Hawaii Portrait Photography – Kyley’s High School Senior Potraits!

Congratulations to Kyley for all of his accomplishments and graduation from High School. We had a great time shooting his Senior Portraits!

Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Janeen and Wesley’s Wedding

Congratulations to newlyweds Janeen and Wesley who were married in a beautiful ceremony at Haiku Gardens in Kaneohe on Oahu.

Oahu Wedding Association (OWA) – March Meeting at Masako Formals

Wendy and I spend a lot of time hiding behind cameras at weddings. It sorta goes with the job. This last Oahu Wedding Association meeting we got a chance to walk a mile (or a few runway lengths… I tend to over exaggerate) in the shoes of our Brides & Grooms. We got to play bride and groom, again, and get all made up to model some of Masako Formal’s wedding attire.

Not only did we get to rock a wicked tux and wedding dress, we had a chance to work with some of our fellow OWA members in a much more up close and personal role than we normally get. Wendy and I were both sized and dressed by the lovely staff at Masako Formals. This turned out to be a repeat for Wendy, since she actually bought her wedding dress from them a couple months back.

I was fitted for a silver Italian tux. It turns out that it is a very popular look for many of the Japanese weddings here. It further turns out – I don’t fit the normal Japanese sizes. No snag there though – they brought the tux to the back and was quickly back out with the tux adjusted to my size. Go go gadget tuxedo!

Not only did Wendy get to wear another beautiful wedding dress, she was pampered with makeup by Wendy Robin of Studio W of Honolulu. Now this part gets confusing – I have to describe Wendy Robin’s (the make up artist) work on Wendy Leslie (the wife). Wendy R. is an INCREDIBLY talented makeup artist and a wonderful person. She was trained in Hollywood, worked in paris for print photographers, and then came back to LA to do makeup for the stars. The list of people that she has worked with reads like the who’s who list of Hollywood – Matt Damon, Carmen Electra, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, James Earl Jones, Bernie Mac, Jack Black, and Jaime Pressly the just name a few. She has skills. Numbchuck skills, bowstaff skills… She has plenty of skills. Wendy R. did an airbrushing job for Wendy’s makeup. I lucked out and only got a quick powder. Ahhh the joys of being a man.

After all the prep, we had a BLAST walking down the runway in front of all of our peers in the industry. It was so much fun and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world to get to escort the most beautiful woman in the world down the catwalk. We were both lucky to have some of our wonderful photographer friends there to capture the whole shabang.

All in all it was a GREAT evening. It is always such a treat to hang out with so many amazing people. We are really blessed to work in this industry with these people. Millions of thank yous go out to OWA for the opportunity to dress up and party like its 1999… I mean 2009.

-E

Check out Geralyn’s cutting (it slices, it dices) hair-do, and Mona’s convertible Kimono -

Special thanks to Grant Gomes for snapping the below collage pics for us!

And to Eugene Kam for the below (yes ladies and gentlemen – that is my wifey! I’m a lucky guy!) -

Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer – Tanja and Stephan’s Big Day!

Tanja and Stephan were so much fun to work with on their big day. With roots in Germany, this couple gathered at Haiku Gardens with many family and friends who flew half way around the world for their special day. Both Eric and I have German heritage and got some coaching from our German relatives on how to pronounce the German word for “Congratulations.” They really make it sound effortless, but Eric and I just could not get it right. But, hey, we tried!

Congrats to this cute couple and thanks for the fun time!

Hawaii Portrait Photographer – Kaylee and Family

Eric and I were really excited to work with Kaylee when she contacted us about doing portraits of her and her boyfriend, her 4 siblings, and their significant others! We were so excited to work with so many different groups all at once. We met up with all 10 of them met up with us at Kakaako park in Honolulu and were all dressed amazingly coordinated in white and blue and lots of Lacoste. I dug it! (Is that OK for me to say nowadays, or is that too 70′s-ish of a word?)

We always try to suggest a few poses or ideas to get everyone’s creative juices flowing in order to get the most “true” photos we can. Kaylee and her family were really fun to work with and really took off with ideas for pictures. We especially liked their “Shoalin Monk inspired poses.” They are too funny. We have this theory that if people act like themselves, as much as they can, in front of the camera, the photos will be most natural looking (unlike those horribly stiff posed prom photos we have all seem. I have quite a few of my own. Someday I will share them with you as an example of the kind of look we are NOT going for!)

Thanks to Kaylee and everyone for a great time!

Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Bernice Puahi Memorial Chapel at Kamehameha School and The Willows Restaurant

Eric and I started this wedding day with heading over to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to capture the bride and bridesmaids getting for the big day! I’m always excited to shoot somewhere new and was particularly excited to finally get to see the newly remodeled Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. When Eric and I moved to Oahu back in October of 2008 the Royal Hawaiian Hotel was closed for renovation and just recently reopened. So, needless to say, I couldn’t wait to finally getting to shoot at “the Pink Palace of the Pacific.”

