“Samantha + Sean met the night before Sean left on a 3 month trip to Europe ~ at his going away party to be exact. They hit it off and talked all night long… and ended up having breakfast the next morning before his flight. They had such a strong connection from that moment on. At some point during his trip Sean decided that Samantha was going to be his wife one day and a few years later in Hawaii, that dream came true. I loved hearing their fairytale and had an amazing time photographing them!” – Rachel Robertson Photography
“There are too many favorite memories to list them all, but here are two:
We decided to write our own vows, in addition to exchanging traditional vows, because we felt it was important to share our love in a more personal way in front of our families and friends. We did not share our vows with each other before the big day, and as we read them to each other, it became very clear that we were meant to be. They were so similar it was kind of funny, but at the same time, showed our love was in sync.
Our second favorite memory has to do with our first dance. We had taken lessons for our first dance to make sure we had something fun planned to impress our guests, and when we got out there, we totally spaced on our steps. We improvised and danced and laughed and people thought we really knew what we were doing. Sean twirled me and dipped me like a pro, and although we didn’t stick to our routine, we pulled it off!
..Living in California, it was difficult to make items and bring them to Honolulu. Luckily, my mom is extremely crafty and wanted to help in any way she could. With the help of my extended family, my mom made the napkins, table runners, ring bearer shirt, pants and pillow, flower girl dress (the night before the wedding), folded 1001 cranes, printed and stuffed the table name picture frames, printed and assembled the program fans, organized all the tableware (plates, utensils, cups, etc.), and assembled the out of town guest bags. Sean and I coordinated the guest cards, personalized cornhole boards, and the guestbook photo album. In addition, my brother Scott made the card box, the Wedding sign (for guests to know where to turn in for the property), and the Mr. and Mrs. signs for the back of our chairs. The sand for the sand ceremony came from the Yellowstone river in Montana thanks to Sean’s parents and Waimanalo Beach in Hawaii thanks to mine…
..Yes! My gorgeous necklace and earrings were my something borrowed from the same wonderful woman who designed my engagement ring and wedding band. My something old was a handkerchief passed down to my Mother-in-law, from her mother. My something new was my pearl and rhinestone hair comb from Etsy, and my something blue, well; I wore that under my dress ;)
..My best advice for brides currently planning their wedding is to find vendors that fit their style, trust their instincts – hire good people to help you if you can because planning a wedding is overwhelming. Enjoy the process every step of the way. Also, it is important to do your research because you can find ways to save money and get creative. There are so many websites out there, especially look at sites like Pinterest and Etsy for inspiration. I know it sounds cheesy, but our wedding was exactly what Sean and I had hoped for. We wanted a venue that was intimate but also had the space we needed for all of our guests. We happened upon Loulu and were lucky enough to get the date we wanted. I had faith that everything would work out because I trusted all of the vendors we contracted with to make our day special. Did everything go exactly as planned? No, but in the end, everything worked out better than Sean and I could have ever imagined.” – Samantha, the bride
Photography: Rachel Robertson Photography // venue: Loulu Palm Estate , North Shore, Oahu // coordinator: Karisa Ramolete Hayashi of Say I Do by Karisa // pastor: John Fuchigami // accommodations: Turtle Bay Resort // dress : Mary Me Bridal in Orange, CA // shoes: Vera Wang // bridesmaid dresses: Monique Lhullier // groom: Kenneth Cole suit, Perry Ellis shirt and Clarks shoes // groomsmen: Tommy Bahama shirts and Dockers // invitations: Wedding Paper Divas // hair: Jo Vogelbacher // flowers: Su V Expressions // catering: Big G’s Catering // cake: Cake Garden // music: Kamuela Kahoano // hula: Kelsi Chan // transportation: TP Transportation // corn hole boards, table numbers, sand ceremony, escort cards, guest bags, programs and etc: DIY-ed by the Bride and her mother
