Welcome to FutureMrsIH's Married Bio! Click here for my Planning Bio
Welcome to FutureMrsIH's Married Bio!
Click here for my Planning Bio
Twenty five of our closest family and friends joined us in a place we call paradise on April 24, 2008. It was the most perfect day, a fairy tale... and absolute bliss! We take ourselves back to those moments on a daily basis (wouldn't you love to relive your wedding day?!) I hope our bio inspires some of you as much as I have been inspired by the amazing Hawaii knotties (THANK YOU!). E-mail me at tarabee AT gmail DOT com if you have ANY questions. Mahalo! :)
Twenty five of our closest family and friends joined us in a place we call paradise on April 24, 2008. It was the most perfect day, a fairy tale... and absolute bliss! We take ourselves back to those moments on a daily basis (wouldn't you love to relive your wedding day?!)
I hope our bio inspires some of you as much as I have been inspired by the amazing Hawaii knotties (THANK YOU!).
E-mail me at tarabee AT gmail DOT com if you have ANY questions. Mahalo! :)
A little more info about us: It all started with a love for Hawaii... And a surprise engagement, April 1 2007, in Waikiki... We instantly decided to have a destination wedding, in Hawaii, of course... and chose The Kahala Hotel & Resort as soon as we laid our eyes on it... BEFORE THE WEDDING The plane ride to Hawaii... Marriage license time! Assembling the lauhala box favors with Honolulu Cookie Co. cookies... Our OOT bags for the guests... Polaroid guest-book & Postcards from Paradise Welcome lunch at Tiki's Our room at The Kahala... PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOS:COPYRIGHT: SHAWN STARR(Feel free to borrow these images but please credit myself and most importantly our photographer, Shawn Starr, mahalo!) NON-PRO PHOTOS: Welcome lunch at Tiki's... Girls day... Rehearsal... Rehearsal "PuPu" style dinner... The big day... Getting ready... The amazing Shawn Starr in action... Ready and waiting... Heading to the gazebo... The Bride and Groom... The Kahala... The Flowers... The Cake... The Reception... After the wedding... Our iPhoto Thank You Cards: Our Blurb Photo Albums: My "Wedding Planning Journal" that documents my year of wedding planning Thank you to a Wedding Bee bee who inspired me to make my own journal after seeing photos of the one she created. VENDOR REVIEWS: Rating system: 10 is superior, 5 is average and 1 is poor. I figured this way was best for me to rate our vendors :) "Welcome to Hawaii" Pre-wedding lunch:Tiki's Grill & Bar 10/10We invited all of our guests to join us for a welcome lunch on Monday April 21 at 1 PM. I was very thankful we chose to have a lunch time event because Tiki's was nearly empty, which provided us with an incredibly private atmosphere. The table was ready on time, our server was wonderful and attentive. Funny mention, the Kokua Festival was the previous night and our waitress served Dave Mathews and Jack Johnson until the wee hours of the morning! She said she was concerned that she wouldn't be awake enough for our party but she was great!). The food was tasty, everyone was very happy. The best part? The mini guava cheesecake, mmm, they were so GOOD.Photography:Shawn Starr 12/10The first vendor we booked as we knew he was "the one" before we even contacted him. In the end, Shawn was the most amazing vendor and human being we had the joy to work with! He arrived early and stayed later than he was expected to(90 mins!). As soon as I met Shawn in our hotel room, I felt at ease with him... he asked me how I was doing, if I had any nerves :) I didn't, I felt totally calm... I gave him a sheet with some "must take" photo ideas and he kept it in his pocket. I had everything ready for him for the detail shots (garter, rings, earrings, shoes, wedding invite, wedding cards, newspaper) which made it easy for him to start photographing everything. DH and I can't say enough good things about Shawn, he is a JOY to work with. He's professional and down to earth and loves what he does! It felt like we were hanging out with a friend the entire time (DH and Shawn were talking about their Apple computers, too funny). We very highly recommend Shawn, we felt so lucky to have him at our wedding! (Shawn had dinner at the table with all of us, it was great! I also had a place card and favor for him which he was so touched by... he says he isn't fed that often at weddings, which really surprised us).Videographer:Josh Johnson Productions / Chrissy Blue Cricket Pro 10/10Josh's assistant Chrissy was our videographer and she was so incredibly nice! She called the day before the wedding to introduce herself so I would know who she was before the big day. We bought a 2 hour package. Chrissy filmed the ceremony and DH and I on the beach and around the resort... it was a little tough to "pose" for the videographer and also for Shawn. Chrissy would ask us to do something and Shawn would patiently wait or keep photographing us, it wasn't too big of a deal though. When Chrissy left she gave me a hug, which was so sweet. We are looking forward to watching