One of the best parts of a Hawaii Destination Wedding is knowing that the sun will likely be shining bright on your big day regardless of the time of year (well, aside from intermittent showers, and rare stormy days). When you come to Hawaii, for vacation or for a wedding, make sure you lather on High SPF sunblock. The sun is much stronger here and we have seen plenty sunburned and peeling brides, grooms, and guests! Help ensure that you and your guests stay cool and shaded by using wedding parasols. Wedding parasols are a classy and colorful wedding accessory you can employ to make sure you and your loved ones don’t leave your Hawaii Wedding looking like baked lobsters.
Simple: White or Cream colored wedding umbrellas or parasols are an easy addition to any wedding theme or color scheme.
Colorful: Choose a color that accents your wedding color scheme. If your wedding colors are yellow and orange, choose the color that is least used on the wedding party attire to make the parasols stand out and blend in at the same time.
Patterns: If your wedding is looking rather classic and simple, consider using wedding parasols with a pattern on them to add some accents to the overall feel of your wedding decor. Some of our personal favorites are paisley, flowers, damask, polka dots, swirls and initials.
Lace: If you want to add some elegance and vintage details to your wedding, a lace parasol can be the perfect fit.
Whether you provide a parasol to just your wedding party as a fun accent, or as wedding favors for your guests, wedding parasols are a useful and beautiful way to stay cool during your Wedding in Hawaii.
Here are a few sites where we have seen a great selection of wedding parasols. Happy planning and Happy Shopping!
Luna Bazaar , Pamela’s Parasols, and Bella Umbrella
Hawaii Destination Wedding Bride
This sweet gift was given to the bride right before the ceremony by her groom. The tradition of the bride and groom giving each other gifts right before the ceremony is a tradition that we are seeing more and more lately. If you are planning to carry out this particular tradition on your wedding day make sure your makeup is water proof and have a large tissue box on hand because there are sure to be some tears flowing.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, AND something from YOU!
Having a hard time thinking of a thoughtful wedding gift to your soon-to-be bride or groom. Here are some helpful hints to ease your brainstorming process.
Something Sparkly: I know you men have spent a ton on the engagement and wedding rings already, but a special piece of jewelry can be a perfect gift for your new bride. You can choose a piece of jewelry that she can wear that day, or simply something she would love. Either way, I’m sure she will look back on your special day each time she puts it on. For the ladies, you can buy a nice pair of cuff-links or a watch.
Something from the Family: Now that you and yours will be joining each others’ families officially, you may want to ask around to see if there is a special sentimental family item that can be handed down such as an embroidered handkerchief, any jewelry, etc
Something Crafty: You don’t have to be incredibly skilled in arts and crafts to make something thoughtful and meaningful as a wedding day gift. Put together a small scrapbook of your favorite dates and trips and leave the last page with a blank spot for a wedding photo. If you are afraid of scrap booking, and I bet many of you are! Those craft store aisles and aisles of paper, cut outs, stickers, and tools can be overwhelming. Try something simpler like a nice regular photo album and fill it with your favorite photos together. Another thought, you can even make an overview album of both your lives from babies, growing up, getting together and leave room for more life moments. If you don’t have any photos around, think of other sentimental things for you two. You can have the name of “your song” embroidered or engraved on something that she or he can keep close, like a money clip, compact mirror, bracelet, etc.
Something Poetic: You don’t have to be Shakespeare to write something to express your love and adoration to your bride or groom. Take a moment to brainstorm your favorite memories, first impressions, sentimental trips, and adventures and think of what you want to convey to your soon-to-be husband or wife. You don’t even have to rhyme! Just write from the heart. Now that you have the perfect words to say, think of a special way of presenting them. Write it on fancy paper, or have it printed and framed, cut out each sentence and store them in a nice box.
No matter what you do, as long as it is thoughtful and special, you can’t go wrong. I hope this article has given you some ideas to go off of. Best of luck and happy planning to you!
There are many reasons you may want to consider incorporating a hula dance into your Hawaii wedding reception. Here are just a few.
Hawaiian wedding tradition - Combining song and story telling through dance, this Hawaiian tradition is often performed during a wedding reception by professional hula dancers or by the bride herself. One of the most popular songs for a hula wedding dance is the Hawaiian Wedding Song. The Wedding Hula is a very slow and beautiful dance that will captivate your guests.
Entertainment - Hula or Tahitian dancers are a perfect addition to any Hawaiian wedding ceremony or reception. Hula dancers are often hired to perform an elegant dance to start a wedding ceremony as guest are seated and also as they are leaving the ceremony. Tahitian dancers, with their fast paced movements and upbeat music can be the perfect start to a Hawaii hula wedding reception. WannaHula is a great resource for getting hula lessons or hiring professional dances for your hula wedding.
