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

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!

Haiku Garden Wedding ceremony and Haleiwa Joe's reception on Oahu Hawaii

Hawaii Wedding Photography at Haleiwa Joe's and Haiku Gardens

Our “Do It Yourself” Wedding Invitation Extravaganza Weekend

Eric and I love making stuff, but honestly with the Wedding Photography business keeping us busy, we have unfortunately put our own wedding planning on the back burner for far far too long. Heck, I only ordered my wedding dress earlier this month (to the shock and dismay of the ladies at Masako Formals in Honolulu…”Your wedding is this MAY???”) For those of you who don’t know, Eric and I are actually already married, and had a civil ceremony in September 2008, but are having our actual wedding back in the California Bay Area this May!

With my history in 911 call-taking, I have mastered the art of multitasking and really feel out of my element if less than 5 things are going on at once.  So of course for Super Bowl weekend, we decided if we were gonna sit and watch the game for that amount of time we can FINALLY get our own wedding invitations done.

Our very good Wedding Planner friends Michelle and Justin from Au Lait, Inc. lent us their expertise and manpower in crafting over 100 invitations.  If only everyone could be so fortunate! Eric, Michelle, Justin and I spent … well, I’m not going to admit to how many hours getting each paper slice perfectly strait and every envelope licked and stamped.  After a few needed breaks for refreshments (beer) and snacks (Clausen pickles), the fruits of our labors finally paid off and most have been sent out, squeaking by just under three months before the wedding.

Mucho mahalo to Michelle and Justin of Au Lait, Inc for their skills and to their Shiba Inu “Inuki” for playing the role of official mascot of the Leslie Mansperger Wedding “Do It Yourself” Wedding Invitation Extravaganza Weekend.

Do it yourself wedding invitations by Au Lait Inc and Leslie Mansperger Photography

Oahu Wedding Reception at Haiku Garden

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!

Oahu wedding Photography of Kaiku Gardens Wedding in Kaneohe Hawaii

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

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!)

Special Olympics punt pass and kick event with NFL Pro Bowl 2009 Athletes Peyton Eli Stephen Gostkowski and Jordan Gross

Oahu Engagement Photographer – Sunset Beach – Ann and Sam

We absolutely love doing engagement photo sessions and this couple are the perfect example why we do! We met up with Ann and Sam, who are both Army Emergency Room nurses, on the Northshore of Oahu at Sunset Beach to find the beach fairly empty and the waves with a high swell.  This adventurous couple marched up and down the beach, braved the waves, and played on the reef. I got so wrapped up in taking pictures that I lost my sandals about half way through the shoot. We found one of them, but I think we sacrificed the other to the ocean. Ann and Sam were down to try anything for a great picture. We think their hard work paid off! Thank you Ann and Sam for a lovely day at sunset beach!

Sunset Beach Oahu engagement wedding photographs

Oahu Engagement Portraits at Sunset Beach on Northshore by photographers from Leslie Mansperger Photography

Contact us for help with your Oahu Engagement or if you are looking for a Wedding Photographer in Hawaii

Oahu Wedding Photographer – Venues – Loulu Palm Estate

Located on the North Shore of Oahu, Loulu Palm Estate offers what few other wedding venues in Oahu can: a spacious lawn, peaceful atmosphere, private beach, plantation style home, and beautiful landscaping with tropical plants and palm trees. Just a stones throw from world famous surf spot, Sunset Beach, Loulu Palm Estate has a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean from its  mile long stretch of private beach.  If you and your wedding planner can dream it up, it can be done at the expansive lawn and beach at Loulu Palm Estate.

Destination Wedding photographers of private estate wedding Loulu Palm

Loulu Palm Estate is an escape from the high rise hotels, tourist traffic, and city lights of Honolulu.  This wedding venue is perfect for brides seeking an intimate, beachfront, completely personalized wedding.

We  were introduced to this private estate recently when we were asked to photograph Loulu Palm Estate.  The wedding was gorgeous! The decor and floral arrangements were done by Yvonne Event Floral and Decor in coordination with wedding and event planner Sandra at Finishing Touch.  Music was provided by the very entertaining DJ Troy Michael.

