Featured Wedding #15: Della and Kevin

Photos by Christie Pham Photography

Through my work, I am very fortunate to meet some fantastic couples, many of whom have become friends and who I have the pleasure of seeing even after their wedding. Della and Kevin are one such couple. In fact, I will be visiting their home later today for a Labor Day barbecue, and I thought I would dedicate today's blog entry to them.

Della and Kevin tied the knot on March 6, 2011, at the picturesque JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko'Olina. It was a sunny afternoon, and to further brighten the day, their "son," Koko (a fluffy white Cavichon), shared the spotlight for the ceremony. Who could resist his little round eyes, imploring you to pick him up and hug him?

At weddings, I seldom find time to enjoy the ceremony as a guest would, especially since coordination duties call me to oversee many things at once, but I happened to catch part of Della's personal vows to Kevin which gave me pause and literally brought tears to my eyes. She referenced traditional wedding vows which state "in sickness and in health," and her response - "been there. Done that."

During the planning stages of their wedding, Della shared with me that in spite of being a young couple, she and Kevin had already experienced their share of trials and tribulations, with Kevin having been struck with serious illness and Della undergoing a major hip surgery. After enduring this together, they emerged a stronger couple with both fortunately in good health now. Listening to Della's vows, I imagined what hardship they must have encountered together, and the formalization of their union seemed to underscore their already evident commitment to one another.

As for the wedding details, Della jokingly admitted that were it not for us on the planning end, she may have very well ended up with beer and nachos for her wedding. We fondly refer to Della as an "anti-bride," where instead of being the type of bride who carefully considered each and every detail of her special day, Della's laid back and don't-sweat-the-small-stuff take on things meant she would hand over the reins to us in terms of many things design related.

Della started with a palette of chocolate brown and pink, dressing her bridesmaids in pretty eyelet dresses with delicate pink ribbon at their waists. To complement the color scheme, we selected a gorgeous table overlays custom made by REA Events for their wedding, featuring swirls in shades of brown, cream, and blush pink, with a subtle underlay of soft champagne and chocolate napkins to emphasize the browns. A fresh pink cymbidium orchid was tucked into each napkin, adding a pop of color along with modern centerpieces of clustered vases filled with hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, and fiddlehead ferns by My Florist.

The result was a tasteful and fun wedding and I am so grateful to now call them my friends. Congratulations, Della and Kevin!