Starting the party - Don’t just leave it to the professionals! Add a fun activity to your Hawaii wedding reception by getting your guests involved in learning to hula at your wedding. Professional hula dancers can guide your group of wedding guest through the basics moves of hula. Educational AND hilarious!
Romantic – If you are rhythmically skilled, you may want to consider learning the wedding hula to perform for your husband at your wedding reception. This can be a special surprise and a beautiful representation of your love.
Cute – Young wedding guests often perform the hula for the bride and groom during the reception. This is a super cute way to keep your guests entertained and give a young talent a stage to show their hula skills in your honor.
Whether you hire professionals to entertain your guests, schedule a quick hula lesson during your reception, or perform the hula to the Hawaiian Wedding Song for your love, hula dancing is a perfect way to add some Hawaiian wedding tradition to your special Hula Wedding.
Hawaii wedding ringbearer in lei gives the peace sign to photographers
This cute little ring bearer reminds us to maintain some peace on a hectic wedding day. Our bride and grooms are always asking if we have any advice to help their wedding day go smoothly. While we have learned many little tips and tricks over the years, one of our main suggestions relates to keeping a feeling of peace on the wedding day.
Let’s be honest, weddings are very stressful days with important moments and important people! Coordinating all of the infinite details of a wedding can be overwhelming and preoccupying on any wedding day. In the end, we find that it all comes down to attitude and peace of mind. Things may run late, details might turn out a little different than planned, the flower girl might cry, and you might forget something, but in the end you and your one-and-only are going to be married and live happily ever after. And that is the peace of mind we wish all of our wonderful brides and grooms on their big day!
Ring bearer helps bride put on her wedding shoes
Ring bearers have an important job on a wedding day. This cute ring bearer took on some additional responsibilities in helping the bride put on her shoes! But, being a ring bearer can be a nerve-racking event for any little boy. Here are some tips to help ensure that your wedding ceremony goes smoothly and that everyone has a good time.
Try to put a positive spin on the possibly scary parts of the day. If you are worried about the wedding rings on the pillow, hand the pillow to the ring bearer right as he walks down the aisle, or simply have a groomsman carry the real rings. Set a goal for your ring bearer such as walking directly to the best man and giving him a high five. Provide the kids at your wedding with some fun and quiet activities to do at the reception to keep them entertained. Coloring, puzzles, and drawing are all good activities for your reception. Keep an eye on the kids, especially during important moments of the wedding day. We have seen little fingers going into the wedding cake, handstands in the ceremony aisle, kids running around people doing speeches and many other unfortunate distractions. All in all, help your ring bearer feel special and important on your big day while trying to keep them as comfortable and entertained as possible.
Ever since we became proud puppy parents, we’ve learned so many ways that a dog can change your life for the better. At Corie and Bryan’s recent destination wedding at Turtle Bay, we learned of yet another. When Bryan brought his dog in for obedience training he had no idea the trainer would someday join him on Oahu to become his Wife.
Since Corie & Bryan had chose Oahu for their Hawaii Wedding, Turtle Bay was the perfect venue for them. Not only did Corie train dogs, she also is passionate about horses – the beach by the Stables at Turtle bay made a perfect backdrop for their Hawaii Wedding. While Corie was planning the wedding, she fell in love with the Pink and Yellow Plumeria flowers and decided to not only use the flowers in her bouquet, but also to use the colors of the flowers as the weddings color theme. 
As it was an intimate destination wedding, Corie & Bryan were able to have their reception in Turtle Bay’s beautiful pavilion. 
Congratulations Corie & Bryan!! To see more Weddings at Turtle Bay by Hawaii Wedding Photographers at L’Amour Photography, browse through our blog or check out this destination wedding, Daily Shot of Love, or this gallery of photos of the grounds of Turtle Bay Resort.
Hawaii Wedding DIY Coconut and moss Ring Pillow
We absolutely love to see our brides use their creativity in their wedding design, decor, and details. Many of our past brides have shown their incredible creative talents in designing their own invitations, themes, centerpieces, favors, and in the above shown photo, ring pillows.
This green ring pillow was made of all natural materials including a coconut, moss, and natural twine to tie the rings. This DIY bride added a personal touch to this creative ring pillow by carving out the bride and groom’s initials on the side.
The bride and creator of this ring pillow wowed her guests with many other DIY designs for the tropical themed Hawaii wedding. The wedding invitation for this Hawaii wedding at a private estate in Kaneohe was beautifully designed as a postcard with a vintage map of the Hawaiian Islands.
Still searching for the perfect details and decor for your Hawaiian Wedding? Here are some wedding tips to add a tropical twist to your Hawaii wedding decor:
- Use whole coconuts or whole pineapples to line your ceremony isle or walkways.
