Bio

Married2MrWright

SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 | KAPA'A, KAUA'I

A l o h a K n o t t i e s !
Welcome to loridecter's married bio!

We were married in a small, intimate destination wedding on the Coconut Coast of Kauai. Twenty-one guests joined us for a week of sun, fun and I do and it was truly was a dream come true for us. After a week in Kauai, we had a five day minimoon in Maui. The following are pictures from our Big Day as well as the trip to Kauai and Maui and my reviews and tips. Feel free to borrow my photos but please credit my bio and my photographers (George Winters for Non Pro Pics and Jennifer Prater for Pro Pics). You can always page me on the Hawaii Board or send me an email to: loridecter [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Click HERE to see our Pro Pics Photo Slideshow...

I have embedded a music player on this page, to disable it click here.

Getting Ready The Ceremony Formal Portraits Cocktail Hour The Reception The Details Day After Photos

Non-Pro Photos Kauai Fun Maui Minimoon At Home Reception
Vendors & Reviews The Music Words of Wisdom

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OUR WEDDING DAY TIMELINE:
9:00 AM Wake-up
9:30 AM Shower
10:00 AM Breakfast
10:45 PM Groom takes things to room across the hall
11:00 AM Make-up
12:00 PM Hair
1:00 PM Photographer Arrives
1:30 PM Get Dressed
2:00 PM Pre-ceremony Photos/"First Look"
3:15 PM Break/Freshen Up for Ceremony
3:45 PM Guests Arrive
4:00 PM Ceremony Begins
4:30 PM Ceremony End/Formal Group Photos
5:00 PM Cocktail Hour
6:00 PM Dinner Reception
6:15 PM Buffet Opens
7:15 PM Dessert
10:00 PM Party's Over/Clean Up

Yep! I made time on the Day of the Wedding to log onto The Knot! It was neat to see the ticker read "Today is Our Wedding Day"

My mom did my hair and I did my own make-up:

Getting in the dress! I HIGHLY recommend help and also wearing NUDE tone undergarments!

YAY! Dressed and ready to go! I was so excited!

My younger brother, Michael, shot all of the video...he is a film maker, so we really lucked out!

Joseph got ready in the condo directly across from ours (our friends were staying there) and
then he walked down to the Kauai Coast Resort to meet me for our "first look".

Joseph waiting to see me!

And then he does...

OUR FIRST LOOK: Infront of the Kauai Coast Resort's Fountain and Koi Pond

Joseph checking out my ensemble...and me rejoicing that he was plesantly suprised
(he's known not to be able to wait for a surprise and I feared he knew what I'd be wearing!)

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We wrote our own ceremony and a friend of ours was commissioned by the State of Hawaii so that she could officiate for us. For details on how to do this, please see the HawaiiFAQ's Wedding Section where I have detailed the process that we went through. We had 21 guests that were seated in a circle and each participated in the ceremony in some way. We did a Lei Exchange with each guest and a "Ring Warming" where our rings were passed around the circle for each guests to bless or warm with positive thoughts. That was the most touching part of the ceremony for us. We were really able to take a moment and see each friend and family member and soak it all in!

Processional
Blessing of the Couple
Opening Greeting
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Hawaiian Lei Exchange
Definition of Marriage
Declaration of Intention
Hand Ceremony
Exchange of Vows
Pledge of Support
Ring Ceremony
Ring Warming
Exchange of Rings
The Art of a Good Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson
Seven Blessings (read by Family Members)
Closing Words
Pronouncement

Presentation of the Couple
Recessional

For the text and layout of our ceremony, you may email me. Here are the vows we wrote:

On this day, I promise to be your best friend and loving partner in marriage. Together, we will share all of the triumphs and challenges that life may bring. I commit to the friendship upon which our love is based, and promise that I will consciously renew this commitment daily, so that our partnership in marriage will always be strengthened. I promise to communicate with you patiently, expressing myself openly and honestly, while respecting your unique individuality and view of the world. I will not make assumptions; if I do not understand, I will ask.

In a difficult situation, I will look upon my own contribution to it rather than cast judgment upon you and will offer you acceptance, rather than criticism. When I am wrong, I will offer amends and when I have been wronged, I will offer forgiveness. I will continue to seek personal growth as an individual, so that I may always bring the best of myself to our relationship.

As your partner, I promise to encourage your dreams and goals, celebrate your accomplishments and embrace you in all of your endeavors, come what may. I will honor your trust in me and put our marriage above all outside influences. I will build a home with you that will be a peaceful and safe place that provides us comfort and is a refuge from the world. I will make time each day to laugh with you and promise to always greet you with a kiss and a smile. Things will not always be perfect or easy, but with God's help and our commitment to each other, I will love you without condition, support you without reservation, comfort you with compassion and stand by your side through all of our joys and sorrows, today, tomorrow and for all the days of my life.

Here's the video of our ceremony that my brother shot and edited; set to "Here and Now" by Luther Vandross:
(be sure to pause the embedded music player down below before you watch this clip)

As our friend read the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi we all joined hands...

and my step mother signed the whole ceremony in ASL for my deaf sister...

Soaking it all in...

The Lei Exhange with each other and with each guest was a real highlight of the ceremony, I would recommend doing it, even if you're not in Hawaii!

The Hand Ceremony...my friend that I have known since third grade and her huband read the ceremony to us...she got emotional during it and so did we:

:
Exchange of Vows...we read them to each other from the ceremony book:

We also got very emotional while watching all of our guests during the "Ring Warming"...
Helen & Jeff played IZ's Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World during it and each guest took a moment to hold the shell with the rings in it and bless them

I love this photo on the left! As the rings circled back to the officiant and she moved onto the Ring Exchange, I brushed a tear from Joseph's cheek...

I had to lick Joseph's finger to get his ring on! His finger had swollen in the humidity! He told me to push it over his knuckle but it looked like it was hurting so badly! I cannot believe our photographer caught the moment, since it was literally a split second and most of our guests didn't even see me do it!
A couple of them thought I had kissed his hand. Hey! A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Our dear friend, Jeanne, reading "The Art of a Good Marriage".
It was a poignant moment, especially since she lost her husband of 63 years in June 2007.

Getting ready to seal the deal with a big ol' kiss...

...and interrupted by paparazzi (no, not really...just an island helicopter tour and a paraglider)

Pure Bliss!

We literally danced are way through the circle! Helen and Jeff were playing "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire

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Joseph and I had formals done before the ceremony and I am so glad that we did. First of all, we were able to get over any wedding nerves and we were also assured that we looked fresh (not too sweaty or wrinkled) for these photos. We were able to relax for the ceremony and visit with our guests at the cocktail hous since the formal photos had already been taken prior to the ceremony. If you're not overly traditional, I highly recommend seeing each other before the ceremony! It allowed us to connect in an intimate way...oddly enough on the wedding day, you'll find you're hardly alone with your man!

Immediately after the ceremony we got all of the family and group photos done:

When you have divorced parents and multiple remarriages it leads to lots of family portraits!

Even though I didn't have official bridesmaids, I could never had gotten through our wedding without my girlfriends by my side!

And having our friend marry us was incredible!

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We chose to forgo the champagne and toasted each other with Mai Tais!

My twin brother and his wife and their kids...

Us with my dad and the whole Decter clan including our younger, adopted sister and brothers...