the video! UPDATE: We received our wedding video on June 23rd. DH and I are so pleased that we hired a videographer for our wedding! It is worth every penny and more. The ceremony went so fast that when we watched the DVD it brought us RIGHT back to our wedding day. The video was short, about 20 mins, but having those memories in film will last a lifetime. We have watched the DVD three times in one week [:)]Florist:Flower Girls Hawaii 10/10Michelle was incredible! I just loved her. We really seemed to connect during our initial meeting 6 months before the wedding. She is just a sweetheart and I will miss dealing with her. I was in awe of the flowers and couldn't stop staring... especially the centerpieces (the gazebo flowers were used for the centerpieces also). I couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out, I had a vision that Michelle worked with and in the end it was beyond my highest expectations. I highly recommend Michelle.Ceremony music: Flute a' la Harp 10/10Wonderful to deal with via phone and e-mail. Absolutely satisfied! BUT I honestly didn't hear a thing! I was so focused on my handsome husband to be that no music was even heard... not even following the ceremony! You are so "in the moment" that everything else doesn't really matter :) I will have to watch the wedding video once we receive it and I will finish my review afterwards. UPDATE: We received our wedding DVD and I was extremely happy while listening to the flute and harp... the perfect combination! It suited our wedding perfectly.Reception music: Ebb Tides (Trio & hula dancer during cocktail hour) 10/10We found Ebb Tides thanks to MrsPresley and I found them to be very easy and friendly to deal with via e-mail. I really wanted to give our reception a "Hawaiian" feel and believe we accomplished that. My Mom said that everyone was so fixated on watching DH and I get our photos taken on the beach and around the resort that not very many people were"into"the music at first. A few guests started to enjoy it near the end so at least that was good! Ebb Tides did play the Hawaiian Wedding Song for us at the very end and we danced to it a little, that was a very nice gesture.Chivari Chair Rentals:Accel Party Rentals and Design 10/10I was really hoping to have Chivari chairs at our wedding and once I found Accel's website I knew it could happen for us. (We were going to get chair covers at The Kahala to cover up the gold and mint green chairs for the reception anyway and they were $9 each!) The chivari chairs were $8.50 each, plus a drop off/pick up fee ($60), it ended up costing us slightly more than the chair covers would have but it was well worth it, I loved the entire look for the ceremony and reception. Highly recommended!Officiant:Alice Inoue 10/10I first found Alice via her website and I loved that she allows a fully customizable ceremony with vow options, etc. We met Alice during our planning trip and felt such a great vibe with her immediately. We knew at that point we made the right choice. Alice really kept us connected (and at ease) during the ceremony and it was exactly how we envisioned it would be... she read "The Gift Of Your Hands" poem, which I really loved. We highly recommend Alice.Hair & Make-up:Dorys Foltin 10/10Dorys is awesome! I felt very comfortable with her during my hair and make-up trial (which I suggest having). On the day of the wedding she arrived early with another stylist. Both of them worked their magic very quickly and all of my bridesmaids were very satisfied with the overall look. I was also VERY happy with my hair and make-up... I looked in the mirror and all I could say was WOW. Dorys should charge a lot more for what she does but she keeps her pricing competitive and I love that about her. Side note: I do not know if she still gives out a Bridal Touch Up Kit because I did not receive one.Favor packaging:Ailanakai 10/10I was happy to deal with Ailanakai. I ordered our lauhala favor boxes (3x3x3) and our OOT tote bags (9" W x 5" H x 3" D) and received them on time (delivered to our hotel in Waikiki) and without any problems. When I first started communicating I received replies back right away but when I sent in my order form I didn't hear back from them... I just e-mailed again to confirm they received it. I did call them once to check if the order was good to go and it was. One small detail I noticed that didn't both me too much was that the lauhala boxes were varied slightly in size, one would be a little smaller than the other, etc. It didn't matter much because they were all placed at individual place settings and it wasn't even noticeable. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them at all. Favor contents:Honolulu Cookie Company 10/10Flawless experience with HCC. I called in the order (we ordered 100 chocolate mac nut cookies at .40 cents each) 3 weeks before we left for Hawaii (which was plenty of notice). We picked them up the day after we arrived in Hawaii at their warehouse location in Honolulu which was a breeze to find. I haven't heard of too many comments on the cookies (yet!) but we love the pineapple shape and the cookies taste SO good. :)Save-the-date postcards, invitations and everything paper:blue skies & daisies They were wonderful to deal with! We opted for custom save-the-date postcards, invites, menus, programs, place cards and favor tags and they took care of every detail. I wanted to incorporate an orchid in our theme and we ended up going with it throughout the entire wedding... Despite me making changes or additions, blue skies was there every step of the way. I highly recommend Teen and Beans, if you decide to fire them off an e-mail, tell them Tian sent you [:)] Gown Pressing/Preserving:KeepSakes Wedding Gown Preservation 10/10 Gabriela at KeepSakes was such a joy to deal with. I actually forgot about my gown pressing appointment (wedding brain = mush) but Gabriela came by the next day to pick up my dress without hesitation, whew! My gown and veil looking amazing after being pressed/steamed. I highly recommend KeepSakes. (I am also having my gown preserved by them... they are sending it to me via UPS when it is finished.) UPDATE: I received my gown on June 23rd. The packaging surprised me! My dress came in a white box wrapped in a satin baby blue ribbon. Note: If you are a repeat customer (Ie: You had your gown pressed) you will receive a discount. Nail SalonSmiley Nails 10/10 I went to Smiley Nails to have my nails "fixed". I had gel nails put on at home and for some reason or another the white tips turned slightly black! (Someone said it was from reading a newspaper?). Smiley Nails was able to fit me in at the very last minute (day before the wedding) and did a fill for me within a half hour. I was VERY pleased with my nails and how they turned out. It was very busy and anointments are recommended. Wedding venue and accommodation:The Kahala Hotel & Resort 10/10 The Kahala exceeded all of our expectations and much more! Once we saw the resort and met Grace Chan, our catering manager, we knew that this was it... no longer a need to look any further. The banquet staff at the wedding were absolutely phenomenal, the food was the best everyone has ever eaten and I have to agree :) The food really was spectacular. The resort itself, the food and the atmosphere (the dolphins, beach, gazebo and general location) were all our guests could talk about. Our room at the resort was in a word, gorgeous! We were blown away but every aspect of it,the incredible bed, the bath tub, separate vanities, slippers and robes, the view (we were upgraded to a fully renovated 9th floor mountain/partial ocean view room), a HUGE flat screen TV ;) and more... it was worth every penny! Grace Chan was (as MrsPresley said) invaluable. The wedding would not have been the same without Grace... she is pro bride and will do whatever it takes for you (placing favors/place cards/setting up the guest book table and more). I will miss communicating with her terribly, as she was and still is my (and so many others) superwoman!Week before wedding accommodation:The Sheraton Waikiki 10/10 We really enjoyed our one week stay at The Sheraton. It is a HUGE hotel with a lot of elevators and guests but it was very comfortable and the location can't be beat. We received a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes once we arrived which was very nice. The rooms were recently completely renovated and I loved the chic decor. The bed was also a VERY comfy place to rest pre-wedding. I hope to stay again when we are back in Waikiki, especially if I can obtain the same rate ($180/night), it's well worth it. I am glad we... Out of town bags. Everyone loved them! Our guests were also blown away when we handed them out, it was a total surprise! The bags don't have to be overflowing with goodies, it really was the thought that counts. (Maps were a big hit as well, almost everyone opened up the map right away). Postcards from Paradise. It was depressing enough to leave Hawaii... but once we checked our mailbox back at home and saw all of the amazing postcards we were beyond happy! Some of the sentiments brought tears to my eyes... it was well worth it! (We have received nearly all of the postcards and a few people either did not send them or have yet to mail them back to us). Welcome lunch. It was the best opportunity for all of our guests to meet each other before the wedding. We asked everyone at the table to stand up and introduce themselves and share some info on how they know the bride and/or groom. In the end, everyone seemed to mix and mingle like a big family. Intimate rehearsal dinner (pupu's). We invited our parents and bridal party (including siblings) to our rehearsal dinner only. We wanted something quiet, intimate and fairly casual... we served Hawaiian pupu's for dinner instead of a formal dinner (the wedding reception itself was a formal, multi-course meal). We also opted for an early night to allow ourselves some "us" time before the big day. Peaceful wedding day. DH and I woke up refreshed on the day of the wedding... lounged in bed, ordered room service, ate outside on the lanai, opened our wedding gifts, read the paper... it