- Use whole lychees to add texture to your centerpieces.
- Hand out bright colored sunglasses or sandals for your guests as a fun and useful wedding favor.
- Incorporate sand into your centerpieces or even at the base of your cake (use brown sugar to get the look of sand, but not the taste!)
- Use vintage style hawaiian postcards as place cards or table cards.
- Use local tropical flowers to accent place settings.
- Set up a bubble blowing station for kids or even a shave ice stand!
Would you like to share your ideas for Hawaii Wedding themes or decor. Feel free to leave a comment here!
First dances are one of the most memorable parts of a Hawaii wedding. This is the moment the day stops rushing by when the bride and groom get a moment to themselves to look into each others’ eyes with the new excitement of being married.
Here are a few hints to help your first dance as husband and wife go off without a hitch.
Pick your first dance song: Many couples don’t have a special song, so here are some suggestions to help you find the perfect song. Consider some classic “oldies” love songs that can give your dance a very timeless and classic feel. If you share a favorite band, look up the band’s songs and see if there is a good slow song. If you are getting married in Hawaii, you might want to look into traditional Hawaiian love songs that can really set the mood for your destination wedding reception.
Bride and groom share their first dance under a chandelier in Hawaii
Check the song length: A good length for a first dance at a wedding is anywhere from two to three minutes. Any shorter than that goes by very quickly and may not give enough time for all the moments you would want in photographs from your first dance. Songs longer than three minutes can lose your guest’s attention and seem like forever to be in the spotlight with everyone watching.
Put a spin on it: Practice dancing with your fiance so you can get the feel for who is leading, where to go, how to turn, or dip. Consider choreographing part of your dance, incorporating your bridesmaids and groomsmen, or using props to add some entertainment value to your first dance.
Have fun: That is L’Amour Photography’s moto for every wedding. People are always asking us for advice on their wedding. While we always have tips and advice for any bride and groom, above all else, we suggest the bride and groom to make their decisions based on what they really want. It’s your wedding day, make it your own!
So many of us have dreamed of a perfect Hawaii beach wedding just like the one in the photo below. We have gathered up some helpful hints for your Hawaii Beach Wedding.
Tip #1: Location, location, location! Although you may not be able to scout out the location in person until everything is already planned, make sure you take advantage of some helpful tools in your belt. Google Images. There are few better resources to see a bunch of photos at once and judge for yourself which ones you imagine your Hawaii wedding at. Once you narrow down your list of beaches, search for those particular beaches in Google images and pay attention to how many people are there and the surroundings such as parking lots, life guard towers, boat launches, piers, etc. Make sure you check out the beach on Google Maps’ satellite view too. It gives you a great idea about the clarity of the water, proximity to other venues, access points and terrain.
Tip #2: Permits! If you are planning a Hawaii beach ceremony you should definitely do your research on your chosen beach to find out what restrictions apply and what permits are necessary. This is very important to get all figured out before you make any final decisions.
Tip #3: Day of the Week! Of course, you may not have as much flexibility as you would like on this one, but you should definitely take into consideration the day of the week and time of day during which you plan to be at the beach. While tourists flock to beaches every day of the week, keep in mind that local people will also hit the Hawaii beaches especially on weekends. Weekdays especially Monday through Thursday would likely be your best bet on the least amount of people on the beaches.
Tip#4: Be Realistic: Each beach is a little different from the next. You may not be able to find a beach that meets all of your needs or desires, so it is best to prioritize your most important qualities in your dream Hawaii Beach Wedding. Easy access, ample parking, foliage, bathrooms, view of the sunset, how secluded it is, proximity to your hotel and clarity of the water are all factors that brides have considered when choosing their ideal beach wedding location. If you are dead set on getting married at a particularly popular Hawaii beach, be prepared to have many on lookers and people passing by and more likely than not, lots of people in your photos too. Do your research and think about each location as realistically as you can with the knowledge you gain.
Bride and Groom have a Hawaii Wedding Ceremony on the Beach
Citrus Wedding Theme with yellow orange and green color scheme
This citrus themed wedding had such a cute and lively feel. The citrus theme was used on the cupcake wedding cake tiers by accenting the cupcakes with little citrus candy toppers. The centerpieces also incorporated citrus in lining the vase with slices of real lemons and limes. The vases used had an outer compartment held the lemon and lime slices, with the inner section of the vase was filled with bright orange and yellow flowers to compliment the theme.
Citrus wedding theme with yellow orange green color scheme
In addition to the citrus theme with the yellow, orange and green wedding color scheme the happy bride and groom also utilized little bird motifs. On the top on the tiers of cupcakes, the cake topper was a tiny birdhouse with the family name painted on it.