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A good shot of our banquet tables in a U-shape...we had it placed close to the windows that open to the lawn and oceans at KCR.
You can also see how the well the burlap rolls from Jamali Garden worked as table runners.

The Decadent Dessert Buffet was a huge success! No one missed a two-tiered wedding cake, least of all the groom, who doesn't really like cake!

We fed each other Crème Brûlé, our FAVORITE!

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I asked for an organic-style, hand tied 12" bouquet with Circus Roses and Green Cymbidiums with a Ti Leaf collar and raffia tied handle.

This is our ceremony site: the lawn at the Kauai Coast Resort that fronts Waipouli Beach on the Coconut Coast on the East Side of Kauai.

Our Circle Ceremony Set-Up (this picture is taken from the North Side of the Circle).
We had 21 chairs...10 on one side and 11 on the other:

Each seat had a namecard, palm fan and program. Ladies' seats also had parasols.

Here's how all of my DIY came together at the ceremony:

We wrote our own ceremony for our friend to perfom for us. We printed it out and put it in this personalized scrapbook that matches the guestbook.
Our BFF/Officiant, Sandra (aka knottie Latinadiva&TheBasqueBull)

We tied our rings with ombre organza ribbon and placed them in a Lions Paw Shell to pass around to each guest for the Ring Warming:

Our officiant's husband and our good friend held the rings for us until it was time to pass them around for the Ring Warming

We exchanged leis with each guest...dendrobium orchids for the ladies and kukui nut/seashells for the gents.
We gave solid green orchid leis to our female friends and green/white ones to the family members.

Our niece and nephew (my twin brother's children) helped us by being the "lei bearers"
(when then heard we weren't have a FG/RB they were upset, so we came up with this job for them to do and they were thrilled!)

The palm fans and parasols were a big hit! I wasn't going to do the parasols, but I am really glad that I did!

We requested that all of our guests wear "Beach Whites"...shades of white, ivory, khaki and tan:

The polaroid guest book...my friend shot photos of guests as they came up to the cocktail hour and mounted them to the
Guest Book Pages that I made...then after they had a drink and some pupus, they filled the pages out...

The reception details with all of my blue glass!

The catering manager, Manda Tollefson, printed out cute cocktail menus and had one at each table!

Our lauhala favor boxes embellished with sand dollars and the place cards printed on blue vellum featured each person's name in Hawaiian

The green and white dendrobiums with orange mokaras looked better than I had imagined they would!

They lasted forever too! Several of us had them in our condos until we had to leave Kauai.

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Pro Teaser Pics from our Photographer's Blog. She had posted them while we were on our honeymoon! We are beyond thrilled and cannot wait to see the rest! This was the most fun we've ever had and I think it shows in the pics. We were very relaxed and Jen just let us do our thing. She really didn't give us too much direction...just kind of like "start there and walk over here" or "sit this way" and they we just laughed and canoodled, etc. I love that she just captured us being ourselves. Playing in the ocean in our formal clothes was a blast too and more of a work-out than I anticipated! A wet wedding gown is heavy!

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These are non-pro pic taken by our friend George Winters.

He shot over 2000 photos with his Canon EOS Rebel during the whole week we were in Kauai.

If you'd really like to see ALL of them, check out our album at Shutterfly. The password is: wedding
UPDATE: Shutterfly was being lame, so I have also uploaded these photos to Photobucket as well.



Yeah, I got make-up on his jacket! OOPS! It came out later, but you can see here that he was not pleased!







We hadn't really planned on dancing, so we just burned CDs with our favorite songs to play during the reception.
When "At Last" by Etta James came on and Joseph popped up and asked me to dance! So cute! And very spontaneous!

Our friends came to the beach to help us and we are SO glad that they did...look at the great pics he caught!
It was just us, our friends and the photographer and her assistant on the beach that day...incredible!

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We and the majority of our friends and family arrived in Kauai on Wednesday, September 26th. We arrived, picked up our luggage and rental car, dropped our wedding clothes of with Jeanne at JMFormals in Lihue, checked into the Plantation Hale and went shopping at Costco for the Welcome BBQ and OOT bag goodies. Later, we dined at the Hukilau Lanai and went to Safeway, where I bumped into my father who had just arrived from Alaska and my oldest childhood friend who just arrived from Los Angeles! It was surreal having a reunion in the floral department of the Safeway in Kapaa!

Thursday, September 27th we got our lisence and met with the coordinator at the resort. We had a mini-rehearsal (just us and our 5 friends who were officiant and the main readers, etc. in the ceremony) Afterwards, Joseph and I had a hot stone massage and rain therapy treatment at the Makaiwa Spa at the Kauai Coast Resort. They gave us a 10% discount since we were getting married there! It was a wonderful way to unwind and relax together before the wedding events heated up. That evening we had dinner with my father and step-mother and their kids at Wahoos in the Wailua Complex. Turns out that my mom and her side of family and a group of our friends all ended up there as well (it is across from where we were staying) so we had an impromptu rehearsal dinner of sorts! SO FUNNY! Thursday night the guys got together and drank beer and smoked cigars at a friend's beach rental (The Surf Shack) while the ladies and I put the final touches on the favors and decor for the reception. They bought each of us silly gag gifts from the ABC Store like a lei made of condoms and another made of Rum; Sex Wax, "I got lei'd in Hawaii" stickers and a Men and Women of Hawaii cheesecake calendar!

We got our marriage lisence from Ken, the barista, at Pono Market in Kapa'a!

Yep! You can get a latte, loco moco plate lunch and ice cream sandwich along with your marriage lisence! Only in HAWAII!

Friday, September 28th the guys went golfing at Kukiolono Golf Course in Kalaheo (Nine holes a SUPER cheap!) while I and the ladies headed to brunch at Gaylord's at Kilohana Plantation. Afterwards, we returned to our condo at the Plantation Hale and had a mani/pedi party (we decided to DIY after my mom had a horrible experience at the salon that was recommended to me by a knottie and that we all booked our appointments with...my mom went the day before and was not happy at all with the service she received. ) My friend did my french manicure and my mom gave me a pedicure with stuff we bought from Longs. I had pearlized baby blue toes with white and blue plumeria bling decals! I think they looked way better than if I had gotten them done professionally. Plus it was fun to hang out with the girls! Friday evening we BBQ'd at the resort (they have gas grills and picnic tables near the pool) with all of our guests. Many got in the aloha spirit and wore their Aloha attire. Afterwards, we walked to Lappert's Ice Cream at the Coconut Marketplace and just hung out. Then we walked everyone over to the Kauai Coast Resort to show them where the ceremony and reception would be.

Saturday, September 29th was the WEDDING DAY! I awoke super early and headed to Long's where in indulged in some cheap retail therapy and bought a newspaper for the day and some emergency essentials, like a needle and thread, double sided tape and Immodium AD, just in case! The weather was the best it had been since our arrival and for the first time in weeks I felt really calm! For more on the timeline of our day see the Getting Ready section above.

Sunday, September 30th we all gathered aT Eggbert's Family Restaurant for brunch. Afterwards we went sailing up the Na Pali Coast with my Dad, my sister and our friends on Holo Holo Charters. The rest of the gang rented boogie boards and headed to the beach in Anahola. That evening we all regrouped for dinner at Duke's Canoe Club at Kalapaki Bay.