was just the way I imagined it would be. NO STRESS! Had our photog join us at the table. This is something we are so glad we did, it was such a joy to have Shawn at the table with us... we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I wish we/I... Bouquet toss. I wish I would have ordered a much smaller bouquet just to use for the bouquet toss. I was quite partial to my bouquet and decided not to toss it at the wedding ahead of time. The garter toss was a last minute idea and it was so much fun and we all had so many laughs as a result of it. A bouquet toss would have been a nice encore... Mani/Pedi Spa, Ala Moana. I had originally planned on going to Solar Nails but they could not accommodate our group size so we headed to Mani/Pedi Spa instead. They weren't overly friendly and my french pedicure started to chip after only a few days. The massage chairs were nice, however I wouldn't recommend them. NCL honeymoon cruise. The cruise was great, it was so nice to visit the other islands... we loved Kona the most! I would not suggest cruising with NCL America. Their staff was incredibly un-friendly and the food was hardly edible. Luckily we booked an outside balcony cabin and were able to spend a lot of quality time out there when we weren't at port. Cruising the islands is fun but I don't know if we'll be cruising again any time soon, especially NOT with NCL. Oahu Favorites Eats (Places we love on the island, there are many more to discover!): Roy's Tiki's Grill & Bar - ahi is amazing as well as so many other things. Duke's Waikiki - breakfast buffet is delish and the hula pie is a must try! Assagio (Italian) at Ala Moana Mall - love their caesar salad made right at the table. Beard Papa cream puffs, the best! HI BP's are better than any other locations I've tried. Burger in Paradise - great view! Burgers are yummy. Kahala Nuts - they have a stand at the DFS Galleria (Duty Free Store) and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza in Waikiki. Honolulu Cookie Co. - mmmm good, we always pick some up for ourselves or for a gift, multiple locations (review above). Hotels: Miramar Waikiki - when we want to stay on a budget, clean hotel, great location, recently renovated. Ohana Beachcomber - even better location than above, right across from the beach, recently renovated. Sheraton Waikiki - HUGE hotel, also recently renovated (new pool), right on the beach, love the location! The Kahala Hotel & Resort - second to none! a big splurge but the best resort we have been to. What to do & see: Hawaii Vendors / Vendors we considered... Venues: Turtle Bay Resort JW Marriott Ko Olina Halekulani Sheraton Moana Surfrider Photographers: We only considered Shawn Starr. Other Oahu photographers: Frank Amodo Chrissy Lambert Stephanie Riedel Dave Miyamoto Elizabeth Morgan Florists: Floral Inspirations Peony Floral Designs Yvonne Floral Watanabe Floral Invitations: (I LOVE paper! In the end we decided to go fully custom with a Vancouver based company (blue skies & DAISIES). I'm so thankful we chose bs&d, the girls were fabulous and we supported someone local). Savvy D *They are no longer :( mmm...paper CECI New York Hello Lucky Kenzie Kate Paper Bride Paper Cup The White Aisle Wedding Paper Divas Little Tree Press Favors / OOT Bags / Lauhala Boxes: Big Island Candies Kailua Candy Co. Hokulani Bake Shop Auntie Nalani's Cookies Creations By You Bliss Weddings Market FOR SALE: I am selling what I have left from our wedding. I am open to offers!!! Shipping is at an additional cost. Please e-mail me at tarabee AT gmail DOT com if you are interested :) Pink and green ribbon, some of the rolls are brand new. $5 (I also have pink and green raffia and twine) ***SOLD*** I bought these to wear to the wedding but ended up going with something else. Brand new Nina "Smile" Shoes in silver, size 10. Priced at Zappos for $93.00 Will sell for $40.00 OBO Brand new "Just Married" Flip Flops (received two sets as a gifts) Still in original packaging. Size large for women (size 9-10) and size medium for men (size 9) $10.00 for both sets (FYI, mens flip flops are black). Brand new Liz Palacios earrings and necklace set. Purchased from Maleana Cosmetics (Dorys Foltin) for $65 (necklace) and $47 (earrings) Would love to sell as a set. $40.00 OBO ***SOLD***
A little more info about us:
It all started with a love for Hawaii...
And a surprise engagement, April 1 2007, in Waikiki...
We instantly decided to have a destination wedding, in Hawaii, of course... and chose The Kahala Hotel & Resort as soon as we laid our eyes on it...
Marriage license time!
Assembling the lauhala box favors with Honolulu Cookie Co. cookies...
Our OOT bags for the guests...
Polaroid guest-book & Postcards from Paradise
Welcome lunch at Tiki's
Our room at The Kahala...
NON-PRO PHOTOS:
Welcome lunch at Tiki's...
Girls day...
Rehearsal...
Rehearsal "PuPu" style dinner...
The big day...
Getting ready...
The amazing Shawn Starr in action...
Ready and waiting...
Heading to the gazebo...
The Bride and Groom...
The Kahala...
The Flowers...
The Cake...
The Reception...
After the wedding...