Lauwa’e enjoyed some good girl time with her bridesmaids while getting her hair and makeup done by Jaque Rojas. I hung out with the ladies as they got ready while Eric headed over to the wedding ceremony venue to capture the groom, Jay, and his brothers getting ready at The Bernice Puahi Bishop Memorial Chapel at Kamehameha School. This was our first time shooting at this venue and we were instantly struck by its culture and beauty.

The lively group of family and friends headed over to the The Willows Restaurant for a delicious dinner. Not much of a public speaker myself, I always am in awe of people who can give funny and touching speeches at weddings. Jay’s brothers and sons definitely have that gift. I will have to get them to mentor me in case Im called upon to make a speech. (I mean, I have gone to great lengths to get out of speeches. I even spent weeks scanning photos and putting together a slide show to take the place of a speech for my good friend Brittany. Somehow I managed to shut the power off to the DJ while doing my slideshow and ended up rambling “im sorry” into the microphone while we all waited for the DJ to re-boot all his equipment!… but I digress)

Eric and I broke from our “pre-wedding” diet (30 days to go!) to try some of Lauwa’e and Jay’s wedding cake and oh my gosh it was definitely worth it. This cake was done by one of our favorite cake artists Sunshine’s Cake Creations. We never cease to be amazed each time we see and taste Vikki’s work.

Best wishes to Lauwa’e and Jay. Thanks so much for allowing us to be part of your beautiful big day!

April 4th, 2009 in Engagements, Events, Hot! Wedding Ideas, Locations, News, Slideshows, Uncategorized, Weddings by wleslie | tags: Bernice Puahi Bishpo Memorial Chapel, ceremony, Jaque Rojas, Kamehameha School, Makeup, preparation, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Sunshine's Cake Creations, The Wedding Ring Shop, The Willows Restaurant | No Comments

Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Hale Koa Hotel – Amelia and Aaron

Congrats to this cute newly wed couple, Amelia and Aaron! Eric and I were honored to be part of their wedding celebration at Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu. This was by far the most musically talented family we have been around in a while. Amelia’s brother’s band provided the entertainment for the night with her other brother and sister joining in occasionally to help out on vocals or percussion.

This wedding reception incorporated many personal touches including a family heirloom lauhala mat which was placed under the wedding cake. Of course, Eric will not let me blog about a wedding without mentioning the cake. This cake was from Cake Works and had the most delicious Haupia filling. For those of you who have not been fortunate enough to have heard of or tasted haupia, we suggest you change that soon. This creamy coconut cake filling was absolutely the stuff Hawaiian dreams are made of.

We always try to keep our ears open for any juicy secrets or embarrassing stories that people may sneak into their wedding reception speeches. While we didn’t get to hear any blackmail material, but we were touched to hear some heartfelt praises of Amelia and Aaron as individuals and as a couple. So, if any of you have any funny/embarrassing stories you’d like to contribute… I’m just kidding! We wish Amelia and Aaron the very best in life and love! Congrats!

Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Oahu – Keiko and Clarence

There is a Japanese tradition that a wedding gift of one thousand folded paper cranes will grant the bride and groom a lifetime of good luck and prosperity. Keiko and Clarence were fortunate enough to have a loving guest fold a thousand paper cranes for their big day.

Read the rest of this entry »

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Haiku Gardens – Celeste and Joseph

Celeste and Joseph were married at an intimate ceremony on the most appropriate day of the year, Valentine’s Day! We had a great time with this lovely couple who actually also met each other in our hometown of San Jose, California! As much as we love it here in Hawaii, it is always nice to reminisce about our favorite spots in the Bay Area.

Celeste and Joseph were joined by their two beautiful daughters as well as close family and friends for a beautiful reception at Haiku Gardens & Haleiwa Joe’s.

Our thanks to Celeste and Joseph for involving us in their Valentine’s Day wedding!

Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Haiku Gardens – Jessica and Joshua

Jessica and Joshua were married in a beautiful ceremony at the chapel at Haiku Gardens in Kaneohe, Hawaii. These newlyweds were high school sweethearts and exchanged touching vows that chronicled their lives over the years.

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Wedding Cafe Honolulu – Workshop with Leading Oahu Florists

If you live in Oahu and have not been by the Wedding Cafe yet, you absolutely must! This dual purpose cafe combines yummy drinks and treats with a plethora of wedding planning resources. You can browse through tons of Bridal Magazines, local wedding photographer’s albums, venue information and more. Let me tell you, if I had been able to come to the Wedding Cafe early on in our wedding planning, it would have saved me tons of hours of searching for good magazines, books, and contacts.

Not only do they offer all of these resources, but they also offer weekly workshops on every aspect of wedding planning: Budget and time lines, hair and makeup, florists, photographers, etc. Eric and I rushed over from shooting the Special Olympics Punt Pass and Kick with the NFL Pro Bowl Players (including Eli & Peyton Manning!) to attend the workshop on Tabletop and Decor. The room was absolutely packed with soon-to-be brides and some soon-to-be hubbys too!

