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")

Flower Showers, Bubble Showers, and Feather Showers...oh my!

Photo by Amodo Photo

It appears the tradition of throwing rice, symbolizing the bestowing of prosperity on the bride and groom, has become "untraditionalized," evidenced by the fact that in 12 years of planning weddings, we have not once witnessed a wedding where rice was thrown. It is said that the uncooked grains of rice pose health risks to the birds who might eat them. However, several pretty alternatives exist, and make for great photos, too.

Photo by Kai Photo

One of the most popular in Hawaii, would be the tossing of rose petals. They seem to drift upon the couple, truly highlighting them as the stars of the day.

For guests' ease, petals may be inserted into petal cones like these, designed by Emi Ink, to match with the rest of the couple's wedding stationery.

Photo by Kai Photo

These petals cones, sweetly affixed to the backs of the chairs, and feature petals in the form of the original rose blooms.

Bubbles make for beautiful photos as well...

Photo by Kai Photo

As do a mixture of petals, bubbles, and feathers...

Photo by Eclat Photography

Consider the look you would prefer your wedding and choose accordingly. Happy Planning!

Tips and Advice: selecting the right people to be on your bridal party

Photo by Eugene Kam Photography

I cannot underscore enough the importance of picking the right people to serve as your bridesmaids and groomsmen. On several occasions in my wedding planning career, brides and grooms have confided in me, sharing their frustration with the bridesmaid who seldom calls back... or the groomsman whose arm has to be twisted to go in for a tuxedo fitting... or the opinionated bridal party member who shoots down all of the bride's ideas for her wedding... or even the groomsmen who never plan a bachelor "outing" for the groom... It breaks my heart when couples do not receive the support they should when preparing for such a significant occasion in their lives.

Part of the problem lies in the choice of bridal party members. Often times, couples select bridesmaids and groomsmen out of obligation. They feel they ought to ask certain people to be on their bridal party because this is their oldest friend, or their future sister/brother-in-law, or because the other person asked him/her to be on that person's bridal party previously... There are countless reasons why couples have chosen someone to be on their bridal party just because they felt they should.

However, I would urge couples to instead consider those individuals who will truly take their role as bridesmaid or groomsman to heart. These people should be ones who sincerely care for the bride and groom, and who will take an active part in helping the bride or groom ensure the success of their wedding. Such bridesmaids and groomsmen, maids of honor and best men, make all the difference in seeing to it that the bride and groom enjoy not just their wedding day, but the process of planning it leading up to that special occasion.

Photo by Kris Labang Photography

I have witnessed a number of instances where members of the bridal party have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make the bride's or groom's experience extra special. Some will go shopping with the bride for her gown, or they will even plan unique and creative bonding events such as a bridal party scavenger hunt before the wedding. Another memorable example was the planning and preparation of skits for the couple, performed at their wedding receptions. Even just basic and kind-hearted gestures like helping to assemble favors or helping the couple by running errands for them can make all the difference in a couple feeling supported and extra excited about tying the knot. When it comes to selecting your bridal party members, choose wisely; you'll thank me for it.Photo by Kai Photo

Happy planning!

Tips and Advice: place cards

The tradition of utilizing place cards to mark each guest's seat at a table is a very formal and elegant one, and lends a sense of sophistication to any wedding. They can be beautifully printed, propped up on pretty stands, or embellished with tiny accents to tie into a theme for extra special touches. I especially love the ones done by hand in calligraphy.

Photo by Absolutely Loved

However, many couples doubt, particularly when guest counts creep up to larger numbers, whether it is even necessary to prepare place cards, which designate a specific seat for someone, at an event. Identifying a particular seat for each guest can be cumbersome, tricky, and "political," as it then becomes important to take into consideration whether to seat one guest next to another. Is it necessary? In short, the answer is "no."

Photo by Kris Labang Photography

A word of advice I always give to couples is to consider place cards for the parent table(s). Often times, guests eager to congratulate the parents, pull moms and dads in many directions and thus, parents frequently find themselves the last to take their seats at their table. This usually leaves parents with the worst seats at the table - with their backs toward the bride and groom! Setting place cards in advance for the parents at their table will ensure them a place of honor and a wonderful view of the stars of the show, the bride and groom.

Photo by Eugene Kam Photography

Wedding Style Tip #6: Notice Your Napkins

Photos by Dave Miyamoto & Company

One element that can make a simple and thoughtful statement in the overall look of your wedding decor is the napkins on your table tops. Get creative with the napkin fold; ask the hotel, caterer, linen provider, or wedding planner/designer if they would be able to get creative with the napkin fold. With the napkins shown above, we incorporated the bride's gold, braided cord and folded the napkins around the menu cards for a perfect fit, cuffing one edge of the napkin to reveal the other side of the napkin, which was a more tangerine shade.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

One of my favorite ways to add a "wow" factor to the napkins is by placing a fresh blossom on each napkin. In the photo below, a force-bloomed, fresh rose on each napkin looks fantastic; the size of the rose is significant enough to balance with the size of the charger. Any smaller blossom would have appeared dwarfed by the large scale of the napkin, folded as a wide vertical band over the charger.

Photo by Eclat Photograhy

On a side note, we have finally arrived at 2011 and I look forward to sharing more thoughts, ideas, tips, and featured weddings with you this year. Happy New Year, and may 2011 bring you and your loved ones much happiness, prosperity, and love!