There are very few places in the world as majestic as Kualoa Ranch on Oahu. That is likely the reason that Kualoa Ranch has been the background for many movies and tv shows including Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Lost and Hawaii 5-0. With the towering Koolau Mountains on one side and Molii fish pond and a open-air, covered venue, Molii Gardens offers a stunning wedding ceremony and reception site. Our bride and groom had beautiful wedding with red and gold color scheme and pineapple motifs throughout. The bride wore a lace wedding gown with long sleeves and a deep v neckline and a long train. A red rose and orchid flower crown, or haku, added a lovely pop of color that accented her red lips. The red accents also complimented the grooms military dress uniform that was green with red.
There are many good reasons to do a first look before the wedding ceremony. It can help your timeline along with seeing each other first, then doing some portraits together as opposed to doing all of your portraits along with your family and wedding party between the ceremony and reception while all of your guest wait. Another reason to have a first look is to get our some nervousness by seeing each other before walking down the aisle. I’m a big ugly crier when I’m overcome with emotion, so I knew when I walked down the aisle it was going to be bad. I should have done a first look! Along with these reasons, it’s a nice way to share some last minute thoughts and feelings together before they jump feet first into the most eventful day of their lives to that point. Wedding days go by so fast that it might be nice for couples to have a last moment of clarity together before the whirlwind. But, many couples have thought about all that and just don’t want to see each other before the walk down the aisle. For those people this new trend of the first look without looking might be the right choice for them! This bride and groom met up before the ceremony without seeing each other to just share a sweet little moment together just holding hands.
The ceremony site, down the stairs along the pond at Molii Gardens had a wood trellis draped with sheer white fabric and adorned with red flowers and lots of greenery. The wedding ceremony involved a few nice traditions including the exchange of lei and the washing of hands.
The wedding reception was set up with wood tables without table cloths, draped fabric runners, red flower centerpieces in gold vases, gold votive candle holders, and gold pineapples. Guests were treated to gold pineapple bottle openers or wine corks as wedding favors. The bride and groom’s chairs had wood signs with calligraphy that said “Better Together” and their reception table had matching signs that said “I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, with a brown suitcase serving as a card box.
The wedding cake was a two tier, round cake in the “naked” style with minimal frosting covering the cake and a gold personalized script name cake topper. All of the deep reds, golds, and pineapples gave the whole venue a luxurious tropical ambiance. What a lovely way to start their lives as husband and wife!
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Just Married in Maui – Light Pink Themed Hawaii Destination Wedding Photography
Delicate, feminine, sparkling, elegant. That’s how I can describe this bride’s Hawaii wedding dress. The ivory colored sheath dress had a sheer overlay with capped short sleeves, embroidered with elegant crystal details and beading. The stunning bride wore her hair in a half up do with lots of volume and loose waves. The walk down the aisle was made in glittering gold colored Jimmy Choo high heels. The bridesmaids supported and celebrated the day with the Bride in soft pink colored flowing formal gowns. The dresses were empire waist with draped tops and flowing skirts.
Although there were storm clouds on the horizon, this wedding ceremony was all clear for the bride and groom’s dream Hawaii wedding. On the grassy point, edging out into the ocean, the family and friends sat on gold chivari chairs among the palm trees. In the distance the guest could see the island of Ko’oholawe and Molokini. The groom looked stylish in his dark suit without a necktie while his groomsmen wore light gray suits and dark gray neckties. For the wedding party photos, the bridesmaids held cream colored parasols. The parasol umbrellas make the perfect accessory for a Hawaii destination wedding where wedding guests could experience a range of weather changes from the warmth of direct sunlight to tropical showers.
The wedding flowers coordinated perfectly with the color scheme of this beachfront wedding in Hawaii. Roses in cream and soft pink were surrounded by leaves with a light pastel green color that are called Dusty Miller leaves. They almost have a frost look to them and are a nice alternative to the normal foliage of wedding bouquets that are bright green.
Say cheese! This cute little flower girl was stealing our shots with her Fuji Film Instax instant camera. We couldn’t help but take a photo of her too. We gotta support the next generation of wedding photographers!
The engagement ring was giving us some serious diamond envy! The gorgeous round cut diamond stood in all of it’s glory on a classic setting. A pave diamond wedding band made the perfect pairing while the groom wore a gold wedding band. The wedding reception was held under a clear ceiling tent where guests were entertained by hula and Tahitian dancers as well as this fire dancer. Sparkling chandeliers hung from the tent, lighting the reception in a romantic soft light. A multi-tiered cake stand held cupcakes for the guests’ sweet tooth with little decorative rose buds on top. And no wedding in Hawaii is complete without a stunning photo of a kiss at sunset! Congratulations to our happy couple! A big thank you to the amazing wedding planner, Cherise, at The Perfect Wedding Maui who always makes the bride and groom’s smooth and stress-free dream wedding day come true!
Saying Aloha and Mahalo to a wonderful year of 2015 Weddings!
We want to say a big mahalo, or “Thank You,” to all of our amazing couples from 2015. As you can probably see, we have had a very busy ear and wanted to end it with a bang. Here are some highlights from some of our weddings of the year. There are just too many too share in one blog, so we will be posting a few blogs as well as posting to our Facebook and Instagram!
These lovely wedding took place at some of our favorite wedding venues on Oahu including Turtle Bay Resort, Haiku Gardens, Kualoa Ranch, Moana Surfrider, Lanikuhonua and Hilton Hawaiian Village chapel! We also had a chance to travel to the other Hawaiian islands for gorgeous weddings at the St Regis in Kauai and Olowalu Plantation on Maui.
This year has been jam packed with sweet couples, giddy engagement sessions, blue skies and warm breezes. We could no have asked for a better set of couples to spend it with. We are officially heading into our eighth year as Hawaii wedding photographers and can’t wait to see what the next year brings and meet our new bride and grooms! Stay tuned for many more highlights to come and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!