Hawaii Wedding Photographer – L’amour is on Facebook!

Have you visited L’amour Photography & Video’s Facebook page lately?   Like our page to see our fan favorite “L’amour’s Daily Shot of Love” where we highlight one of our favorite photos from weddings in Hawaii on our Facebook wall.   In addition to sharing our favorite wedding photos, we love staying in contact with our former bride and grooms and interacting with future clients and fans! Thanks to all of our Facebook fans who are always so supportive and loving. We love you guys too!

Lamour Hawaii wedding photography's custom facebook cover photo

Here is our newest Facebook cover photo.  L’amour Facebook page is another great way to view the gorgeous Hawaii weddings and destination weddings that we photograph!  We have many Hawaii weddings featured on our Facebook page, just click to see the photo albums!   See what others are commenting and liking and join in on the action.  See you on Facebook!

 

 

Destination Wedding – Shazarie and Nicholas’ Big Day – Moana Surfrider, Kahala Resort, Waialae Beach Park

Shazarie and Nicholas came all the way from Washington for their intimate beach ceremony at Waialae Beach Park.

Shazarie and her girls got ready at one of our favorite places, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel at Waikiki Beach. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with perfectly blue skies out her window as she got her hair done by  Sarah of Wendy Robin’s Studio W. You may recognize makeup artist Wendy Robin’s name from our previous article about Eric and I modeling wedding gowns for the Oahu Wedding Association meeting at Masako Formals.  If you haven’t yet, you must check out Wendy’s work. Not only is she a sweet person who does amazing hair and makeup, she has also done makeup for celebrities including Carmen Electra, Ali Landry, and Michelle Rodriguez.

Shazarie, Nick and the whole group were picked up by two limos and taken to Waialae Beach Park for their ceremony which was officiated by Shazarie’s father.

Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographers from  l'amour Photographyshoot wedding at Moana Surfrider

Moana Surfrider Hawaii Destination Wedding Photography by L'amour

Kahala Resort Hawaii Beach Ceremony by L'amour Photography

Waialae Beach wedding portraits by L'amour Photography in Oahu Hawaii

* * * Click here to see  Shazarie and Nicholas’s Hawaiian Wedding Slideshow * * *

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!

Wendy and Eric of L'Amour Photography

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!

Hawaii Wedidng Photographer husband and wife team based in Oahu

Destination Wedding Photographer L'amour Hisband and Wife Team

L'amour Oahu Wedding Photographer

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

Oahu Military Wedding Photographer – Caprice and Manny’s Wedding

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*)

Tropical wedding theme destination wedding photography by L'amour in Oahu

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!

Hawaii Destination Wedding on Oahu by L'amour Photography

Hawaii Garden Wedding Photography by husband and wife team L'amour

Tasty Hawaiian Treats and Favors by Island Treats Creations

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!

Hawaii wedding favors and gifts from Island Treats Creations in Kailua Oahu

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)

Wedding Photography of Wedding Cafe in Honolulu Floral and Tabletop decor by Debbie Hemingway of Designs by Hemingway

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

(photo collage of these displays directly below)

Wedding Photography of Wedding Cafe in Honolulu Floral and Tabletop decor

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. (more…)

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Paradise Cove

Paradise Cove is not only one of the most popular places for an authentic and entertaining Hawaiian Luau, it is also a great place to have your wedding! Situated on 12 acres on the West coast, or the Leeward side of Oahu, Paradise Cove is a getaway from the more metropolitan Honolulu and Waikiki area.  This wedding venue features private beaches, delicious food, entertainment, and gorgeous landscaping and vegetation, not to mention one of the best sunsets on Oahu. (more…)

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Diamond Head Anela Garden Chapel

The Diamond Head Anela Garden Chapel in Honolulu Oahu is a non-denominational chapel accommodating couples from around the world each year.  Accommodating up to 100 guests, this quaint chapel is lined with beautiful English stained glass windows that light your way down the isle.

With three reception rooms in the Guest House and expert japanese chefs catering the meals, you can be sure that you will have a Hawaiian wedding you and your guests will never forget! AND, for you local Honolulu birdes and grooms-to-be, the Diamond Head Anela Garden offers special wedding packages just for Kamaiana! If a beautiful chapel, 30,000 square feet of gardens, and a guest house aren’t enough, the Diamond Head Anela Chapel can also help you find your dream wedding dress (or tuxedo) at their bridal salon, Naoco Wedding. That is what I call a complete package!

If you are interested in more information about the Diamond Head Anela Garde, please contact this wedding venue:

Diamond Head Anela Garden
Location: 3050 Monsarrat Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: 808-735-5500
Website: http://www.kuraudia.com/ag/chapel/index.html

Please contact us at L’Amour Photography for availability to photograph your Honolulu wedding.

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Hale Koa Hotel

Hale Koa Hotel is an exclusive first class resort in Honolulu Oahu catering to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.  You either have to BE someone (presently in the military or be a veteran) or KNOW someone (in your immediate family who served).  With Oahu hosting multiple military bases including Schofield Barracks, Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base, Bellows Air Force Station, Fort Shafter, Hickam Air Force Base, and Pearl Harbor Naval Base, there is no question why this resort is so popular!  A resort exclusively for you and your loved ones, that’s nothing to pass up! (more…)

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel

The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel offers gorgeous views, a backdrop of Daimond Head, and a hint of Japanese stlye to any wedding ceremony or reception.  Whether you are looking for a venue with some Japanese flare or simply a gorgeous setting with delicious food, the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel is worth checking out. (more…)

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Ko’olau Ballrooms

Located on the Winward side of Oahu in Kaneohe, Ko’olau Ballrooms stands out amongst its neighboring venues in its specialization in hosting events.  Planning and personalizing weddings and events is their bread and butter, and they definitely know what they are doing! Choose from venues featuring an indoor waterfall, lush garden, or a breathtaking view of the Ko’olau Mountain Range. (more…)