Planning a Wedding in Hawai'i: Step 2

Aloha and welcome back to my blog!  In a previous post, I wrote about the first step in planning a wedding in Hawai'i, which was to determine approximate budget, guest count, wedding date, and wedding planner.  Ready for the next step?

Ocean Crystal Chapel at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  Photo by Mike Pham Photography.

Once you have taken care of step one, the next step is to choose your wedding venue.  Some questions to consider when contemplating wedding venues:

• Is it important to get married in a place of worship, such as a church or temple, or are you preferring to be in an outdoor location or other, non-religious, indoor spot?

• Would you like your ceremony and reception to take place in the same location, such as at a hotel, resort, or private estate?

• Would you like your reception to be indoors or outdoors?

 

Erin and Matt's Evening Cocktail Reception at the Honolulu Design Center.  Photo by Derek Wong Photography.

Ceremony and reception in the same location - Having a ceremony and reception in the same spot comes with many advantages.  For guests, there is no need to navigate getting from the ceremony and reception.  From a cost perspective, you maximize your spend on photography and videography, as these vendors usually have packages which include a number of consecutive hours, so staying in one location means that time is not wasted getting from the ceremony to the reception.

Photo by L'amour Photography.

Outdoor receptions - Often times, outdoor reception venues offer a great deal of flexibility, since you are not limited to the confines of four walls.  You can get creative with the floor plan and really personalize the space.  That said, bear in mind that most outdoor venues insist that the reception end around 10:00pm due to noise ordinances.  (If celebrating past 10:00pm is a priority, you can "have your cake and eat it, too" by planning an after party.)  Something else to note:  if the space is a blank slate, where everything must be brought in, such as tables, chairs, catering, etc., it often times becomes more costly to host a wedding at these locations than at a hotel.

Places of worship - Many times, churches will have fixed times at which wedding ceremonies can take place, and often times, these are mid-day, leaving a gap of time between the ceremony and reception.  If planning a destination wedding in Hawai'i, consider what your guests will do during that "break."  If the space of time is rather short, and if providing transportation for guests, you can have your transportation company take your guests on a brief, scenic tour between the ceremony and reception to fill the time.  If the gap of time is lengthy, then consider whether to offer transportation to the ceremony, then back to their accommodations, and then from their accommodations to the reception.

Sacred Heart Church.  Photo by Kris Labang Photography.

There is much to think about when choosing your wedding venue, and working with a wedding planner can certainly lend more insight tailored to your unique needs.  Hopefully, exploring the options is part of the fun and anticipation in imagining what is to come!

View of Waikiki's "Gold Coast."  Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Co. Photography.

Happy planning!

Mona

neu events

(formerly known as "Weddings by Grace and Mona")

A Ceremony for All to Hear: sign language interpreting at weddings

Now that I think about it, I am actually surprised to note that in more than 12 years of planning weddings, I have only recently had an experience with sign language (deaf interpretation) at a wedding.  At Dani and Leo's gorgeous wedding at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in January, we had the special honor of being able to work with Dani, who is hearing impaired, and with the signers designated to help ensure that the guests "heard" all the special parts of the wedding ceremony and reception.  A dear friend of Dani's gave the reading of I Corinthians 13 in sign language during the ceremony, and interpreters made sure that Dani and other guests could be just as involved as the hearing guests.

Little did I realize the challenges one must face if hearing impaired or deaf, but at Dani and Leo's wedding, it became clear how much those who can hear, including myself, rely on this particular sense to appreciate a wedding.  The special words uttered by the officiant, the beautiful melodies performed by musicians, the toasts and speeches given by closest friends and family members, and especially the couple's vows, all get lost for those who are deaf.  An interpreter plays a critical role in providing the richness of meaning in words uttered that would otherwise escape the grasp of a deaf or hearing impaired person.  While hiring a professional sign language interpreter to be on-site during a wedding could be pricey, the value of the the service provided is priceless.

If interested in sign language interpretation for your wedding in Hawaii, Hawaii Interpreting Services offers ASL (American Sign Language) interpreting, and Sabina Wilford of  HIS was a joy to work with at the happy event.

Mahalo to Joseph Esser of Joseph Esser Photography for sharing photos of Dani and Leo's wedding with us!

Best wishes, and Happy Planning!

Engagement photos: Nancy and Lance

I have the great fortune and privilege of planning weddings for couples who sometimes touch my heart at its very core and make me feel so thankful to have what I consider to be the best job in the world. Nancy and Lance are one such couple. Their thoughtfulness and generosity make me feel like I am the one who is being taken care of, when it is really my responsibility to be looking after them.

Their recent engagement photos shot at the Hilton Hawaiian Village by George Wang of Eclat Photography capture some of their personalities, and definitely, their fun side!

I absolutely love this photo of Nancy - a portrait of style and grace.We are just a few weeks out before Nancy and Lance finally tie the knot. It will definitely be a stunning wedding and the guests are in for a treat! Looking forward to it!

To Nancy and Lance ~ I wish you lots of love and a lifetime of happiness!