Our iPhoto Thank You Cards:
Our Blurb Photo Albums:
My "Wedding Planning Journal" that documents my year of wedding planning
Thank you to a Wedding Bee bee who inspired me to make my own journal after seeing photos of the one she created.
VENDOR REVIEWS:
Rating system: 10 is superior, 5 is average and 1 is poor. I figured this way was best for me to rate our vendors :)
"Welcome to Hawaii" Pre-wedding lunch:Tiki's Grill & Bar 10/10We invited all of our guests to join us for a welcome lunch on Monday April 21 at 1 PM. I was very thankful we chose to have a lunch time event because Tiki's was nearly empty, which provided us with an incredibly private atmosphere. The table was ready on time, our server was wonderful and attentive. Funny mention, the Kokua Festival was the previous night and our waitress served Dave Mathews and Jack Johnson until the wee hours of the morning! She said she was concerned that she wouldn't be awake enough for our party but she was great!). The food was tasty, everyone was very happy. The best part? The mini guava cheesecake, mmm, they were so GOOD.Photography:Shawn Starr 12/10The first vendor we booked as we knew he was "the one" before we even contacted him. In the end, Shawn was the most amazing vendor and human being we had the joy to work with! He arrived early and stayed later than he was expected to(90 mins!). As soon as I met Shawn in our hotel room, I felt at ease with him... he asked me how I was doing, if I had any nerves :) I didn't, I felt totally calm... I gave him a sheet with some "must take" photo ideas and he kept it in his pocket. I had everything ready for him for the detail shots (garter, rings, earrings, shoes, wedding invite, wedding cards, newspaper) which made it easy for him to start photographing everything. DH and I can't say enough good things about Shawn, he is a JOY to work with. He's professional and down to earth and loves what he does! It felt like we were hanging out with a friend the entire time (DH and Shawn were talking about their Apple computers, too funny). We very highly recommend Shawn, we felt so lucky to have him at our wedding! (Shawn had dinner at the table with all of us, it was great! I also had a place card and favor for him which he was so touched by... he says he isn't fed that often at weddings, which really surprised us).Videographer:Josh Johnson Productions / Chrissy Blue Cricket Pro 10/10Josh's assistant Chrissy was our videographer and she was so incredibly nice! She called the day before the wedding to introduce herself so I would know who she was before the big day. We bought a 2 hour package. Chrissy filmed the ceremony and DH and I on the beach and around the resort... it was a little tough to "pose" for the videographer and also for Shawn. Chrissy would ask us to do something and Shawn would patiently wait or keep photographing us, it wasn't too big of a deal though. When Chrissy left she gave me a hug, which was so sweet. We are looking forward to watching the video! UPDATE: We received our wedding video on June 23rd. DH and I are so pleased that we hired a videographer for our wedding! It is worth every penny and more. The ceremony went so fast that when we watched the DVD it brought us RIGHT back to our wedding day. The video was short, about 20 mins, but having those memories in film will last a lifetime. We have watched the DVD three times in one week [:)]Florist:Flower Girls Hawaii 10/10Michelle was incredible! I just loved her. We really seemed to connect during our initial meeting 6 months before the wedding. She is just a sweetheart and I will miss dealing with her. I was in awe of the flowers and couldn't stop staring... especially the centerpieces (the gazebo flowers were used for the centerpieces also). I couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out, I had a vision that Michelle worked with and in the end it was beyond my highest expectations. I highly recommend Michelle.Ceremony music: Flute a' la Harp 10/10Wonderful to deal with via phone and e-mail. Absolutely satisfied! BUT I honestly didn't hear a thing! I was so focused on my handsome husband to be that no music was even heard... not even following the ceremony! You are so "in the moment" that everything else doesn't really matter :) I will have to watch the wedding video once we receive it and I will finish my review afterwards. UPDATE: We received our wedding DVD and I was extremely happy while listening to the flute and harp... the perfect combination! It suited our wedding perfectly.Reception music: Ebb Tides (Trio & hula dancer during cocktail hour) 10/10We found Ebb Tides thanks to MrsPresley and I found them to be very easy and friendly to deal with via e-mail. I really wanted to give our reception a "Hawaiian" feel and believe we accomplished that. My Mom said that everyone was so fixated on watching DH and I get our photos taken on the beach and around the resort that not very many people were"into"the music at first. A few guests started to enjoy it near the end so at least that was good! Ebb Tides did play the Hawaiian Wedding Song for us at the very end and we danced to it a little, that was a very nice gesture.Chivari Chair Rentals:Accel Party Rentals and Design 10/10I was really hoping to have Chivari chairs at our wedding and once I found Accel's website I knew it could happen for us. (We were going to get chair covers at The Kahala to cover up the gold and mint green chairs for the reception anyway and they were $9 each!) The chivari chairs were $8.50 each, plus a drop off/pick up fee ($60), it ended up costing us slightly more than the chair covers would have but it was well worth it, I loved the entire look for the ceremony and reception. Highly recommended!Officiant:Alice Inoue 10/10I first found Alice via her website and I loved that she allows