Leslie Mansperger photographers of private estate wedding northshore oahu at loulu palm

Please contact this Oahu Wedding Venue for more information:

Loulu Palm Estate
Location: Oahu (North shore)
Phone: 808-744-7211
Website: http://www.loulupalm.com

Oahu wedding photography of private estate wedding at loulu palm on north shore

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

Voted “Best of 2008” Hawaii Wedding Photographer on OneWed.com

We are excited to share some happy news with you all.  Leslie Mansperger Photography has been awarded the title of “Best of 2008” from OneWed.com.  We are the only wedding photographer from the state of Hawaii to be given this rating which is a huge honor considering how many amazing photographers are on these islands! Thanks to our happy customers who submitted ratings and reviews of their experience with us on OneWed.com, we have receieved this ranking on the growing wedding resource website.

onewed Best of 2008 award

We are always happy to hear back from our clients, so keep those comments coming! We want to thank all of you that have written us or voted for us on OneWed.com. Mucho Mahalo and thank you very much!

Oahu Military Wedding Photographer – Lanikai Beach – Alicia and Lee

What better way to start the new year than to get married! Alicia and Lee were married at world renowned Lanikai Beach on December 31, 2008.  Ranked amongst the best beaches in the world, Lanikai Beach was the perfect backdrop for Alicia and Lee’s wedding ceremony.  Alicia and Lee were surrounded by their closest friends and family as they exchanged vows and rings.

Marine Military wedding in duniform dress blues on lanikai beach in Oahu Hawaii

I loved all of the sentimental details of this wedding! Alicia looked beautiful in her mother’s wedding dress and incorporated her support for the US Marines into the ceremony and reception. Her garter belt was in camouflage print with the Marine Corps symbol on a charm in the center. The favors were accented by photos of Alicia with Lee in uniform.

The beautiful, two tier, round fondant cake was made by Vikki at Sunshine’s Cake Creations. Eric and I never turn down cake at a wedding and are becoming some-what of wedding cake connoisseurs. This cake stands out in our minds as one of the best we have had so far. Perfectly decorated, sweet, creamy, and strawberries in the filling! Love it!

Military Wedding Photography on Lanikai Beach Oahu Hawaii

Congratulations to Alicia and Lee on their beautiful wedding and marriage! We wish them the very best!

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!

Bayer Estate private wedding venue in Oahu Hawaii with a classic and elegant atmosphere

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!

Bayer estate oahu wedding venue for private ceremony and receptions

Private estate for wedding in Oahu, Bayer Estate near Waikiki

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

Vintage Style Hawaii Wedding Photography based in Honolulu Oahu by  Lamour

Hawaii Wedding Photographers of Lamour photography Bayer Estate  Bride

Bayer Estate Hawaii Wedding Photographers Lamour Photography based  in Honolulu Oahu

Sunset Wedding Photographers at Bayer Estate by Lamour  Photography


Vintage Style Hawaii Wedding Photography based in Honolulu Oahu

Hawaii Wedding photographers from Lamour Photography photographed  this Bayer Estate Wedding on Oahu

Bayer Estate Hawaii Wedding Photographers Lamour Photography based  in Honolulu Oahu Hemmingway Sunshine's Cake

Bayer Estate Hawaii Wedding Photographers Lamour Photography based  in Honolulu Oahu

Bayer Estate Hawaii Wedding Photographers Lamour Photography based  in Honolulu Oahu

Hawaii Wedding Photographers on Oahu at Bayer Estate Sunset  Photos

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 Venue – Tiki’s Grill and Bar

Tiki Bar and Grill is located right in the middle of all of the action on Waikiki Beach in Oahu. This popular open-air bar and grill over looks the Waikiki Beach walk from the second floor of the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel.  Whether you are planning a private reception, rehearsal dinner, or looking for a wedding venue with stunning highrise views of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach, Tiki Bar and Grill offers delicious food, amazing drinks, and a lively Hawaiian atmosphere.

Tiki's Grill and Bar wedding venue overlooking Waikiki Beach in Oahu photographs

Tiki’s Grill and Bar has four areas that can be reserved for private parties and serve as the perfect setting for a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception.  The Lava Tube, Hina’s Lanai and Ocean Room are great areas for smaller parties featuring plenty of ocean breezes and true South Pacific decor. For larger parties, the Coconut Club sits atop the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel on the 21st floor with amazing views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head.  AND, if you have your wedding reception or private party on a Friday night, you can also catch the Hilton Hawaiian Village‘s weekly fireworks show from the Coconut Club’s expansive lanai.

Please contact this Waikiki Beach venue for private parites, rehearsal dinners or wedding receptions:

Tiki’s Bar and Grill
Location: 2570 Kalakaua Ave. Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Phone: 808-923-8454
Website: http://www.tikisgrill.com

Please contact us at L’Amour Photography regarding availability for your Waikiki Beach Wedding