Mother of the Bride dances her way through groomsmen and bridesmaids
This mother-of-the-bride was such a fun part of this large wedding party at this private estate wedding on the North Shore of Oahu. As the wedding party was being introduced at he start of this destination wedding reception, the mother of the bride got the party started by turning on her dancing skills and boogieing her way through the bridesmaids and groomsmen and out to the reception.
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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!
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Myla and Tommy were such a great couple to work with. From the moment we met them, we were struck by how nice they were and how SO in love they were. We started our day with the beautiful bride as she and her bridesmaids got their hair and makeup done by Beauty By May in their room at the Waikiki Marina Resort at the Illikai in Honolulu. Myla wore an absolutely gorgeous ivory colored chiffon destination wedding dress by Maggie Sottero Destination with a corset back and an elegant one shouldered strap adorned with fabric flowers.
She honestly looked like she stepped straight out of a bridal magazine. 
Her bridesmaid wore strapless fuchsia dresses. Tommy and his groomsmen wore simple white shirts and light khaki pants. Tommy wore a traditional wedding lei of maile-style ti leaf and white orchids. The group was whisked away in a stretched limo to Makapuu Beach for a private beach ceremony.
After a gorgeous beach wedding ceremony and a portrait session with the family, whole bridal party, we had a portrait session with just the bride and groom, just in time for the sun setting behind the mountains.
The bride and groom’s destination beach wedding ceremony was followed by a reception at the Top of Waikiki. 
This restaurant is located on the 18th floor of the Waikiki Business Plaza in Honolulu. The Top of Waikiki restaurant makes a full 360 degree rotation every hour with stunning eagle-eye views of Waikiki Beach and Honolulu.
We had such a great time with this wedding. Thanks and congratulations to Myla and Tommy and thank you for having L’Amour Photography as your Hawaii Wedding Photographer!
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Malia and Brian were joined by many of their closest family and friends at a beautiful 4 home estate on the North Shore of Oahu for a private beach ceremony under an amazingly clear blue sky. Malia and Brian used to beauty of the natural Hawaiian surroundings to decorate their intimate wedding party. Local wild tropical flowers and leaves were used in the bouquets and to decorate the grounds. It was simply stunning and natural.
Malia wore a silky-satin light turquoise slip dress accompanied by her bridesmaids wearing bathing suits covered by coordinated sarongs. Everyone in the wedding party, and almost all the guests, enjoyed the wedding barefoot with the soft sands of the North Shore between their toes.
Thank you to Malia and Brian for having us as your Hawaii Wedding Photographers. Mucho Mahalo!
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Sometime life takes you to interesting places. Stacey & Steven flew us 2,500 miles for a wedding 35 miles from where we grew up in California. We love to travel for weddings and it was a special treat to be so close to where we grew up, yet a part of the Bay Area that neither of us had been before.
Stacey and Steven’s wedding was held at a private estate in Woodside located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It was the kind of place that makes you ask, “would you mind if I brought a tent and just live in the backyard?” Surprisingly enough, the owner of the estate said there was a two bedroom cottage on the side of the house and that we were welcome to stay there any time. What luck – we forgot our tent.
Stacey and the girls started the day the way any wedding day should be started; with some mimosas while getting their hair and makeup done at Krush Salon in Los Gatos. There was such a buzz of excitement as the girls started to realize that the big day was really here.
While the Girls wrapped up at the Salon, The guys were “getting ready” (read that as “relaxing”) at the Woodside Estate. The ceremony area was set up, the tables were decorated, and the drinks were going on ice. It was time for the ladies to show up.
The Groom and groomsmen were dressed in black suits with light green striped ties with the bridesmaids in complimenting light green strapless dresses. The bouquets included white roses, fuscia Gerber Daisies and Queen’s Anne Lace tied with sheer light green ribbon.
Stacey wore an elegant ivory gown with a corset back and an added personal touch with a broach pinned on the side. Her look was finished off by her “something old” pearl earrings and necklace. It was great to see all the bridesmaids and the mother of the bride standing around Stacey in complete awe.
The ceremony was held on the expansive lawn on the edge of a vineyard. The surrounding rolling hills and clear blue skies really reminded us of what we love about northern California.
After the ceremony, the guests were ushered poolside for a cocktail hour while we escaped into the nearby vineyard with Stacey & Steven for portraits.
When we came back, the guests were invited to sit at their tables and the wedding party was introduced. The tables were adorned with dark brown satin table clothes, mirrored centerpiece bases, and floral arrangements featuring personalized table signs of Stacey and Steven’s favorite places in the world. The food and drinks were provided by Cafe Primavera Catering which is amongst the best catered food we have ever tasted in any state we have photographed in.
With food served and the wine flowing, Stacey’s father took the mic to begin the speeches. Reception speeches are one of my favorite times during a wedding. It is at this time, where family and friends share the most thoughtful and meaningful sentiments. In the course of a lifetime, these are the words that are likely to be the most important that you will ever hear. Stacey and Steven’s family and friend’s speeches were no exception.
Following the speeches, Stacey & Steven stepped onto the dance floor for their first dance. We were impressed that immediately after the first dance, mother/son, and father daughter dances, almost all the guests rushed the dance floor. The lively guests and wedding party danced all night to the beats of DJ David from Brad Kinney Productions.