a fully customizable ceremony with vow options, etc. We met Alice during our planning trip and felt such a great vibe with her immediately. We knew at that point we made the right choice. Alice really kept us connected (and at ease) during the ceremony and it was exactly how we envisioned it would be... she read "The Gift Of Your Hands" poem, which I really loved. We highly recommend Alice.Hair & Make-up:Dorys Foltin 10/10Dorys is awesome! I felt very comfortable with her during my hair and make-up trial (which I suggest having). On the day of the wedding she arrived early with another stylist. Both of them worked their magic very quickly and all of my bridesmaids were very satisfied with the overall look. I was also VERY happy with my hair and make-up... I looked in the mirror and all I could say was WOW. Dorys should charge a lot more for what she does but she keeps her pricing competitive and I love that about her. Side note: I do not know if she still gives out a Bridal Touch Up Kit because I did not receive one.Favor packaging:Ailanakai 10/10I was happy to deal with Ailanakai. I ordered our lauhala favor boxes (3x3x3) and our OOT tote bags (9" W x 5" H x 3" D) and received them on time (delivered to our hotel in Waikiki) and without any problems. When I first started communicating I received replies back right away but when I sent in my order form I didn't hear back from them... I just e-mailed again to confirm they received it. I did call them once to check if the order was good to go and it was. One small detail I noticed that didn't both me too much was that the lauhala boxes were varied slightly in size, one would be a little smaller than the other, etc. It didn't matter much because they were all placed at individual place settings and it wasn't even noticeable. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them at all. Favor contents:Honolulu Cookie Company 10/10Flawless experience with HCC. I called in the order (we ordered 100 chocolate mac nut cookies at .40 cents each) 3 weeks before we left for Hawaii (which was plenty of notice). We picked them up the day after we arrived in Hawaii at their warehouse location in Honolulu which was a breeze to find. I haven't heard of too many comments on the cookies (yet!) but we love the pineapple shape and the cookies taste SO good. :)Save-the-date postcards, invitations and everything paper:blue skies & daisies
They were wonderful to deal with! We opted for custom save-the-date postcards, invites, menus, programs, place cards and favor tags and they took care of every detail. I wanted to incorporate an orchid in our theme and we ended up going with it throughout the entire wedding... Despite me making changes or additions, blue skies was there every step of the way. I highly recommend Teen and Beans, if you decide to fire them off an e-mail, tell them Tian sent you [:)]
Gown Pressing/Preserving:KeepSakes Wedding Gown Preservation 10/10
Gabriela at KeepSakes was such a joy to deal with. I actually forgot about my gown pressing appointment (wedding brain = mush) but Gabriela came by the next day to pick up my dress without hesitation, whew! My gown and veil looking amazing after being pressed/steamed. I highly recommend KeepSakes. (I am also having my gown preserved by them... they are sending it to me via UPS when it is finished.) UPDATE: I received my gown on June 23rd. The packaging surprised me! My dress came in a white box wrapped in a satin baby blue ribbon. Note: If you are a repeat customer (Ie: You had your gown pressed) you will receive a discount.
Nail SalonSmiley Nails 10/10
I went to Smiley Nails to have my nails "fixed". I had gel nails put on at home and for some reason or another the white tips turned slightly black! (Someone said it was from reading a newspaper?). Smiley Nails was able to fit me in at the very last minute (day before the wedding) and did a fill for me within a half hour. I was VERY pleased with my nails and how they turned out. It was very busy and anointments are recommended.
Wedding venue and accommodation:The Kahala Hotel & Resort 10/10
The Kahala exceeded all of our expectations and much more! Once we saw the resort and met Grace Chan, our catering manager, we knew that this was it... no longer a need to look any further. The banquet staff at the wedding were absolutely phenomenal, the food was the best everyone has ever eaten and I have to agree :) The food really was spectacular. The resort itself, the food and the atmosphere (the dolphins, beach, gazebo and general location) were all our guests could talk about. Our room at the resort was in a word, gorgeous! We were blown away but every aspect of it,the incredible bed, the bath tub, separate vanities, slippers and robes, the view (we were upgraded to a fully renovated 9th floor mountain/partial ocean view room), a HUGE flat screen TV ;) and more... it was worth every penny! Grace Chan was (as MrsPresley said) invaluable. The wedding would not have been the same without Grace... she is pro bride and will do whatever it takes for you (placing favors/place cards/setting up the guest book table and more). I will miss communicating with her terribly, as she was and still is my (and so many others) superwoman!Week before wedding accommodation:The Sheraton Waikiki 10/10
We really enjoyed our one week stay at The Sheraton. It is a HUGE hotel with a lot of elevators and guests but it was very comfortable and the location can't be beat. We received a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes once we arrived which was very nice. The rooms were recently completely renovated and I loved the chic decor. The bed was also a VERY comfy place to rest pre-wedding. I hope to stay again when we are back in Waikiki, especially if I can obtain the same rate ($180/night), it's well worth it.