Yellow Orange and Green Wedding Colors with citrus theme
There are many ways to add a vintage feel to your wedding day with your jewelry, veil, and dress. One slightly overlooked detail is often transportation. A classic car cant be a fun and classy way to drive away at the end of your reception. This destination bride and groom traveled all the way from Australia to have an elegant wedding at Bayer Estate in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The happy couple chose to rent a Rolls Royce to take them from their ceremony venue to their reception at Roy’s in the heart of Waikiki.
Some of our other couples have borrowed a family member’s classic car to drive off in. We always have such a fun time utilizing classic cars in portrait sessions whenever we get a chance. Check out another wedding we photographed at Bayer estate that featured a bright blue classic Corvette here.
Bride and groom enter a vintage Rolls Royce in Hawaii
This Hawaii Destination Wedding couple left their beach ceremony with sandals in hand as they headed out to their waiting limo. When planning your destination wedding or beach wedding, shoes are a definite item to ponder over. Well, not so much for the men, since their decisions are fairly straightforward, but for the brides, bridesmaids and even guests, choosing the right shoes for the wedding can be a fairly important decision. We have seen brides hobbling along throughout their wedding because their wedding shoes, while beautiful, were just not right for the venue which their Hawaii wedding takes place. We’ve seen guests’ heels sinking into grass, trying to maneuver rocky shores, or struggling to walk up and down steep slopes.
Here are some tips and tricks of savvy Hawaii destination wedding brides we have picked up over the years. For a garden wedding where there will definitely be grass lawns and garden paths, wedged high-heels are a great choice to keep the beloved height benefits of heels but with added stability.
Another great idea for brides and bridesmaids who want heels for their Hawaii wedding, SoleMates high heel protectors that you snap on the tip of your heel to add a wider area to balance on. Theses brilliant little inventions can be taken on and off your favorite pair of heels when needed (much better than sinking into the grass)! These probably wont help much on the sand, so you may have to opt for sandals.
Another great option for beach wedding brides is having one nice pair of heels for the indoor portions of your ceremony or reception and one pair of sandals for the beach. This way, you get the best of both worlds and don’t have to reek havoc on your soles and your perfectly manicured toes by going barefoot on beaches and exposing them to rocks, pebbles, and twigs.
Bride and groom carry their shoes from their destination beach wedding in Hawaii
Our Hawaii Wedding Bride and Grooms have had so many great ideas for their destination wedding, we just have to share them with you all. Ever have a question for us? Leave us a comment!
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Save the date cards are a destination wedding essential! They provide valuable information to guests and ensure that your family and friends can share your big day. Don’t worry if you don’t have all your details nailed down; a save the date doesn’t require the name of your location or a specific time.
It can be simple or elaborate, funky or traditional, a full card, post card or even a refrigerator magnet. No matter the style, all save the dates should include these features:
- Date. If you are planning a weekend full of festivities, let guests know so they can schedule accordingly.
- Location. Let people know if they need to book a flight, pack the car for a road trip or secure a hotel room. This is the place to notify guests if you have block of rooms at a hotel. Include the information required for their planning.
- A way to get more information. Provide your phone number, email address or the url to your wedding website. Spending time answering questions at the beginning will save you and your guests from last minute panics and ensure that your wedding day is not shrouded in confusion.
- Elements of your wedding style. This is where you get to have fun. Save the dates can be far less formal than wedding invitations and more adaptable. Photographs are a great addition. One of my favorites was the UFC themed card above. It was fresh, reflected the fun attitude of the couple and was a cute addition to my bulletin board. The couple then tied the theme of the card to the reception by having a grand entrance complete with boxing gloves and the famous – ‘Lets get ready to rumble’ announcement. It just goes to show that the only confine to a great save the date is your imagination!
What is the one element that will effect every single photograph you take on your wedding day? Posture. Good posture makes you look thinner, taller and more graceful. It is especially key when you are utilizing photojournalist style photography that catches unguarded moments. Couples and members of the wedding party should practice good posture in preparation for taking gorgeous pictures at every click.
Posture isn’t about posing, but about strength. Posing looks stilted, unnatural and uncomfortable. So instead of going America’s Next Top Model on your wedding day, work to strengthen and stretch the muscles in your shoulders and back. Taking dancing lessons to prepare for your big day? Don’t just focus on footwork, but use the lessons to practice correct carriage. Enroll in a ballet class for even more training. Yoga and Pilates are other disciplines that build the lean upper body strength that you need to stand tall all day. Ask your partner, friend or co-worker to remind you to straighten-up. The more you practice, the more natural the habit will become. The result will be great looking pictures that capture the beauty of your special day.
