Classic Hawaiian Wedding in Kauai from Sprout

Dawn Strong
June 14, 2013
Categories: Cultural Beauty, Real Weddings

Island perfection. That’s really the only way I can describe this breathtaking St. Regis Princeville Resort affair, because, well… it’s just that good. From the stunning ceremony overlooking the ocean to the thoughtful details that went into every last moment to a ballroom reception that just looks like a really fun time, it’s a serious celebration in paradise. On hand to capture all of the pretty? The amazing Sprout, who sent along a film that we just can’t get enough of. Press play to soak it all in.

From the Bride… Michael and I started dating in 2003, when we were college freshmen at the University of Pittsburgh. Eight years later, during a vacation in Hawaii, Michael proposed in front of the 360 ft Manawaiopuna Falls (also known as the Jurassic Park falls). After years of long distance dating–I moved back to my hometown of Washington, D.C. and he stayed in Pittsburgh after graduation–we finally settled in D.C. in 2009 with our two American Eskimo dogs, Casper and Stella. The wedding planning was done in between work and grad school schedules.

I had a great group of bridesmaids who helped me juggle all my commitments. As someone who has never been surprised in her life, they were able to pull together an amazing engagement party where Michael’s dear grandmother was able to make the trip all the way from Virginia Beach, VA. That turned out to be the last time she was able to join a family gathering in person. We decided to do a destination wedding because our families are spread across the country as well as overseas and it was a great way to bring everyone together. It also doesn’t hurt that it was going to be in paradise! We absolutely loved Kauai when we visited in 2011 and since Michael proposed there, it quickly became an important location. In terms of style, I was drawn to the modern vintage chic elements with personalized touches as well as honoring our cultural traditions (i.e. caketopper included our dogs and favorite sports teams–we also incorporated our favorite sports teams with the ring holder, the Stanley Cup trophy and the arrhae holder, a Super Bowl football!), we also made a wedding App to show our avid interest in the newest technology and used vendors from the Philippines, etc.). Incorporating our favorite colors, purple and green, our wedding coordinator, Ashlee Librecht from the St. Regis Princeville Resort, and our floral and event designer, Martin Roberts, created our dream wedding.

It rained sporadically earlier in the week of our wedding but we knew that the north shore of the island has this type of climate resulting in lush greenery and breathtaking views of the Na Pali coast. Within 30 minutes prior to the ceremony, a mist of rain blessed our sacred ground. In Filipino culture, it means good luck and prosperity for your marriage. We also saw it as Michael’s grandmother blessing us with her presence. After a ten minute delay to dry off the seats, the Hawaiian sun glowed beautifully during our solemn Hawaiian ceremony officiated by Reverend Kelvin Ho. We incorporated our customs by honoring our grandparents, blessing of the arrhae (The arrhae is a symbol of his “monetary gift” to the bride because it is composed of thirteen pieces of gold, or silver, coins, a “pledge” that the groom is devoted to the welfare and well-being of his wife and future offspring), exchange of leis, water ritual and blessing of the wedding rings. Our cousins provided beautiful music and all of our 107 closest family and friends who traveled to Kauai were involved in some sort of way–just like how we envisioned it!

Our long weekend celebration started with a group hike at the famous Kalalau trail, a traditional luau at Smith’s Tropical Paradise for our rehearsal dinner and ended with a brunch at our vacation home. It was definitely a week to remember and even after 9 years of being together we are truly excited for this next phase of our journey.

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