Traveling to Northern California for Stacey and Steven’s wedding was definitely a highlight of our year.
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I appreciate when brides step out of the limits of a traditional wedding and personalize the wedding so that it is a true reflection of their life and style. Anela wore a beautiful orange silk sheath dress for her garden wedding. The bouquets were a complimentary mix of yellows and oranges that went perfectly with her dress. We have been seeing more and more orange in wedding color schemes lately. Even Martha Stewart digs this Anela’s color choices as seen in a recent article online. Ikaika went with a more traditional white aloha shirt paired with his white Oakley sunglasses. Anela’s daughter serenaded the girls as they got their hair and makeup done by singing Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. So funny!
We were so happy to meet such a sweet couple and to be part of their big day!
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Congratulations to Amanda and Jeff! This cute couple were married in a sunset garden ceremony on the Winward side of Oahu. Amanda wore an elegant ivory sheath dress with pleated details and beading in the front and covered buttons in the back. Her bouquet was a mixture of roses and orchids with blue accents.
Best wishes to Amanda and Jeff from Wendy and Eric of L’Amour Photography!
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Congratulations to Ashley and Robert!
Congrats to Christine and Cameron! We just couldn’t wait to post some of these images. So, here we are the night before flying back to California for our own wedding and I’m at the computer blogging! This wedding was really THAT much fun!
Here is a little teaser. Check back in a few weeks for more pics from this wedding. I promise to post more after we get back from California!
Christine and Cameron had gorgeous clear blue skies at their seaside wedding at Paradise Cove on the West side of Oahu. Christine looked stunning in a ivory lace sheath dress with her bridesmaids in light pink dresses. Each of the bridesmaids wore a different variation of the dress. While some say uniformity is best, I like this trend in letting the bridesmaids show their own style by picking a dress that suits them best in the same fabric and color. (…more to come soon!)
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Congratulations to newlyweds Janeen and Wesley who were married in a beautiful ceremony at Haiku Gardens in Kaneohe on Oahu.
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April 17th, 2009 in
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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!
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April 10th, 2009 in
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We always have awesome brides and grooms as our clients. They are always so cheery and nice to work with, it really is always a pleasure. Caprice and Manny absolutely fall into that category. It was so much fun chatting about girly wedding stuff with Caprice before heading down to the chapel at Haiku Gardens. I LOVED her dress and was kicking myself for not choosing a dress like hers for our own wedding (coming up now in less than 3 weeks!!!). I love light and flowy wedding dresses like Caprice’s sheath dress. They are really the best of both worlds: beautiful and comfortable. However, since we are having a church ceremony back in California I chose to go with a more formal satin gown with a huge train (I love it, but I cannot say that it is going to be nearly as comfortable as a sheath dress. *sigh*)
Manny looked very sharp in his Marine dress blues. We did feel bad though because it was pretty warm that day. Oh, the things we do to look good. Side note: I think wedding days are quite possibly the only day that men will understand what we women go through and the uncomfortableness that comes hand in hand with looking good. We suffer with heavy corseted dresses and uncomfortable but really cute shoes while the grooms totally suffer through a sauna in their suits/tuxs. Sounds fair to me! But, I digress…once again…
We had a great time playing with some fun lighting amongst the bamboo and on the path around the pond. Manny and Caprice were whisked away to their reception in the Haiku Gardens Eco-cart complete with “Just Married sign!
Mucho Mahalo to Caprice, Manny and Family for a great wedding!
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April 5th, 2009 in
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With many of our brides coming from all over the country and the world, Eric and I often get questions for referrals for anything and everything wedding related. With our growing family in the Oahu Wedding Association, we are in abundance of wonderful Hawaii wedding connections. One of our newest friends is from Island Treats Creations.
Eric and I had the pleasure of going behind the scenes to the workshop of Island Treats Creations where all of the magic happens. Merryl is the owner and is the sweetest person to work with! She showed us around and let us sample their delicious cookies and chips that she offers for her baskets. Let me just say, oh my gosh, they are so delicious. Eric and I munched on some Taro Chips and Coconut Cookies during our sunrise fashion photo shoot this week.
Island Treats Creations is located in Kailua on Oahu and is a must stop shop for Hawaiian cookies, candies, chips and gifts. Check out their website or stop by the store to see their many options for wedding favors, gift baskets, and treats!
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March 17th, 2009 in
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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!
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March 17th, 2009 in
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Congratulations to Sue and Manny!!! This happy couple had a short Hawaiian beach wedding and then headed over to our neck of the woods, Kaneohe, to Haiku Gardens for an intimate wedding reception.
Eric and I are always happy to head over to Haiku Garden and Haleiwa Joe’s for weddings, dinner, or just some pupus and cocktails at happy hour! This wedding party was super nice and the happy bride and groom were so in love and enthralled with each other that we hardly had to suggest any poses, they just naturally looked great interacting with each other. That always is a blessing as I prefer more photojournalistic shots of couples just being in love and being themselves! Not only were Sue and Manny super cute, I loved their style. Sues shoes were reminiscent of my own wedding shoes for our civil ceremony last year. You gotta love a girl who wears black and white wedding shoes!
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February 9th, 2009 in
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