I am glad we...
Out of town bags. Everyone loved them! Our guests were also blown away when we handed them out, it was a total surprise! The bags don't have to be overflowing with goodies, it really was the thought that counts. (Maps were a big hit as well, almost everyone opened up the map right away).
Postcards from Paradise. It was depressing enough to leave Hawaii... but once we checked our mailbox back at home and saw all of the amazing postcards we were beyond happy! Some of the sentiments brought tears to my eyes... it was well worth it! (We have received nearly all of the postcards and a few people either did not send them or have yet to mail them back to us).
Welcome lunch. It was the best opportunity for all of our guests to meet each other before the wedding. We asked everyone at the table to stand up and introduce themselves and share some info on how they know the bride and/or groom. In the end, everyone seemed to mix and mingle like a big family.
Intimate rehearsal dinner (pupu's). We invited our parents and bridal party (including siblings) to our rehearsal dinner only. We wanted something quiet, intimate and fairly casual... we served Hawaiian pupu's for dinner instead of a formal dinner (the wedding reception itself was a formal, multi-course meal). We also opted for an early night to allow ourselves some "us" time before the big day.
Peaceful wedding day. DH and I woke up refreshed on the day of the wedding... lounged in bed, ordered room service, ate outside on the lanai, opened our wedding gifts, read the paper... it was just the way I imagined it would be. NO STRESS!
Had our photog join us at the table. This is something we are so glad we did, it was such a joy to have Shawn at the table with us... we wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
I wish we/I...
Bouquet toss. I wish I would have ordered a much smaller bouquet just to use for the bouquet toss. I was quite partial to my bouquet and decided not to toss it at the wedding ahead of time. The garter toss was a last minute idea and it was so much fun and we all had so many laughs as a result of it. A bouquet toss would have been a nice encore...
Mani/Pedi Spa, Ala Moana. I had originally planned on going to Solar Nails but they could not accommodate our group size so we headed to Mani/Pedi Spa instead. They weren't overly friendly and my french pedicure started to chip after only a few days. The massage chairs were nice, however I wouldn't recommend them.
NCL honeymoon cruise. The cruise was great, it was so nice to visit the other islands... we loved Kona the most! I would not suggest cruising with NCL America. Their staff was incredibly un-friendly and the food was hardly edible. Luckily we booked an outside balcony cabin and were able to spend a lot of quality time out there when we weren't at port. Cruising the islands is fun but I don't know if we'll be cruising again any time soon, especially NOT with NCL.
Oahu Favorites
Eats (Places we love on the island, there are many more to discover!): Roy's Tiki's Grill & Bar - ahi is amazing as well as so many other things. Duke's Waikiki - breakfast buffet is delish and the hula pie is a must try! Assagio (Italian) at Ala Moana Mall - love their caesar salad made right at the table. Beard Papa cream puffs, the best! HI BP's are better than any other locations I've tried. Burger in Paradise - great view! Burgers are yummy. Kahala Nuts - they have a stand at the DFS Galleria (Duty Free Store) and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza in Waikiki. Honolulu Cookie Co. - mmmm good, we always pick some up for ourselves or for a gift, multiple locations (review above). Hotels: Miramar Waikiki - when we want to stay on a budget, clean hotel, great location, recently renovated. Ohana Beachcomber - even better location than above, right across from the beach, recently renovated. Sheraton Waikiki - HUGE hotel, also recently renovated (new pool), right on the beach, love the location! The Kahala Hotel & Resort - second to none! a big splurge but the best resort we have been to. What to do & see:
Eats (Places we love on the island, there are many more to discover!):
Roy's
Tiki's Grill & Bar - ahi is amazing as well as so many other things.
Duke's Waikiki - breakfast buffet is delish and the hula pie is a must try!
Assagio (Italian) at Ala Moana Mall - love their caesar salad made right at the table.
Beard Papa cream puffs, the best! HI BP's are better than any other locations I've tried.
