The day began with us getting ready at the Sheraton Waikiki Resort in Honolulu. Steve and I had separate rooms to get ready in with our respective bridal party and groomsmen. As I was sitting on the chair in my suite getting my make-up done; while looking out at the vibrant turquoise water, I felt a sensation of gratitude for the man I was about to marry...my best friend, Steve. It felt so surreal that the day we've been waiting for so long as finally arrived.
We did a first look on the hotel property at this lush garden area surrounded with tiki torches and palm trees. As I was walking towards my future husband, I was completely overwhelmed with excitement. The moment when I finally reached him...I knew that I was about to make the best decision in my life.
By now, we were on our way to the wedding venue with the wedding party. We spent the first hour before our guests arrived taking photos onsite. The weather was fairly warm so we decided to get our feet wet and took photos on the beach. We were already having so much fun...even before the ceremony even began.
Our guests arrived by a private charter that we arranged to pick them up from the Honolulu area to our venue, which was approximately 15 minutes from the downtown area. Our ceremony was in the backyard of the estate facing the beach. Our floral and event designer, Designs by Hemingway, created a gorgeous canopy covered in satin blush pink draping that were tied back with hydrangeas and roses in soft hues. The harpist played traditional wedding ceremony songs as our guests took their seats and awaited for the presence of the wedding party. One by one, Steve and the groomsmen walked out and took their place. Subsequently, the bridal party walked down the aisle and took their place. As the harpist was playing one of my all time favorite ceremony songs, Canon D, my Grandma and I appeared at the end of the aisle and walked slowly towards the groom. There, Steve took my Grandma's hand and graciously showed her to her seat. This is where we turned and faced one another while holding hands. I was more nervous than I've ever been. I kept repeating my handwritten vows in my head so that I wouldn't forget my lines. Steve's vows were sweet and genuine. These are the words that we'll live by for the rest of lives. Love, honesty and respect for one another is the foundation of our marriage.
Following the ceremony, we hosted a cocktail hour in the front yard with passed tray hor d'oeuvres. Guests enjoyed the scrumptious snacks and guava concoctions while the acoustic guitarist played our favorite pop/indie love songs.
The guests were invited to return to the backyard for the dinner reception after our caterers were done rearranging the tables. As the sun began to set, we were now enjoying a Surf n Turf three-course meal with the accompany of laughter and love from our family and friends. We absolutely love the intimate and romantic setting of our outdoor reception with hanging Italian strung lights over our heads and crystal chandeliers gleaming in the trees surrounding us. As we listened to the waves crashing in, we almost felt as though this was a dream. We certainly had our fairytale wedding and there's nothing we would have wanted to change about our big day. It was simply perfect!
Special thanks to our incredible vendors - Kai Media, L'Amour Photography, Designs by Hemingway, D'lish Catering, Randy Allen Music and of course, the Bayer Estate for the superior hospitality and service they provided.
A special, special thanks to our family and friends that traveled thousands of miles to be with us as we exchanged our vows and celebrated our love and commitment to one another. In our hearts...all of you will always be our "O'hana". We would also like to thank all of invited guests that weren't able to attend our wedding day for all the generous gifts. Collectively, all of you made this day even more special for us by being there and supporting us on our journey of love and life together.
Photos taken by L'Amour Photograhy