Monday, October 1st we slept in (finally)! In the afternoon we headed to my mom's vacation rental at Aninni beach for a BBQ. Then we got ready for our Trash the Dress/Day After Session with Jennifer Prater at Lumahai Beach. See the Day After Photos section above for more details.

Looking good in wet formal wear is a workout! My dress was very heavy after it was soaked!

Click HERE to see all of the photos from the session that our friend shot!

Tuesday, October 2nd we rented seven kayaks at $40 per person from Wailua Kayak Rentals (808-821-1188) which is the only rental place right at the river. We geared up and were on the Wailua River at 7 am. We docked the boats and hiked to Secret Falls where we swam and picnicked. We returned the kayaks at Noon and then took a break. At 2 pm, we packed up all of our glass from the wedding and shipped it from the FedEx station at the airport and then we headed to Poipu to sun and snorkel. Later that evening we dined with a few friends at the Hukilau Lanai. Manda Tollefson, the catering manager, was super sweet and brought three complimentary desserts to our table. Afterwards, we hung out in the lounge where Helen and Jeff from Easy Living were wrapping up their weekly performance. Joseph requested that they play "Here and Now" for him since on the wedding day he walked in so fast that he barely heard the song! They did and we got a little teary! Helen gave us their latest CD that is Christmas Music and we said our farewells. It was a wonderful way to wrap up our stay in Kauai.

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Wednesday, October 3rd we departed Kauai for Maui. We arrived in Maui around noon and headed to the car rental (see my review and details of ordeal below) and arrived at the Maui Prince Makena hotel around 2 pm. Check-in was at 3 pm so we headed to the poolside grill and had sandwiches. They were decent but certainly not worth the $35 they cost us...for two sandwiches and two sodas! Needlesstosay, we decided then and there not to eat at the resort! We checked-in to room 542 (the view from the room is the first photo below) and hung out on the beach for a couple of hours. Then we headed to Sushi Go! for dinner. It was okay...they're cheap and in Queen Ka'ahumanu Center, but they were out of a lot of things and the quality was also lacking (I had a bad reaction to something I ate that required an urgent stop at the Safeway in Kihei for some Benadryl). I do not recommend this eatery....if you want Sushi, spend some money and go to a better place. The cheapie in me paid dearly for that meal! When we got back to the room there was a bucket of complimentart champagne awaiting us.

Thursday, October 4th We slept in and decided to plan out the rest of visit so we looked in the travel guides and made reservations for Ulalena, Warren and Annabelle's, David Paul's Lahaina Grill and a sunset cruise with Pacific Whale Foundation. We picked up some groceries in Kihei at the Safeway, since our hotel room had a fridge, we got yogurt, fruit, bagels and some snacks. We had a little lunch and then returned to the hotel and lounged on their beach. We saw a wedding on the bluff overlooking the beach, which was gorgeous. We came back to the room and got ready to see Ulalena in Lahaina followed by dinner at David Paul's Lahaina Grill. We loved the show and as professional performers ourselves, we tend to be very critical. It had very hugh production values I would highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to do the luau thing, but who does want to immerse themselves in something inheritantly Hawaiian. We walked to the restaurant for dinner afterwards and it was simply amazing! We got the Chef's Tasting Menu and Wine Pairing...I opted for Surf and Joseph got Turf. Everything was tasty and Joseph is quite a gourmand and was duly impressed with not only the food, but the impeccable service. They even took a photo of us and emailed to us the next day and presented us with a "Happy Honeymoon" card signed by the staff. It was lovely little touches like that which made the experience so wonderful. They also have purse hooks for the ladies, so your bag isn't on the floor or slung over the back of your chair. I like it so much I bought one for myself as well as one for my BFF and mom. We cannot wait for our next trip to Maui and dinner at David Paul's Lahaina Grill!

Friday, October 5th We loved Makena beach at the hotel so much we just hung out there rather than driving all over the island seeking out other beaches. Frankly, after our crazy week in Kauai, we were happy to do a whole lot of nothing! We then headed to Ma'alaea Harbor for Pacific Whale Foundation's Sunset Cocktail Cruise (we got tickets for free when we booked Ulalena). It was a blast, the food was good, they had a live musician and the crew was very nice and knowledgeable. It got a little chilly near the end and I am glad I had brought a sweater. After the sail we ate at Cafe O'Lei in Kihei. It was good food, but a bustling Friday night so the atmosphere was not that romantic. The restaurant was quite loud and boisterous. None the less, we enjoyed the cockatils and the food.

Saturday, October 6th Our last full day in Maui and one week of being Mr. & Mrs....we relaxed for a final day on the beach at the resort. In th evening we headed back to Lahaina for an early dinner at Pacific'O Retaurant. We dined al fresco and had an awesome view. The cocktails were generous and kickin'! After dinner we walked down to Warren and Annabelle's Magic Show. We did get the dinner package, but it was more like pupus, so we're glad we did dinner beforehand. The show was great fun and we, along with two other honeymooning couples, were chosen to sit up front and assist Warren with the show. He is very interactive with the audience and his tricks are amazing. We were literally less than 4 feet from him and we still have NO IDEA how he does what he does! Definitely a must-see when in Maui!

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Ceremony Music

Groom's Processional Song: Here and Now Luther Vandross

Groom's Processional Song: What are you doing the rest of your life? Kander and Ebb

Hawaiian Lei Exchange: Hawaiian Wedding Song Traditional

Hand Warming Song: Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Recessional Song: September Earth, Wind and Fire

Cocktail Hour Music

Cocktail Hour

Various Tunes

Hawaiian, Standard and Contemporary Jazz Selections

Dinner Music

COMING SOON!

Reception Music

COMING SOON!

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We sent these announcements a week after returning home from the DW.
For local friends and family we included and insert inviting them to our AHR in Los Altos Hills, CA.

We had about 45 guests to our friend's home in Los Altos Hills on Sunday, November 4th. We set up a casual buffet and served champagne and mimosas. I found some POG at Target (of all places) and that was a hit with the champagne too. We had a variety of cheeses, fruit and veggie tray, olives, sushi rolls, bagels and lox with all the fixings and a variety of bite size desserts such as baklava, palmiers and mini brownies. We also had a a variety of hot hors d'ouvres (tartlets and mini quiches) and we got chicken katsu, fried shrimp and bbq chciken Musubi. I got the food from Trader Joe's, Costco, Zanotto's (in downtown San Jose) and L&L BBQ (in San Jose). I rented Aqua Linens from Danny Thomas Party Rentals and arranged the flowers myself (orange roses, green gladiolas and tuberrose from Costco). I used some of the mosaic glass and candles from our wedding and bought some white tulle from Party City to use on the tables as well. I also used the polaroid guest book, which was fun. And we set up another seating area with a MP book with photos from the wedding as well as the ceremony scrapbook and a scrapbook that my friend had created and given to us as a shower gift. I played the CDs we made for our DW reception and we had AMAZING weather! It was nearly 80 degrees... so we had a little bit of Hawaii in California. Everyone had a blast!

You can see our favors on the sideboard in the photo above:

I got them on eBay for $1.75 each from seller Yaccana Gifts & Weddings

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Kauai Coast Resort | Ceremony, Cocktail Hour and Reception Venue

We have nothing but wonderful things to say about getting married at this resort. It was affordable, they worked with our budget in a way that we were able to spluge on somethings like a tented cocktail hour. I cannot speak for the accomodations, since neither we nor our guests stayed there, but the grounds are gorgeous and the staff is more than accomodating.

