Carmen and Jason’s Hawaiian Wedding Celebration

Carmen and Jason traveled from California to celebrate their wedding ceremony in Hawaii on April 14, 2013. As you can tell from the photos there was so much emotion, gratitude, and love surrounding this beautiful Ohana. A special remembrance with the sounds of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a brief Hawaiian rain blessing, and a lovely song by their daughter made this ceremony special and memorable. Congratulations Carmen and Jason! Wishing you both many more magical years ahead.

Photography by: Blue Pearl Images

A Wedding In Paradise: Christina and Zachary

The best part about being a destination wedding planner is finally getting to meet couples for the first time after so many months of corresponding via phone and email. Even though we only have a brief time together it’s so amazing to be a part of one of the most special moments of their lives. Christina Constantzos and Zachary Dunn were an exceptional couple and even a small brush fire and detour on the way to their wedding did not shake their nerves! They were all smiles and eager to become husband and wife at one of Kauai’s most pristine wedding locations. Their close family and friends were there to celebrate and bless this beautiful union and the tears of joy and happiness were flowing right along with the waterfall. Having reserved our Paradise Package: http://www.inheavenweddings.com/weddingpackages.html they were serenaded with the lovely sounds from our Slack Key Guitarist, Makepa, received bride and groom leis for their traditional Hawaiian lei exchange, had their ceremony performed by our lovely officiant, Karen, and their beautiful wedding photography was captured by, Candace Freeland. Congratulations again Christina and Zachary on your April 5, 2013 wedding ceremony in paradise! 

Our Favorite Hawaii Vintage Wedding Ideas, Part 2

Hawaii continues to be a perfect destination wedding venue and what fun to plan and celebrate with a vintage or retro wedding theme.

Choosing the unique look and classically elegant style of a vintage wedding dress takes some thinking and investigating.  Here are some things to consider:

•If you are considering an actual vintage dress, remember that sizes have changed (Yes, what used to be a size 14 is now a 6! ).  Be sure to use your actual measurements in determining whether a dress will fit.  Buying online is great–eBay and Etsy are both great resources.  (On Etsy, we like the Retro Vintage Weddings site.)

•Since you may be buying a used dress online, please be extra careful that the return policy is fair since a used item may have problems you couldn’t anticipate in looking at the photos.

•You may find choosing a vintage-inspired new dress is the best for you.  You can always use antique or vintage-inspired accessories to emphasize the timeless beauty of vintage styles.

Men’s styles haven’t changed much so a classic tux in black or white may actually provide the same ambiance as a vintage outfit.

Vintage wedding music is really fun to consider for a Hawaii destination civil union or wedding.  Slack key guitar and ukulele classics abound and both Oahu and Kauai musicians are happy to work with you to design a playlist.  Some of our favorite classic tunes from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s are:

•”It Had to Be You” by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn (1924)

•”Someone to Watch Over Me” by George Gershwin (1926)

•”I Wanna Be Loved by You” by Herbert Stothart, Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar (1928)

•”Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin (1926)

•”Cheek to Cheek” by Irving Berlin (1935)

•”Night and Day” by Cole Porter (1932)

•”Let’s Fall in Love” by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler (1934)

•”A Fine Romance” by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields (1936)

•”Almost Like Being in Love” by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner (1947)

•”I’m Beginning to See the Light” by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges and Harry James (1944)

For a vintage musical feel, a harp and flute ensemble might add that touch of elegance to your retro Hawaii wedding.  Naturally, Hawaiian wedding musicians are happy to dress in keeping with your vintage Hawaii wedding.

In Hawaii, vintage does not mean subdued or out -of-synch with “let’s get down” and “rock the dress”.  Anything goes for a Hawaii destination wedding.

Our Favorite Hawaii Vintage Wedding Ideas, Part 1

Planning a retro wedding, Hawaiian style can be fun and easy.  For a vintage wedding that includes:

•vintage wedding themes

•delicate and lovely vintage wedding clothing

•a retro wedding cake, vintage reception decor and wedding favors

•the wedding color palette of a century ago

•vintage wedding music

•a classic car for your wedding transportation

•vintage wedding floral arrangements, a retro bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere

Hawaii is the perfect vintage destination wedding spot.

Hawaii hair stylists are happy to create retro hairstyles and duplicate the delicate and lovely make-up of the 1940s or whatever you choose.  For an Oahu vintage wedding, a ’66 VW van or a ’64 Rolls Royce add a touch of nostalgia.  For a Kauai vintage wedding, contact the Kauai Classic Car Club to see which of the proud owners of vintage vehicles might rent their car–or even chauffeur you in it–for your classic wedding celebration.

