WE LEFT OUR HEARTS...

...in Hawai'i

With this cold weather we're having here in NorCal, it happens all the time (people go through these island fever withdrawals).  After someone's been on a week vacation, and having to switch back to reality mode, I've seen such updates on Facebook and Instagram. You can't see me, but I'm raising my hand because I'm guilty of feeling that way everytime I return from Hawai'i.  Especially having grown up on the islands, reminiscing with high school friends, bbq'ing with family, engulfing the bright, tropical sun, I always feel a part of my heart is left behind. 

And I'm sure this couple knows exactly what I'm talking about.  Desma Peralta and Michael Lam got married at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu on September 29, 2012. 

Not only is Turtle Bay one of my stomping grounds throughout my teen years, but the sweet aroma of fresh leis, the calmness of the ocean breeze, with Hawaiian slack key guitar music making you wanna sway, just speaks to me in such a way that brings comfort and makes me smile that Kool-Aid grin.

When Des & Mike got engaged a year prior from their wedding date during a trip to Yosemite, and said they had plans to marry in Hawai'i, we were super thrilled. I got even more excited when Mike said "Turtle Bay Resort". Nuff said.

Immediately, the husby (Jay) & I gave a big nod and said "We're going!"  And then to have Des ask for assistance throughout her wedding planning, I couldn't have been more happy to accept.  Her vision entailed of a rustic, outdoorsey theme that shadowed the elegance of her dress. 

When Des initially started to brainstorm their wedding theme, she wanted to use a chalkboard effect for guest escort cards, and doilies to match her graceful mantilla veil. 

The doilies were clipped to a chicken wired wooden frame, displaying where their guests were seated. 

She also included small wooden hearts for her guests to write their well wishes on. With a lot of DIY projects, we both had searched online and I gave her a couple websites to order from.  

From there, she was all hands-on and pretty much did a lot of the work herself, with the help of her entourage.  It's fun to see a bride's vision take it's course throughout the wedding planning, and take flight from the moment they feel comfortable with what they have in place.

  

From our suite, we can see Ku'ulima Point, where the white tent, round tables, chiavari chairs, and linens were being set up. 

On top of those white linens, we placed a lace overlay, giving it that elegant tone to all 10 guest tables. Their centerpieces were mason jars filled with succulents and beautiful flowers in full bloom.  

As an added centerpiece, Des' had the lace-boardered chalkboard stand against a jar, noting their favorite (food) places on the island. The writing replicated exactly how you would see the sign for that specific place. A very cool touch!

Next to the tent, is the glass-walled chapel Pavilion that opens up with a breathtaking view of the ocean. 

Nothing screams more beauty than a glass chapel on beautiful grounds, surrounded by the sounds of crashing waves.

Thankfully, I had the help of my lovely sister-in-law to assist with the layout of the guest tables and sign-in area, it was already looking like a beautiful day, just awaiting to unfold in all it's glory.

With the bright sun above us at a little after 3 pm, Desma had her stylish pink bow-tie wearing 9 year old son, Jeremiah, walk her down the aisle to one of her favorite slow songs, "So In Love", by UNV. A gorgeous mantilla veil drapped over her shoulders, as they walked toward their guests to meet Mike, smiling from ear to ear.  

To join the families together, they proceeded with a sand ceremony, combining their colors of pink, light green, and tan, which was then displayed at their welcome sign-in table.

Just like any typical Hawaiian day, it wasn't a surprise to me that a little island rain passed through right when the entourage were being introduced during the start of the reception.  And as usual at the perfect time, it stopped when Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lam stepped out to greet their guests right into their first dance. 

The night continued with some delicious local-style buffet, heart-felt speeches, orders of Jameson liquor, a view of a spectacular sunset, and family and friends enjoying their Hawaiian evening. It wasn't complete without dancing underneath the stars and guests in pure vacay mode.