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Hukilau Lanai | Manda Tollefson, catering manager

Great food, wonderful service and fantastic prices! Manda Tollefson was really great to work with, we did everything by email. She always responded to my questions and concerns promptly and was amazing in the days before and of course on the day of the wedding. She worked with our budget and found ways for us to splurge on our guests like having a cocktail hour, open bar and decadent dessert buffet. She accepted seven huge boxes from me three weeks before the wedding and arranged to have the kitchen staff clean and prepare my blue glassware for the wedding reception. She was beyond easy to work with and I cannot sing her praises any louder! To top it off, we dined at the restaurant the night before we left Kauai and she suprised us with three complimentary desserts.

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Plantation Hale | Official accomodations for the wedding guests

We have stayed at the Plantation Hale the last three times we visited Kauai (including the DW) and we have always been pleased with their service and accomodations as well as their affordability. They offer one bedroom condos for $124/nt. Half of our guests booked there as well and all were satsified. They only have a few units with king size beds (the rest come with two queens) and they were sure to book us with a kind size bed. They have three pools and BBQ areas with gas grills. We had all 21 of our guests there with no problems (some places only allow registered guests on the grounds). It was a short 2 minute walk to our wedding location and to the Coconut Marketplace. It's not the poshest place but we love it for it's great location and proximity to everything and it's fantastic prices. It also has A/C, which many of the resorts do not (our photographer even mentioned this! And noted that she shoots a lot of getting ready pics in condos and hotels that have no A/C!). We will definitely be staying there again....we definitely consider it our home in Kauai.

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Martin Roberts Floral Design | Casey Sparks

I actually never met Casey in person as we did all of our correspondence via email and on the day of the wedding my friend met him at the Kauai Coast Resort when he delivered the flowers and picked up my bouquet and hair orchids and brought them to me at the Plantation Hale where I was getting ready. The flowers were fresh and exactly what I had asked for (I sent him many photos and several emails). He always got back to me within 24 hours and was very accomodating. He also offered suggestions when I asked and stayed within my budget. I FedExed my mosaic vases to him two weeks ahead of our arrival in Kauai and he even made one that slighly cracked work (I didn't even know it was cracked until I was repacking them to send home) with some clear packing tape on the inside of it. I asked him to keep my boxes and packing materials so I could send my stuff home after the wedding, which he did. My only complaint was that he didn't deliver the boxes and packing material to the Kauai Coast Resort (which I had asked him to do in an email) so we had to pick them up the Monday after the wedding. Luckily I had friends headed to the South Shore that day so they stopped by his studio and picked them up. It really wasn't that big of a deal....

The flowers were so fresh that my bouquet and hair orchids were in great shape two days afterwards that I used them in our TTD session. We had three of the centerpieces in our condo for the rest of week, two went to my mom's rental and one to my friend's. The orchids were barely wilted when we checked out on the Wednesday after the wedding. Joseph and I offered my bouquet to the sea the night before we left for Maui. We went to were were were married and tossed it into the ocean, thanking God for our beautiful wedding and asking for a blessed marriage.

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Island Echoes Photography | Jennifer Prater

Jen was amazing to work with both on the wedding day and for our trash the dress/day after session. She was the ONLY photographer who could meet my budget ($3K...the rest wanted $5K or more!) and she always got back to my emails. Plus her package was only $2700 for 6 hours of coverage an includes the negatives, 300-600 proofs in an album, plus all of the photos on a CD in digital format, an online slideshow to share with others as well as a CD with the slideshow. I added the TTD session at Lumahai for another $250 since my budget allowed for it. Boy, I am so glad that I did! I have only seen a dozen teaser pics, but all of them are amazing and it was the most fun we have ever had! Jen was a real trooper...it started to rain and she kept shooting! We were only scheduled for an hour, but she gave us two!

Although we corresponded primarily by email, cnce I was on the island she called to confirm everything and on the day of the TTD session she called to let me know the path was muddy and to bring good shoes. She also reminded me to bring my wedding shoes, so she could photograph them with my bouquet. She and her assistant were on time and she worked well with my friend whom I put in charge of the group photos. Jen had recommended that I do this, so that she and her assistant could focus on captering the shots and not coralling family and friends. That was great advice and I chose a longtime friend who knew all of the guests and easily coralled them for the different groupings. We stayed on schedule and I am pretty sure no one was missed. We have yet to see the final photos from the day, but I am confident that they will excede our expectations. I have stalked her blog for the past year and she does amazing work. We are already planning to hire her for another session when we return to Kauai next year for our anniversary.

Click HERE to see our Pro Pics Photo Slideshow...we love that she captured all of our fun, silly, romantic, dramatic and sexy sides to our personalities. SHE ROCKS!

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Easy Living Jazz Duo | Helen Turner, flute & Jeff Iglesias, guitar

Helen and Jeff are fantastic. We met them in 2004 when we were on vacation in Kauai and when we got engaged I knew we would want them to play our wedding. I had gotten Helen's card when we had met and sent her an email. She remembered the opera singers from San Jose and was thrilled to play our wedding! As professional musicians ourselves, high quality, live music was of the upmost importance. They not only met our expectations, but exceeded them. They brought their own battery operated amp and set the level just right for our beachfront ceremony. They even learned "Here and Now" for us. They really set the tone and everyone enjoyed their selections at the cocktail hour. We went and heard them play at the Hukilau Lanai on the Tuesday after the wedding and they played "Here and Now" for us and gave us a Christmas CD. They are amazing musicians and really wonderful people. We consider them our friends on Kauai for sure.

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Eiffel Print & Design | Brittany Hermansen, designer

I fell in love with all of the Basho (woven cane paper) and Pocketfold invitations that I saw in knottie bios and knew I wanted to incorporate sand dollars and a boxed enclosure into the design. I am a pretty crafty gal and thought about DIY since I only needed 30 invites. I started pricing them out and came to about $9/invite not including my time or learning curve. Plus I would have to buy the proper paper cutters and adhesive and find a space to do it all in. Then, I came across knottie VallartaTIffany's awesome bio and discoved Eiffel Print and Design. Low and behold, Brittany had the EXACT invitation design I wanted! What's more, her prices were $1 more than what I had come up with on my own DIY sample. So it was a no brainer...I sent her email and got the ball rolling immediately.

Brittany was fantastic to work with...we did everything via email. She always responded promptly and courteously and made the changes I requested to the layout, design, etc. I really wanted to use specific fonts and I emailed them to her so she could install them on her computer and incorporate them into my design. She really aimed to please and her work exceeded all expectations. She even stamped (I mailed her our custom Zazzle stamps) , sealed and addressed each invite for me (she created coordinating labels from a Excel spreadsheet of my guest list that I emailed her). I definitely hope to use her services in the future and would recommend her work to anyone look for high quality, artistic invitations and printed product designs!

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Hawaiian Airlines | Fights from California and interisland to Kauai and Maui

This was our first time flying Hawaiian Air as we usually fly American Air from San Francisco and use Aloha Airline for our interisland flights. But we really wanted to fly out of San Jose and found a great deal on flights with Hawaiian Air. The price was right, but as seasoned travellers, the service was less than ideal. The flight attendants were not very friendly or helpful on any of the 6 flights we took (to/from Hawaii as well as to Maui from Kauai). They did serve a meal, which is rare these days and it didn't cost extra, but in general, I wasn't impressed with their service. Next time we'll go back to American Airlines and Aloha.