Vintage retro wedding shots will keep the magic of your destination vintage Hawaii wedding alive in your minds and hearts for the future.  A classic wedding album may be the first heirloom of your new family.

Stephanotis grows prolifically in Hawaii and is even today our favorite wedding flower.  My mother’s wedding bouquet in 1940 was fragrant with stephanotis.

In Part 2 of Our Favorite Hawaii Vintage Wedding Ideas, we’ll some of our favorite vintage wedding music selections and give some straight talk about vintage wedding dresses and lingerie.

Hawaii Online Wedding Coordinator

What a wonderful world that allows you to plan your most significant day on the internet!  At In Heaven Hawaii Weddings we are happy to arrange everything you’ll need to have a glorious Hawaii wedding or Hawaii vow renewal celebration.  Choose one of our Hawaii wedding packages or use our a la carte page to customize your perfect wedding.  We’re happy to ‘converse’ via e-mail, through text and/or phone.  All work well for us and we’re happy to support you in any way you wish.  Happy to make everything easy and peaceful for you!

Hawaii wedding planner, Stacy Mallory, is as lovely as she is efficient and knowledgeable.  She has been planning and arranging weddings for couples on Oahu and Kauai for the past 10 years.  She loves working with couples to arrange even the most unusual weddings.  From doves to balloons, from a romantic dinner for two at your accommodation to an exquisite sit-down dinner for 30 at one of the island’s fine restaurants, from our Heart of Hawaii wedding to the simplest of “I do’s”, Stacy arranges everything a couple wishes.  She is also great at helping couples dream their Hawaiian Wedding Dream and making it come true.

You can call or text Stacy at 808 639 3202 or e-mail her at Stacy@InHeavenWeddings.com

Our Heart of Hawaii Wedding Ceremony

The traditions of the ancient Hawaiian culture are honored in this Hawaiian wedding or vow

renewal celebration.

Eia iha no ka maluhia o na lani me kakou a pau
May blessings from above rest upon you and remain with you now and forever.

These Hawaiian islands are jewels of beauty set in the vast blue of the Pacific Ocean. They are also sacred islands with a rich, deep spiritual foundation. These unique volcanic islands unconditionally share their magnificence with all who have the grace to live or visit here. If you feel a spiritual connection to these sacred isles, the Heart of Hawaii celebration will invite you to enjoy the true gift of aloha as you begin your married life together.

Let the spirit of the islands bless your Hawaiian wedding with the addition of Hawaiian customs to your celebration. Ancient Hawaiian ceremonies add depth to your wedding celebration and connect you to the island in a gentle heartfelt way.

Ho’ao Pule (Hawaiian Marriage Prayer)

E ka Haku, e kokua mai ia maua e ho’omana’o i ka
manawa a maua i launa mua ai,
Lord, help us to remember the time we first met,

a me ke aloha nui i ulu ai ma waena o maua.
and the strong love that grew between us.

E kokua mai ia maua e ho’ohana i kela aloha
i na mea ma’amau i ‘ole e ka’awale
Help us to apply that love in practical things so nothing divides us.

Ke nonoi ha’aha’a nei maua i na hua’olelo ‘olu’olu
a piha me ke aloha,
We humbly ask for kind words filled with love,

a no na pu’uwai makaukau mau e noi i ka huikala,
a e  huikala aku.
and for hearts always ready to ask forgiveness, as well as to forgive.

E ka Haku, ke waiho nei maua i ko maua male’ana i loko
o koa lima. ‘Amene.
Lord, we leave our marriage in your hands.  Amen.

Some of the traditions which will be honored in our Heart of Hawaii wedding celebration:

• The blowing of the conch heralds the coming of the bride
• A Hawaiian chant invokes the mana and honors the aina and the ancestors.
• A lei exchange between brides or grooms signifies their aloha for each other.
• Ancient hula and chant asks for the support and presence of the spirit of aloha in your marriage.
• A wedding pule in Hawaiian and English asks for the the grace and blessing of Akua at the beginning of your marriage.
• A ceremony of Ho’o ponopono releases the past and invites a gentle goodwill and abiding devotion into your married life.
• The rings are blessed with ti leaf and ocean water held in a native koa bowl.
• A circle of blessing of the ohana ends with a ho’pe lo’a pule (final blessing).