When I asked the bride recently as to what her most memorable moment was on her wedding day, she actually answered with 2 special moments:

1. Walking down the aisle with my Jeremiah, looking down the aisle at Mike, and being so surprised to see tears in his eyes!  Almost lost my composure =*) 

2. Taking into consideration the advice past brides gave me... Take a moment to soak it all in and enjoy it.  When we finally had a chance to sit during dinner, we had a chance to look up and see each and everyone present.  We realized how blessed we were to have them all share this important moment with us.

The 2nd answer is something I always remind our couples...to take that step back during the reception and get a glimpse of the people who are there celebrating with you..."soak it all in" are my words exactly! :)

Then when I asked what advice she can give future bride and grooms, she said...

Start early!  Then in moderation.  That way you don't end up rushing or stressed.  As the day gets closer, all you'll have to worry about is "picking up the pieces"

We just want to say "Mahalo" to Mike & Des, for having C&C Engagements be a part of their wedding. Who knew we'd branch out over the 2300+ miles of Pacific water to orchestrate a wedding. Lucky us. :)  Aloha~

C&C had the privilege of working with such talented vendors. With that said, we you thank and wish you all the best...

VENDORS
Turtle Bay Resort	Mikilani Ikalani	(808) 447-6436	mikalani@turtlebayresort.com
DJ Tone Emcee	Anthony Welden Des’ cousin Daryl
FlowerGirls	Michelle Maeda	(808) 387-0286	info@flowergirlshawaii.com
JMJ Rental (Dancefloor, tent)	Mark Repollo	(808) 216-7716	jmjrentals2000@aol.com
Kai Photo	Grace Kwock	(808) 591-1882	grace@kai-photo.com
Image Creations	Annie Goo	(808) 232-1404	videography@imagecreationshawaii.com
Faith & Beauty	Gemina Chong	(808) 391-5753	contact@faithandbeauty.com
Officiant	Cynthia Smooth		mrsminister@hawaii.rr.com

 

DIY WINTER SCARF

For those winter weddings here's a great idea for your bridesmaids!  A DIY infinity scarf!  Not only does it help with the budget, it comes from the <3 so it SCREAMS "i love you."  And don't feel restricted to only giving these out for your wedding.  You can give one away as a Christmas gift, birthday gift, or thanks-for-visiting gift (which is what I did this past weekend).  

What you need:
* Fabric (I used fleece since it's super comf and doesn't fray)
* Scissors
* About 3-5 minutes of time ;-)

STEP 1:
When you buy the fabric it will, of course, be folded in half lengthwise.  Leave it like that!  With the fabric laid out horizontally I made my first cut vertically about 15" wide.  Feel free to cut yours to YOUR desired length - this is just what I did.

STEP 2:
Because I just wanted my infinity scarf to be one panel, I then cut along the original fold so I had two pieces equal in length and 15" wide.  (Hope that makes sense.)  Take one panel and fold it in half lengthwise.  You then want to cut strips at the bottom about 1" wide and 1.5" long.  As the fabric is folded in half, be sure that you're cutting through BOTH ends.  Don't be too concerned about the measurements - be as sloppy as you want, really.

STEP 3:
Now take the scarf and do what I did - put it in between your legs so the cut edges are visible (see below).  Take the first pair of cut edges on one end and double knot them together.  Nothing fancy, just two ties.  You can continue down the line and double-tie every set of cuts OR you can do what I did to save time and just double-knot every other set of cuts.   

STEP 4:
After you quickly go down the line double-knotting, you should end up with your final product:

And there you go.  It doesn't seem like much but this is how it looks when it's worn:

Cool, right?  If you want a double infinity scarf go ahead and disregard "cutting along the original fold" in Step 2.  I find that the double infinity scarves work best w/ a thinner, lighter fleece.  If you can't tell, the one I used was a bit on the thicker side - which is why I think it looked pretty decent as a single infinity scarf.

Good luck making your own!  What's cool is how many you'll be able to make with just one yard of fabric.  With a more masculine fabric (i.e., a camo pattern), this can easily be a nice gift for an oh-so-stylish dude.