Recommended with some reservation

Maui Prince Resort Makena | Five Day/ Four Night Maui Minimoon

This is the first resort we have every stayed at on our dime (for work, we have stayed at chi-chi resorts, but they were comped) and I was a bit nervous since we are definitely budget travellers. I found a buy 3 nights get 1 free deal on Expedia. The place is gorgeous and very comfortable. We had a room on the 5th floor with a gorgeous view (542) and the accomodations were comfortable. We loved that they had a innerdoor that was louvered and allowed for us to be securely locked in the room but allow natural air flow from the lanai through the room and cool it without a/c. We were there only four nights but it was just the respite we needed to recover from the week in Kauai. We only ate at their poolside cafe (which was WAY over priced, but we were starving!) and regret not being there long enough to dine at Hakone or experience their Sunday Champagne Brunch. We mostly hung out on the beach that fronts the resort and loved their towel service and beach lounge chairs. I had contacted the concierge in advance and they had complimentary chilled champagne in the room for us with a note welcoming us on our honeymoon. In comparison to the other 5-star resorts in the area (Wailea/Makena) I am sure the Maui Prince isn't as chi-chi, but for us, it was great. The only complaint I have is that there was some contruction going on near by and every once in a while we would hear it while we were on the beach. Other than that, my only other complaint is that we weren't there longer! Most likely, the next time we're in Maui we'll rent a condo in Kihei or something, but for five days on our minimoon we experienced the glamourous life!

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Pacific Whale Foundation | Ma'alaea Sunset Sail

We booked tickets to Ulalena, the Cirque du Soleil style show that tells of the Maui's history and got two cmplimentary tickets for a sunset sail. It was really nice and super comfortable. It was just over 2 hours and they served tasty pupus and had umlimited cocktails, beer and wine. There were only about 30 people total on the trip, which was nice too. All of the crew members are marine biologists and conservationists and we liked that their company benefits the environments and protects the marine life in Maui. Next time we want to take their Molokini Snorkel cruise.

Highly Recommended without any reservations

Budget Rent-a-Car | Crossfire Convertible & Garmin Where2 GPS Navigation

In our minimoon package from Expedia I had booked a standard convertible. When we arrived in Maui they set us up with a Red Mustang. We left the lot and then Joseph realized he couldn't get the driver's side window to roll back up! So we circled back and asked to exchange it. The attendant opened the door and rolled up the window and told is that it would roll up if we just opened the door. Joseph told them that we weren't going to spend the whole week opening the door to close the window and went into to talk to the manager. They gave us another Mustang and it wouldn't start. By then, Joseph was at the end of his rope and he asked the manager to upgrade us to their Crossfire Convertible. This is the nicest convertible they offer and normally runs about $50/day. We got it for $75 for the whole five days! Because it has a teeny trunk they delivered our luggage to the resort and also picked it up the morning of our departure. Finally, they offered a GPS rental for $50 and we loved it so much that when we returned home Joseph ordered the same model for us to use at home! I am sure that it saved us from arguements on our honeymoon.

Recommended with some reservation

Holo Holo Charters | Na Pali Coast Sail

We wanted to do a Na Pali Sail with our guests and normally sail with Captain Andy's but they didn't offer one on Sunday. So we went with Holo Holo Charters. We booked in advance and took advantage of their online discount. It was a great 3.5 hour trip and the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. My adopted sister is deaf and one of the staff members knew some sigh language and was very nice to her. The captain balanced neat facts and history with just letting us see for ourselves the majestic splendor of the Na Pali coastline. He even backed into some of the sea caves, which was neat. The food was tasty, although the wind made it somewhat challenging to eat. They also had unlimited drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Highly Recommended without reservation

My Publisher | Classic Linen Hardcover Book (11.25x8.75)

We had our At Home Reception on November 4, 2007 and I wanted to have an album of wedding photos to show off at the party (our pro photog sent a CD slideshow in time for the party too, but I figured that guests would want to hold the photos in their hands) so I uploaded a bunch of our awesome non-pro pics into MP's Bookmaker2.2 software and in less than a hour created and album for our party. I had a 2 for 1 code and decided to give the second book to my MIL (who was unable to attend the DW).
We got two 58 page, tangerine linen hardcover deluxe books with overnight shipping for $90 (it would have been $75 with standard shipping). You can see our layout HERE. The pages are thick (akin to a nice coffee table travel book) and the binding and cover is ery sturdy. The photos are not grainy or pixilated and the color is well balanced. I especially love how the Tangerine Linen matches Joseph's shirt and my bouquet perfectly. I will definitely order from them again, especially once I receive my pro pics on CD. I used their layouts in the BookMaker2.2 software, but next time, I may try my hand at designing my own in Photoshop.

Highly Recommended without reservation

12/19/07 UPDATE: I had a coupon for a book at Photo Works, so I ordered it for my sister-in-law as a Chirstmas present. Here they are side-by-side for comparison. The orange one is from MP and the aqua one is from PW:

FWW, I think the MP is better quality. The photos are crisper, the colors cleaner and the paper is thicker. I also like that MP's cover window is larger AND self-contained, whereas the PW window actually opens to a photo on the coverpage. Finally, the MP book has vellum between the hard cover and the first page of photos, which is a nice touch and lends a more expensive feel to the book. And MP has gray inner lining whereas PW has black. The prices and available layouts are comprable, but I would recommend My Publisher over Photos Works.

Bride's Dresse Bride's Shoes Groom's Suit Groom's Shirt Bride's Earrings Bride's Veil

Zinnia Bridal Impo Dragonfly II Façonnable Shirt Hugo Boss Linen Suit Pear CZ Chandelier Ivory with Crystals

Quick Gowns DSW Nordstrom Nordstrom Mega Made, Inc. Bella Bridal Veils

Table Runners Blue Glass Plates Blue Wine Glasses Mosaic Glass Votives Seashells

Jamali Garden Macy's The Cellar Libbey Vina Burlington Coat Factory Ikea & Crate+Barrell US Shell

Guestbook Palm Fans Lauahala Favor Boxes Luggage Tags HYP Beach Bags OOT Filler

Target Bliss Weddings Market Bliss Weddings Market Office Depot Denim Apparel, Inc.
Target & Costco

For more about the above details and stuff for sale, please see my PLANNING BIO

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I have been so inspired by other Married Knotties who kindly posted their thoughts and reflections on their planning process and Big Day, so now that it's my turn, I happily pay it forward. Please bear in mind, this is just MY experience and MY reflections on it, so take it with a grain of salt.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: PLANNING A DIY DW ON A BUDGET
When I first started planning, my budget was $8K for the whole wedding. I soon learned, that unless we were to elope, we wouldn't be able to stick to it.
So we increased the budget to $15K. We managed to come in under bugdet, for details see my planning bio for a budget breakdown.

The key to saving money was that I am a major Budgetzilla! I negotiated with every one! Never pay the quoted price! I also decided early on not to become emotionally attached to any items or vendors, etc. That helped me maintain perspective and gave me the ability to walk away from things for the wedding that were not in my price range like a bamboo arch with orchids (see the Arch Bio I created with tons of pics); wedding cake (we decided on a Decadent Dessert Buffet for less than the price of a 2-tiered white wedding cake with orchids); designer gown (I got a knock-off for less than 50% of the designer one).