The professional panel gave advice on what to consider when picking out floral arrangements and decor. One of my favorite tips was to ask for organically grown flowers to accent the cake to prevent any pesticides from making their way onto your wedding cake! Eric and I are always looking for “green wedding” tips and loved Debbie Hemingway’s suggestion to use live plants as centerpieces that can be planted after the wedding instead of just thrown out like other flowers.

So, in closing, as I pass out from a busy busy week…. Check out the Wedding Cafe at Ward Center and learn all about weddings and local resources. GI Joe put it best: “And knowing is half the battle!”

Here are some photographs of the lovely floral and decor displays by the following companies:

Designs by Hemingway (photo directly below)

Floral Inspirations
My Florist
Passion Roots
Spinning WEB
Su-V Expressions

(photo collage of these displays directly below)

Special Olympics Punt, Pass & Kick with NFL Pro Bowl Athletes 2009

Volunteering with the Special Olympics is always an honor for us. These athletes have the most amazing attitudes, most welcoming personalities and the biggest hearts. It was an exceptional treat to see these athletes joined by some of the most talented and famous football stars in the world, the Pro Bowl Athletes of 2009.

Eli and Peyton Manning, joined by Stephen Gostkowski and Jordan Gross, volunteered their time to coach 30 of Hawaii’s Special Olympic athletes at this years Punt, Pass and Kick event. In addition to the excitement of meeting and playing with these awesome football players, mascots from the Bears, Ravens, Buccaneers, and Texans provided extra entertainment, high fives, and hugs.

(check this article for updates on info and pictures!)

Congratulations to the Special Olympics Hawaii for another amazing Holiday Classic

Eric and I were privileged enough to be able to volunteer our time to photograph for the Special Olympics. Hundreds of Special Olympics athletes, coaches, family and friends from all Hawaiian islands gathered for the Holiday Classic held the weekend of December 5th through 7th on Oahu. The Holiday Classic was hosted by the local military bases: Kaneohe Marine Corps, Hickam Air Force Base, and Pearl Harbor where the athletes competed in Basketball, Bowling, and Bocce Ball. The athletes truly looked excited to have their medals presented by local military and police officers. Eric and I had so much fun capturing the excitement of the games and ceremonies. I got so into the basketball games that I just had to try to sneak in some applause between taking pictures. Read the rest of this entry »

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Bayer Estate

Old world elegance and classic Hawaiian soul meet at Bayer Estate. Dating back to the 1930′s, this historical property offers a wedding atmosphere unparalleled by others in Oahu. This wedding venue would perfectly suit a bride who wants a private wedding with elegance and charm. For an Oahu Wedding Photographer, the Bayer Estate is paradise!

Just east of Diamond Head in the Aina Haina area, Bayer Estate is a retreat from the more metropolitan areas centered around Waikiki Beach. Rental of this property allows exclusive use of the entire property, including the 2 story Craftsman style home and the ocean front garden. Wedding receptions at Bayer Estate stand out amongst others with antique glassware, hand painted heirloom china, and fresh floral arrangements. If your dream wedding can be described in two words, “classic and sophisticated,” this may be the perfect wedding location for you!

Here are some images that Oahu Wedding Photographers, L’Amour Photography, shoot at some recent weddings held at the beautiful Bayer Estate in Honolulu

For more information on this destination wedding venue, please contact the Bayer Estate:

Bayer Estate
5329 Kalanianaole Hwy, Honolulu, Hawaii 96821
Phone: (808) 377-9359
Website: http://www.bayerestate.com/

Please contact us at L’Amour Photography for availability to be your Oahu wedding photographers.

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Luana Hills Country Club

Located on the Winward side of Oahu, Luana Hills Country Club is nestled under the Ko’olau Mountains in Kailua. Perfectly manicured greens and a beautiful club house make this venue ideal for brides and grooms who want to be surrounded by lush green vegetation for their ceremony. Read the rest of this entry »

Hawaii Portrait Photography – Kyley’s High School Senior Potraits!

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Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Janeen and Wesley’s Wedding

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Oahu Wedding Association (OWA) – March Meeting at Masako Formals

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Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer – Tanja and Stephan’s Big Day!

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Hawaii Portrait Photographer – Kaylee and Family

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Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Bernice Puahi Memorial Chapel at Kamehameha School and The Willows Restaurant

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Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Hale Koa Hotel – Amelia and Aaron

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Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Oahu – Keiko and Clarence

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Oahu Wedding Photographer – Haiku Gardens – Celeste and Joseph

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Hawaii Wedding Photographer – Haiku Gardens – Jessica and Joshua

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Wedding Cafe Honolulu – Workshop with Leading Oahu Florists

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Special Olympics Punt, Pass & Kick with NFL Pro Bowl Athletes 2009

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Congratulations to the Special Olympics Hawaii for another amazing Holiday Classic

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Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Bayer Estate

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Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Luana Hills Country Club

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