning weddings, 'cause it certainly is! I guess I just felt that as a local girl, HB&G was more "real" and PW showed more of the "destination weddings" over weddings from people who lived here full time.
posted by princesskittyHI 3 months agoWhere are you located: near New York, NY
Island of wedding: Kaua'i
Location of wedding ceremony: Keoniloa Bay (near Poipu)
Location of reception (if different from above): dinner at The Beach House
Wedding date: May 24, 2007
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: simple, natural
Why Hawaii? Because it's awesome! Actually we started off looking at local venues to NYC and realized that nothing nearby was the dream wedding we wanted. So we went 12 hours across the country and look back so fondly at our awesome time on Kaua'i and our amazing wedding.
posted by jennypah 2 months agoAloha Hawaii Bees!
Where are you located: Bay Area, CA
Island of wedding: Oahu
Location of wedding ceremony: Ko'olau Golf Club
Location of reception (if different from above): same location as ceremony
Wedding date: Sept. 22, 2008
Wedding colors/theme/ambience: Bright tangerine and fushia, tropical, and informal
Why Hawaii? We love the islands; the food, the surfing, the people. I went to UH Manoa for a summer and both of us visited with family when we were young. So we would like to continue the fond memories.
I am super excited to see this board:)
Anyone know of Oahu Djs or make-up/hair stylists?
I am looking into The DJ Hawaii and Chop Salon on Ala Moana. The receptionist said Cassandra is really good (she sometimes tours with Janet. Janet Jackson that is).
I went to the Wedding Cafe, both Ward and Manoa. The staff was helpful and I loved the Invitation Showcase. Their vendor recommendations are good. However I am looking for new recs.
If any of you are considering Halekulani or Ko'olau Golf Club, I have tons of pictures. Shoot me your email:)
Kini - I choose Ko'olau because it is not a hotel and it overlooks both Kaneohe and Kailua Bay with dramatic mountains.
PrincessKittyHi - I echo everything you mentioned. Wedding Cafe is a great all in one place. It's a great concept, I'm surprised there are not more places like this. I totally love HB&G and PW. I have a subscription:)
Gwen Congrats!
posted by alohakt 2 months agoAlohakt, I see that you are getting married at the Ko'olau! Gorgeous! I actually attend church there! (Presbyterian church has service in the grand ballroom). Where will your ceremony be? And will the reception be in the main dining room? I am curious because I am still searching for a reception location...
Thanks!
Stacey
posted by hulafish 2 months ago