I definitely dreamed big and did find from time-to-time that I needed to take a break from looking at Bridal Magazines and even otherr knotties' bios because I would get depressed that we didn't have an unlimited budget. Ulitmately, my wedding was everything I had hoped for and more. I don't feel like it looked or ever felt like it was a budget wedding. Most of all, it felt intimate and personal and I was really able to be in the moment and it didn't feel like a blur.

THINGS I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID:

1) Had a DW: In the beginning I felt very overwhelmed and we considered either eloping in Kauai or just moving the wedding locally (at one point I was simultaneously planning for a wedding in Kauai, San Diego and Monterey!) We knew that many friends and even family ultimately wouldn't be able to attend, but didn't want to compromise on our dream wedding in Kauai.

2) Stuck to a budget: It's easy to get sucked into feeling like you MUST HAVE this or that. I tried my best not to do it. And when I did, I researched high and low for the best prices I could find. We definitely splurged on some things (such as boxed basho pocketfolds; OOT bags; parasols; extra photography and welcome bbq/newlywed brunch) because I found a way to do it within my budget. Things I let go were paper lanterns at the cocktail hour, elaborate ceremony decor, elaborate florals for the reception, wedding cake, designer gown, etc. I am so glad I was able to let go and do what I could do on the budget we had set. In retrospect, I think everything was beatiful and I really don't feel regrets about not spending the extra money.

3) Sent Boarding Passes and Luggage Tags to guests: Not required at all for a DW, but they were so cute and easy to make, I couldn't resist. We mailed them about a month before the wedding to all confirmed guests and it was a great way to set the tone, get them excited for the wedding AND disseminate information about the week in Kauai including important numbers, timeline, locations of events, etc.

4) Had a welcome BBQ: Everyone was at ease and able to mix and mingle. Many of the guests knew each other, but some did not and this was a wonderful way for everyone to hang out. We saved tons of money because we DIYd it all ourselves. I purchased the plates and napkins in a fun tropical style from Target at the end of the summer 2006 and stashed them away. We brought them over and purchased plastic untensils and paper tablecloths for the picnic table at Walmart in Kauai. We bought all of the food and drinks for the BBQ at Coscto in Kauai. I had estimated about $400 for it all an we only spent $200! No too shabby!

5) Gave out OOT bags: Also not necessary, but I found a great deal on cute Hawaiin Print canvas bags by HYP and ordered one for each family, couple or single guest. I found pinneaple notepads in aqua and lime at Michael's dollar bins, beachy note cards, turquoise and chocolate brown satin wristlets as well as two boxed glass votive candles in lime and aqua at Target's Dollar Spot, Trial Sunscreen at Target for $1 each, and Off Bug Repellent Wipes in 12 packs. We put all of this, plus bottle water and snacks we bought at the Costco in Kauai in to the bags and gave them to our guests. All told I spent about $200 for 13 OOT bags. And I got a lot of bang for my buck! Each guest was not only completely suprised, it was great to see all of the matching bags at the beach and on our excursions. In fact, it helped us all find each other when meeting up, on the beach, for example. We just looked for the OOT bags! I know everyone appreciated the snacks too and it was awesome to see the ladies carrying the wristlets on the wedding day. We also included a trifold Welcome Letter in it with pretty much the same information that was on the Boarding Passes that we had mailed out.

6) Organized Group Dinner and Activities in Advance: With only 21 guests you think it would have been easy to coordinate everyone. Not so...even with all of my printed schedules and such. Could be just my guests, but the first few days on the island my cell phone was constantly ringing and everyone asking "what's the plan for today?" Finally, I put a friend and my sister-in-law in charge of fielding those questions so I could preserve my pre-wedding sanity! All-in-all, aside from the wedding itself, we had 5 pre-planned group meals and 4 pre-planned group activies. The majority of the guests participated in all of them and it still gave everyone the option of choosing to join in or not.

7) Planned Alone Time with FI: I knew everyone would want to visit and hang out so I was sure to plan some alone time for Joseph and I. We had a 90 minute massage the THursday before the wedding. It was just some quality time for us alone. Afterwards we walked along the beach that fronts where were were married and just sat and talked and held each other. It was literally the only time we were alone (aside from sleeping) until after the wedding.

8) Skipped the Bridal Party: As a second-time bride in my early 30's I thought having a Bridal Party was overkill. All of the girls I would have asked are already married, some with kids, and several were my BM's the first time around. I am SO glad I skipped the BP. We had WAY less drama! And my girlfirends were able to really effectively help me in the days before the wedding and especially on the day itself. One was in charge of the ceremony set up and the vendor point of contact, another was in charge of the reception set-up/clean-up and the keeper of the list of Must-take photos; and the third officiated and was basically functioning like my MOH the Day Of (carried my lipstick, etc., made sure I had a snack before the wedding, etc.) I had everyone wear "Beach Whites" to have a special look for the event that is usually established with the attire of the BP.

9) Wrote our own ceremony/vows and had a friend officiate: We couldn't imagine being married by a stranger nor having a cookie-cutter ceremony. We had a beautiful ceremony that was 100% us and we were able to include our guests in participating in it in a very direct way. I wouldn't change a thing! To read how we got her commissioned to perform our wedding in Hawaii, check out the HawaiiFAQ Bio.

10) Had a Lei Exchange with our Guests and a Ring Warming: Aside from exhanging our vows and rings, these were the two most moving parts of the ceremony. Our guests were equally touched and are STILL talking about it!

11) Hired live musicians: Helen and Jeff's music really set the tone for our ceremony and cocktail hour and we're so glad we budgetted to have them for two hours.

12) Took time to be in the moment: Joseph and I decided ahead of time that really wanted to be in the moment during the wedding. When I came to the circle, he took my hand and walked me towards the ocean. Before we turned to face our guests, we both felt on the verge of tears. We took about a minute and just stood there, holding hands and breathing so we could calm down. I quitely asked him, "ready?" and he nodded and we turned to face the ceremony and let it begin. We also had time during the Lei Exchange with our guests and our Ring Warming to really look at them and each other and take it all in.

13) Shipped all of the blue and mosaic glassware: Total PITA but in the end, it was EXACTLY the look I had hoped for! Thank goodness I had friend's with a FedEx Business account, so we got 47% regular shipping rates. We went with 5 day ground since in Hawaii they have to ship by air anyway, so we got a higher level of service for less money!

14) Went to Maui: Most of our guests left Kauai the same day we did, but 11 were still there when we left for Maui. I am glad that we decided to go, we really need the time alone and rest. At first, I didn't think it would be in the budget, but I found a great deal on Expedia so we went for it! For more about our minimoon, please see the MauI Minimoon section above.

15) Started Yaz BCP: TMI, I know, but there you have it. I haven't been on BCP since I was a teenager and was nervous since it can cause vocal issues for singers. My doctor recommend YAZ and I started in July as awedding gift to my husband. After six years together we're feeling a new found lust for each other and we're BOTH loving it!

THINGS THAT DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED OR THAT I WISHED HAD BEEN DIFFERENT:

1) I had a sinus infection: The Monday before the wedding I awoke with a sinus infection. Luckily my ENT saw me immediately and I started antiobiotics. The day of the wedding was the first day that I had no symptoms...perfect timing!

