This intimate, hand crafted wedding is the perfect way to start your day. Not only is it original in its design and execution, it’s budget friendly too! This smart and sassy bride knew that shipping out of season florals to Hawaii would cost a ton, so instead she opted for lots and lots of single, fresh blooms. The result? Drop dead gorgeous! There by her side to help with planning was her bestie Leslie of Green Vintage Photography and Design and island planner Bliss in Bloom as well as James Rubio Photography who was on hand to capture the details of day. And lucky for us, there’s a gallery full of gorgeous images to devour. Click here for more!

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From the bride… I wanted our wedding to look DIY and handmade, but I wasn’t sure how to pull it off for a tropical destination wedding. So it became a challenge for me and my two wedding planners: my best friend Leslie Callan of Green Vintage Photography and on-island wedding planner extraordinaire, Annie Sundseth of Bliss In Bloom. Leslie and I flew over to Hawaii a year before the wedding to scout locations and found the beautiful Anna Ranch in the hills of Waimea on the Big Island. We chose it for the ceremony/cocktail hour and selected the mid-century Mauna Kea Beach Hotel for the reception.

I wanted to steer clear of bright, tropical flowers and use blushy, fluffy flowers like peachy dahlias and white peonies. The flowers we wanted were neither in season nor grown locally, and Annie was the only vendor who would agree to deliver on our request. We even did it on a budget by only having one bouquet and choosing loose single blossoms for the table. DIY was a bit of a challenge because everything had to be easily shipped or carried over. I designed and printed the wedding program and maps for the gift bags and made the hanging fabric blossoms for the ceremony. Leslie used braided fabric strips to make the aisle runner, dessert table decoration and photobooth backdrop. Annie hand-made pinwheels for the aisle and a twine ball for our flower girl. We also made bunting for the cake and ordered the cake topper on etsy to include our two cats. We hand made the place card name flags and Annie stuck them in a billy ball to sit on top of the menu.

My favorite memory of the wedding day was our ceremony. It might be a cardinal sin in the wedding world to admit this, but Erik and I were dreading the ceremony in the months leading up to the wedding. We are not openly affectionate or romantic people, so the thought of proclaiming our love in front of a group of people gave us shudders. Leslie proposed an amazing alternative: let’s have our friends and family members write facetious vows on our behalf, playing on our ten-year history and idiosyncrasies. We let them be a surprise for the wedding day, and when my brother (who we asked to be our officiant) read them out loud, I was in tears of laughter. The whole ceremony was far more comfortable, fun, and special to us than we had ever anticipated.

Wedding Primary Photography: James Rubio Photography / Event Design + Secondary Photography: Leslie Callan of Green Vintage Photography and Design / Flowers, Event Planning + Wedding Coordination: Annie Sundseth of Bliss in Bloom / Ceremony: Anna Ranch in Waimea, Hawaii / Reception: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Waimea, Hawaii / Catering: Paradise Gourmet / Wedding Invitations: Minted / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals / Jewelry: Polytima Jewelry / Umbrellas: Bella Umbrella / Cake Topper: Knotting Wood / Photo Booth Props: Little Retreats / Striped Straws: So and Such + Hey Yo Yo

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