Lanikuhonua Event and Wedding Expo TOMORROW

Lanikuhonua, one of O'ahu's most popular venues for weddings and events, is hosting a highly anticipated Event and Wedding Expo tomorrow at the venue itself, situated in the beautiful Ko'Olina area.  Anyone looking for an outdoor, oceanfront site for a special event will surely benefit by attending.  It is an opportunity to see Lanikuhonua all dressed up, and will feature drawing for great prizes, food, beverage, entertainment, and an array of vendors who can help make an outdoor wedding or event come to fruition.  Participating vendors include caterers, rental companies, entertainment providers, planners, floral designers, decor companies, and more!  To attend this event, which is open to the public, purchase tickets purchase in advance at tix.com or or pay at the door.  Admission is $25 for adults, $12.50 for children 6-12 years old, and it is free for kids under six.  For more information, e-mail or call 808-674-3360.

We love weddings at Lanikuhonua.  It offers stunning views of the ocean and coastline, some of the best sunsets to be found in Hawai'i, an abundance of free parking, and vast open spaces, representing a blank canvas for designing unique and special events.  Here are a few photos from events we have planned there over the years, to provide a sense for how the space can come to life and be transformed for weddings.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

Photo by Dave Miyamoto & Company

Photo by Stephen Ludwig Fotographi + Art

Photo by Christie Pham Photography

Photo by Marcia Campbell

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

Photo by Eugene Kam Photography

Happy Planning!

Mona

neu events

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

Leis for Weddings

Now I know I've blogged about this topic before, but with destination weddings, many couples find the culture and usage of leis a bit foreign, so I thought I might help to shed light on the subject. Who should get a lei, and what type of lei is appropriate to give?

Let's start with the bridal party. For grooms, the most popular would be the maile lei, whose fragrant leaves look masculine and readily identifies a person of honor. It also does not stain clothing - a big plus on any occasion. Maile leis are typically reserved for "VIPs," so these would be appropriate for the groom, groomsmen, fathers, officiants, and even emcees, if this person is someone dear to you.

Kevin sports a maile with tuberose lei for his wedding earlier this year. Photo by Christie Pham Photography.

As for brides, one of my favorites is the rope pikake lei. The pikake, or jasmine blossom, resembles a dainty pearl and its sweet fragrance delicately scents its wearer. I recommend the rope over the multiple strands, as the individual flowers may separate on a strand, revealing the thread or floss holding the blooms together, whereas the rope style of lei retains its shape nicely, even after many hugs and a long day.

Nancy wore the beautiful and fragrant rope pikake lei for her reception and sunset photos on Waikiki Beach. Photo by Eclat Photography.

For moms and special female guests, something "fancier" and with a pretty scent usually serves well to acknowledge key people. Pikake leis, Micronesian ginger leis, double tuberose leis, and fancy orchid work nicely. (FYI - orchid leis generally do not have a fragrance.) For dads and special male guests, opt for leis without fragrance; some of the more popular varieties include kukui-mock orange and cigar leis.

Tiare's new mother-in-law and her mom wear beautiful Micronesian ginger leis for the wedding. Photo by Kai Photo.

As for out-of-town guests and even extended family members, a simple lei generally serves as a thoughtful gesture to recognize these people, without upstaging "VIPs" such as parents or bridal party members. Some suggestions include a single strand tuberose lei, single strand orchid lei, single strand lantern ilima lei, or single strand crown flower lei, to name a few. These typically cost less but still fulfill the objective of acknowledging these guests in a kind way. Choose flowers that match the colors of the wedding; the photos look even better when things are nicely coordinated.

Remember that the giving of leis is by no means a requirement, so do not feel obligated to give leis at your wedding, but if doing so, be sure to give them from the heart. Consult your floral designer, lei shop, or wedding planner for more ideas and tips on selecting leis for your wedding and enjoy the happy smiles of your guests when they get "lei'd in Hawaii!"

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!

10-10-10 and other dates for tying the knot

With the turn of the new (well, not that new anymore) millenium, years ending in low digits such as 2007, 2008, 2009, and now, 2010, have created a phenomenon in the wedding industry. Due to the lo wer digit years, we find a huge spike in demand for unique and easy to remember dates created by the uniformity of same numbered months, days, and years, such as July 7, 2007 (7-7-7), August 8, 2008 (8-8-8) and so forth. This year is no different.

Today, October 10, 2010, is marked by completely booked venues, hustling wedding vendors and bustling bridesmaids (yes, pun intended). In order to secure venues and services for this date, couples clamored for their top picks well in advance of the normal lead time. The fact that 10-10-10 falls not only on a Sunday, but on a holiday weekend at that, makes this an ultra-popular date.

There is just two more years to go before this phenomenon is over - November 11, 2011, and December 12, 2010. Since 11-11-11 is a date with all ones (1s), it may prove to be even more popular. While it may not be on a the more sought after Saturday or Sunday, a Friday, which 11-11-11 falls on, is for many, the next best thing. It will be interesting to see how 12-12-12 develops in terms of desirability...

Photo by Christie Pham Photography

May Day in Hawai'i

Photo courtesy of Christie Pham.

Traditionally, May Day in Hawai'i is May 1. This day was meant to celebrate the Hawaiian customs of making and wearing leis. There is even a song many Hawaii locals know called, "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i." On this day, many festivities are held, including lei contests in schools, a Lei Day celebration at Queen Kapi'olani Park in Waikiki, and May Day celebrations at elementary schools.
Clearly, leis are an important part of this day, which also means that florists may be either busy due to a higher demand and/or prices for leis may increase due to the multiple events during this time. Often times, many weddings in Hawaii will have at least one lei involved, whether it is a maile lei for the groom or multiple leis for the VIPs of the wedding like the parents of the wedding couple. With a higher demand, lei prices could increase, which is something to consider when choosing a wedding date or what flowers to use at the wedding.

( Photo on left by Andrew Cha. Photo on right by Kris Labang Photography.)