2) Had a huge stress pimple on my forehead the day of the wedding: Yep! My skin was glowing all month before the wedding and literally, the night before the wedding, up popped the pimple! You can faintly see it in some of the photos. Thank goodness for PHOTOSHOP and MAC full coverage face make-up! You can DEFINITELY see it in some of the kayak/hike photos, because I was make-up less. Ya know what? Things happen. I chose to let it go and not stress about it too much...confident in the wonderful technology of retouched photos. What else could I do?

3) Musicians were not in place for the top of the cocktail hour: When we arrived at the cocktail hour all of the food was set...the tent was up and the chairs in place. But something was missing! Oh yes, "where are the musicians?!" They had set up in the reception room! It was swiftly remedied and with in 5 minutes they were on the lawn, set-up and playing away. Awkward silence divereted.

4) Serviceware was not on the tables for the reception dinner: Even though we had a buffet dinner I asked that the blue plates be pre-set on the tables (typically the plates would be stacked on the buffet). Maybe this through the wait staff off or something because the place settings were set with the plates, napkins and goblets, but no forks, knives or spoons! Joseph was more miffed about this than I as he is a fine dining waiter, but they took care of it swiftly. As we got in line for the buffet, the staff placed serviceware at each place setting. It took less than 2 minutes and no one was the wiser.

5) We didn't get into the ocean until the 5th day we were in Kauai: And it was officially at our Trash the Dress photo session! SO SAD...how could be in Kauai 5 days an not have gone ot the ocean!? We had so much to do and see there was literally no time. We didn't even get to use the pool or hot tub at the resort the whole time we were there! We did, however, make up for it all on our minimoon in Maui where we hit the beach EACH day!

6) I never saw my friend's beach rental: They had an awesome Surf Shack on Anahola beach that I had hoped to visit, but alas I ran out of time. Joseph and the guys had a pseudo bachelor party there...so at least he got to enjoy it. Maybe next time we'll stay there?

7) No one from the Groom's Family attended: Some of this was due to poor health, but most of it was due to poor planning and lack of support from his family. He was less upset about than I, since it has pretty much always been that way for him in his life. It still makes me sad, but I am glad that we had a very loving and supportive group of my family and our "chosen family" (friends) with us celebrating.

8) I should have eaten more of the wedding dinner: I was so hot and my dress was laced pretty tight. I went to the bathroom and had my friend loosen the lacings a bit (it was tight enough for standing, but for sitting, it was a little uncomfortable...in all of my fittings I never sat down in it! Don't make the same mistake!) I nibbled on the salad and Ahi Poke, but was too full for the fish or pork or pasta. Everyone else loved the food! And we have eaten at the restaurant enough times Ithat I new it would be delicious. Manda was sweet and packed up some To-Go boxes and we did nibble on some of the food the next day! I did eat the Pupus and they were amazing (see my planning bio for the complete menu).

PLANNING TIME TABLE:
Timing is everything...here is a breakdown of my year +1 month planning process:

13 months before: September 2006	Engaged (actually it was about 12 months and 3 weeks, but close enough!); bought dress #1
12 months before: October 2006	Announced Engagement; Starting researching venues and major vendors (photographer and florist); Re-set budget and booked date at first venue (see my planning bio for all of the details on that situation); resold dress #1 for more than I paid (love eBay!)
11 months before: November 2006	Sent STDs and started wedding website with www.WedQuarters.com, Bought Lauhala favor boxes and Palm Fans from Bliss Weddings Market.
10 months before: December 2006	Cancelled first resort location for wedding and booked second resort for wedding/reception, our florist and photographer (made deposits and got contracts); bought dress #2 (The ONE, I thought); Bought decor for reception which changed my color scheme a bit (see my Planning Bio for details); Made travel arrangements for wedding and minimoon (Airfare, Lodging and Car Rentals)
9 months before: Janurary 2007	Ordered invitation mock-ups and booked invitations; bought dress #3 and returned it 5 days later.
8 months before: February 2007	Made arrangements for venue and date for our At Home Reception, bought blue glass plates
7 months before: March 2007	Made more decisions about decor for the ceremony and reception and made more purchases! Designed monograms and Boarding Passes to send to confirmed guests
6 months before: April 2007	Bought blue wine glasses
5 months before: May 2007	Bought kukui nut leis for our male guests
4 months before: June 2007	Bought dress #4 (the ONE I actually wore on my wedding day) and #5 and bought accessories (veil, earring and shoes).
3 months before: July 2007	Bought the Groom's Attire; took a hiatus from Wedding Planning to move into our new place. Bought Announcements and designed invitation/map for AHR.
2 months before: August 2007	Bought seashells for ring warming and sand dollars for programs and favors; Bought Paper Parasols from Oriental Trading Company; Did Paper DIY projects (Boarding Passes, Programs, Palm Fan Tags, Seating Cards, etc.); Made Guest Book and finalized ceremony and make book for the officiant; Hair and Make-Up Trial; attended suprise couple's shower; Arranged for pet/house sitter; bought jewelry and silk scarf to give to our friend for officiating; sent thank you notes to folks who gave us gifts at the shower
Wedding month: September 2007	Final alterations on my gown and his suit (we didn't need much, so we felt comfortable waiting on these); Bought some stuff locally for OOT bags; packed and FedExed all glassware to my Catering Manager and Florist; Booked restaurants for the Newlywed Brunch and group dinner the day after our wedding; booked sunset sail for the Day After our wedding; Confirmed all vendors by email and asked for their cell phone numbers for Big Day contact
Week Before the Heading to Kauai: September 18-25, 2007	Packed other decor into boxes and then duffle bags for friends to check as luggage; met with pet/house sitter; bought final toiletries and make-up needed for trip; ordered orchids to be sent by FTD to Joseph's mother and father on our wedding day (since they couldn't attend the wedding0; for a break-down of our schedule once we arrived in Kauai (3 days before the wedding see the Kauai Fun secition above for details.
First Month After: October 2007	Totalled my car :-( (yes, less than one week from returning from Hawaii I was in a major accident on the freeway and totalled my car. Thankfully I walked away with bruises and sore muscles and no one else was injured.); Sent Announcements/Invites to AHR; Set up Photo Albums online with Shutterflyfor guests to upload their photos; Updated Wedding Website with photos and AHR details; mailed thank you notes for wedding gifts. We also got Renter's Insurance which not only covers all of our household items but also my three-stone ring and my business, which I run out the home.
Second Month After: November 2007	AHR on the 4th; DH"s mother fell deathly ill around Thanksgiving. We rushed to be with her. Miraculously she recovered after four weeks in the hospital. DH and I are feeling the truth that the first year of marriage is challenge! We're great, but life is full of suprises...even more so than in the 6 years prior to getting married.
Third Month After: December 2007	I launched my new Event Planning firm called La Divina Events. My aim is to work with budget-minded individuals who want to plan a fabulous wedding or party without breaking the bank. DH and I spent out first married Christmas with his sister and my immediate family. We also got Life Insurance, which I highly recommend that all newlyweds do.
Fourth Month After: January 2008	Sold some of my wedding decor, like the aqua Crate + Barrell tea lights to fellow knottie EyeHeartMike. We celebrated New Year's Day with a new Wright family tradition: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread, Greens and Ham. YUMMY! And supposedly, according to Southern tradition, it brings us good luck in the New Year. DH returned to school full-time and is working towards becoming a Physical Therapist. We also found out that my mom has Type II Diabetes which has motivated us to really watch what we eat and excercise more, especially since DH also has parents with it.
Fifth Month After: February 2008	La Divina Events is really starting to take off. I have 6 weddings booked in 2008 already. And a couple of other social gatherings on the calendar too. DH is doing well in school and got promoted at work. I also took a little roadtrip to SoCal with my mom and brother and his wife and kids for some fun at Disneyland and Caliornia Adventure! Costco has great travel deals...who knew?
SIxth Month After: March 2008	We got a new pug puppy! His name is Luigi Narciso and you can see photos of him in my Nestie Bio. DH and I sang on Easter...it was our first gig together in several years! Time flies! We also found out that our BFFs are expecting and that they want us to be the Godparents....life is full!
Seventh Month After: April 2008	I finally am getting around to officially changing my name. What a PITA! Which is why I have procrastinated for 7 months! But I need to do it for my new business so that I can open a business checking account, etc.
Eighth Month After: May 2008	We've decided to relocate from San Jose, CA to Tulsa, OK! Long story short, we have thought for some time that we'd eventually move out there, to be closer to DH's mom, to have a lower cost of living so we could buy a home and think about starting a family and also for DH to go to graduate school. Well, one thing led to another and I found a great job that is perfectly suited to my skill set and experience. So I just had to take the job. I am the new Executive Director of Education for Sweet Adelines International. It offers a wonderful salary and benefits and will definitely help us achieve our goals. We leave CA for OK on May 29th....more to come! That said, I did do two weddings this month...one was for knottie jaysgirljulie. I closed both of my businesses (the event planning one I had just launches as well as my private voice studio of 12 years), which was bittersweet. But I know that this change is for the best.
Ninth Month After: June 2008	We moved into our new rental house in Tulsa, Oklahoma and I started my new job on June 2nd. One June 4th, Joseph left back to San Jose to wrap up packing and work, ship the other car and get the cat. I was there by myself with the two pugs for three weeks. In that time there was flood and tornado warnings! Welcome to OKLAHOMA!?!!? I started a blog about our experience, which you can read here: www.cali2okie.blogspot.com
Tenth Month After: July 2008	Joseph and the cat finally joined us in Tulsa at the end of June and July we spent settling into our new life. We found a new vet and got the puppy neutered. In late July I spent a week in San Antonio for work, while Joseph had his mother come for a visit. At the end of the month, my father came for to visit for about 10 days.
Eleventh Month After: August 2008	Joseph started his new job managing a hotel restaurant and I met my 90 days review on mine (which brought a raise). I also enrolled in a 401K for the first time in my life. I cannot believe that we're newlyweds and already considering our retirement! But you gotta start when you're young, and according to our advisor, I am starting later. I wish I had know at age 24 or 25 how important it is to start investing. Alas, I was a broke artists, so...you live and learn! Oh yeah, our BFFs had their baby, our new godson, who I got to visit at four weeks old.
One Year Later: September 2008	What a year! Holy moly! I cannot believe all that we've been through this year. We have been together for seven years and married for one. We are looking forward to settling down a bit, getting our finances in order so we can think about buying a home down the road. And getting Joseph back into school (now that we're in a new state, we were waiting out the "out-of-state" tuition period) so he can get on his way to transitioning to career in the medical field. Since the traditional first year gift is paper, I was inspired by knottie MrsPresley, I got my honey a customized print From Indigo Night commemorating our wedding day.