Burger in Paradise - great view! Burgers are yummy.
Kahala Nuts - they have a stand at the DFS Galleria (Duty Free Store) and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza in Waikiki.
Honolulu Cookie Co. - mmmm good, we always pick some up for ourselves or for a gift, multiple locations (review above).
Hotels:
Miramar Waikiki - when we want to stay on a budget, clean hotel, great location, recently renovated.
Ohana Beachcomber - even better location than above, right across from the beach, recently renovated.
Sheraton Waikiki - HUGE hotel, also recently renovated (new pool), right on the beach, love the location!
The Kahala Hotel & Resort - second to none! a big splurge but the best resort we have been to.
What to do & see:
Hawaii Vendors / Vendors we considered... Venues: Turtle Bay Resort JW Marriott Ko Olina Halekulani Sheraton Moana Surfrider Photographers: We only considered Shawn Starr. Other Oahu photographers: Frank Amodo Chrissy Lambert Stephanie Riedel Dave Miyamoto Elizabeth Morgan Florists: Floral Inspirations Peony Floral Designs Yvonne Floral Watanabe Floral
Hawaii Vendors / Vendors we considered...
Venues:
Turtle Bay Resort
JW Marriott Ko Olina
Halekulani
Sheraton Moana Surfrider
Photographers:
We only considered Shawn Starr. Other Oahu photographers:
Frank Amodo
Chrissy Lambert
Stephanie Riedel
Dave Miyamoto
Elizabeth Morgan
Florists:
Floral Inspirations
Peony Floral Designs
Yvonne Floral
Watanabe Floral
Invitations: (I LOVE paper! In the end we decided to go fully custom with a Vancouver based company (blue skies & DAISIES). I'm so thankful we chose bs&d, the girls were fabulous and we supported someone local). Savvy D *They are no longer :( mmm...paper CECI New York Hello Lucky Kenzie Kate Paper Bride Paper Cup The White Aisle Wedding Paper Divas Little Tree Press Favors / OOT Bags / Lauhala Boxes: Big Island Candies Kailua Candy Co. Hokulani Bake Shop Auntie Nalani's Cookies Creations By You Bliss Weddings Market FOR SALE: I am selling what I have left from our wedding. I am open to offers!!! Shipping is at an additional cost. Please e-mail me at tarabee AT gmail DOT com if you are interested :) Pink and green ribbon, some of the rolls are brand new. $5 (I also have pink and green raffia and twine) ***SOLD*** I bought these to wear to the wedding but ended up going with something else. Brand new Nina "Smile" Shoes in silver, size 10. Priced at Zappos for $93.00 Will sell for $40.00 OBO Brand new "Just Married" Flip Flops (received two sets as a gifts) Still in original packaging. Size large for women (size 9-10) and size medium for men (size 9) $10.00 for both sets (FYI, mens flip flops are black). Brand new Liz Palacios earrings and necklace set. Purchased from Maleana Cosmetics (Dorys Foltin) for $65 (necklace) and $47 (earrings) Would love to sell as a set. $40.00 OBO ***SOLD***
Invitations:
(I LOVE paper! In the end we decided to go fully custom with a Vancouver based company (blue skies & DAISIES). I'm so thankful we chose bs&d, the girls were fabulous and we supported someone local).
Savvy D *They are no longer :(
mmm...paper
CECI New York
Hello Lucky
Kenzie Kate
Paper Bride
Paper Cup
The White Aisle
Wedding Paper Divas
Little Tree Press
Favors / OOT Bags / Lauhala Boxes:
Big Island Candies
Kailua Candy Co.
Hokulani Bake Shop
Auntie Nalani's Cookies
Creations By You
Bliss Weddings Market
FOR SALE:
I am selling what I have left from our wedding. I am open to offers!!! Shipping is at an additional cost.
Please e-mail me at tarabee AT gmail DOT com if you are interested :)
Pink and green ribbon, some of the rolls are brand new. $5 (I also have pink and green raffia and twine)
***SOLD***
I bought these to wear to the wedding but ended up going with something else.
Brand new Nina "Smile" Shoes in silver, size 10. Priced at Zappos for $93.00
Will sell for $40.00 OBO
Brand new "Just Married" Flip Flops (received two sets as a gifts) Still in original packaging. Size large for women (size 9-10) and size medium for men (size 9) $10.00 for both sets (FYI, mens flip flops are black).
Brand new Liz Palacios earrings and necklace set. Purchased from Maleana Cosmetics (Dorys Foltin) for $65 (necklace) and $47 (earrings) Would love to sell as a set. $40.00 OBO