Ho’pe Lo’a Pule (Final Blessing)

Ka malamalama o ke Akua e ho‚opuni mai oukou

The light of God surrounds you.

Ka mana o ke Akua e ho‚opakele mai oukou

The love of God enfolds you,

Ke alo o ke Akua e malama mai oukou

The power of God protects you,

Mai kahi oukou e hele aku ai he Aloha no

The presence of God watches over you. Wherever you are, God is!

Amene
Amen

The Cowboy and the Angel

Rhonda Anthony and Tim (aka Timber) Taylor celebrated their unforgettable wedding on Kauai with our Wedding Excursion Package. We started off the day by picking them up at their darling North Shore vacation rental, The Love Shack. Upon meeting them it was obvious that these two were madly in love!

From the Love Shack we drove North about 10 more minutes to Tunnels Beach for their wedding ceremony, video, and 1/2 hour of photography. The ceremony was truly one of a kind. Timber (from California) and Rhonda (from New York) are the real life cowboy and angel. Cowboys and Angels is their theme song. Since they chose to get married in Hawaii Timber decided to surprise Rhonda with the Hawaiian Cowboy Yodel. He had been secretly practicing back home and performed a one of a kind wedding song for his angel. Truly a magical moment and one we will never forget.

Following their wedding ceremony we spent about 15 more minutes taking photos on the beach and even got some quick shots with a monk seal sleeping peacefully in the warm sand. From there we traveled to Kilauea to the Lighthouse Bistro for lunch and Mai Tai’s.

After lunch we finished off the excursion at the beautiful Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens. A waterfall, bamboo forest, and a swing for 2 made for some stunning photo opportunities! There was one more surprise in the making while we were off on the excursion. Rhonda arranged for the Love Shack to be filled with 100 red and pink balloons, cheese, crackers, strawberries, champagne, cake, and rose petals. A romantic surprise for Timber upon their return from their wedding day.

What a vibrant and fun loving couple! We will never forget this day and are honored to have been a part of it. Congratulations again Rhonda and Timber!!

Creative Hawaii Wedding Ceremonies

Our wedding and vow renewal ceremonies on Kauai and Oahu are performed by State of Hawaii certified wedding officiants. We offer traditional and contemporary ceremonies which honor all faiths.

The ceremony is the heart of your Hawaii wedding package or vow renewal celebration.  If you have guests at your Hawaii Wedding, it is the time to declare your commitment to one another in the company of your family and friends.  Or, if you are “just we two”, it is your declaration in the company of the Universe.  And what more beautiful place to do that than the gorgeous tropical islands of Hawaii.

At In Heaven Weddings, our ceremonies seek to honor the traditions dear to each couple.  Through each ceremony our wedding couples express their love and commitment in the way that best expresses their own convictions, wishes, and hearts. As soon as we have a date reserved for you we will send you a sample ceremony, sample readings from many of the world’s sacred traditions, and a vow writing support page in case you would like to write something personal to say to one another.

Creative Ceremonies

As a Hawaiian wedding planner, the ceremony we most often celebrate would be described as spiritual rather than strictly religious. It is lovely, gracious and reverent.

If you would prefer a Hawaii wedding ceremony which reflects your own religious tradition, we are happy to offer that. We have ceremonies which honor:

• The Christian tradition
• The Jewish tradition
• The Muslim tradition
• The Hindu tradition
• The Buddhist tradition
• The ancient Hawaiian tradition
• A combination of any of these traditions

We also offer:

• A non-religious ceremony
• A hand-fasting ceremony
• A commitment ceremony

We are happy to work with you to create the ceremony which will best say what you’d like as you declare your love and the intention to live together joyfully in a sacred covenant.

From the ceremony, A Time of Thanksgiving:

I believe we are each as persons more beautiful than we know or see. May you find that beauty each within yourself and each within the other through your life together.

From the ceremony, The Words of Welcome:

You bring the fullness of your hearts as a treasure to share with one another. You bring the dreams which bind you together. You bring that spirit which is uniquely your own and out of which will grow the reality of your life together.

A Hawaiian Pule (prayer) which is part of our Circle of Blessing:
Hawaiian Blessing:
Ka malamalama o ke Akua e ho’opuni mai oukou.
The light of God surrounds you.
Ka mana o ke Akua e ho’opakele mai oukou
The love of God enfolds you,
Ke alo o ke Akua e malama mai oukou
The power of God protects you,
Mai kahi oukou e hele aku ai he Akua no
The presence of the God watches over you.
Wherever you are, God is!
Amene
Amen

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