BIG DAY BEAUTY:
I was a totally DIY bride and that extended itself to my make-up, hair and nails for the Big Day! I knew that for me, I would be calmer if I just DIY'd it all myself...and it was a nice way to save some money. I have make-up training with my theater background and several of my friends at the wedding also know make-up application. My mom was a hairdresser when I was a baby and has always done my hair, so it was a given that she would do my hair for my wedding. And we did have mani/pedi appointments scheduled, but my mom had a back experience there so the rest of us cancelled ours and we did our own poolside with purchases from Walmart.

MAKE-UP:
I am a self-confessed drug store make-up queen...I think because I have to wear stage make-up all the time for work, I prefer to go with everyday, nationally availble at any drug store brands for my daily make-up. That, and well, I am cheap! WIth most things! The only pricey make-up listed below is MAC Full Coverage Foundation which I fell in love with for stage and now keep it in my daily make-up stash. Here's the make-up I wore for on the Wedding Dy and Day After Photo Shoot.

Primer:	I used Maybeline Pure Makeup in Light 4 as a primer. It's light and does a great job of smoothing over fine lines, wrinkles and minimizers pores.
Foundation:	MAC Full Coverage Make-Up in NW 20 and NW 25 (I used the lighter one as a concealer and then the darker one for all over coverage)
Powder:	Physicians Formula Mineral Powder in Transluscent (this went in my purse and I used it throughout the day)
Eye Shadow:	Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Copper Spice; Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Singles in White Whisper and Pure Pearl
Mascara:	L'Oreal Panoramic Curl Waterproof Mascara in Black
Eyeliner:	Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Black Brown (for upper lids) and Almay Intense I-Color Liquid Liner in Brown Topaz (for lower lash line)
Eyelashes:	Ardell #110 in Black
Blush:	Neutragena Mineral Sheers in Silky Sable
Lipstick:	L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude (#800) (I kept this in my purse to reapply)
Lipgloss:	L'Oreal Color Riche Lipgloss in Softest Nude (#805) (I kept this in my purse to reapply)

HAIR:
My naturally curly hair is coarse and I knew I need to combat Kauai's humidity. I didn't wash my hair from the day I arrived until the day after the wedding. I typically do not wash my hair every day anyway, so I am used to this. I just rinse and condition it everyday when I shower. I say that my hair looks great "three days dirty". In Kauai I used a small amount of Virgin Coconut Oil along with my regular conditioner. I used Finesse Curl Mousse and Tresemme Antifrizz and Humidity Spray. That was it! My hair behaved better than I had expected and it was super curly and easy for my mom to style into a loose chignon on the Big Day. For the Day After Shoot, I just did the same routine but styled it half down (I pinned up the side over my right ear and added the orchids).

PRE-WEDDING PREP:
In the month preceeding the wedding I got laser hair removal treatments for my lip and chin area (started this as soon as I got engaged); microderm abrasian facials and photolight facials (starting six months out); used Crest Whitening Strips; Innoxa Mineral Spa Anticellulite Gel (daily for the six months before....LOVE this stuff! It totally works!); and a Suddenly Slim Body Wrap (one month before...my mom wanted to do this and dragged me along. It was ridiculous feeling, but it workred! I lost 14 inches overall and she lost 11. I lost 1 inch each on my upper arms and it really smoothed them which is exactly what I needed for my strapless dress). I did this at the Simply Beautiful Sp a in San Ramon, but they now have a new location in Milpitas. I also chose not to tan for the wedding, but did wear tube tops the week beforehand to avoid farmer tanlines! And Secret Clinical antipersperant is AMAZING stuff! I started using it each night about two weeks before we left for Hawaii and continued to use it the whole time we were there. It really works...LOVE IT!

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LAST UPDATED: 09/29/08