There are places in the world where saying “I do” is always perfect, and Hawaii is one of them. Now add in the talented team of designers and planners at Mango Muse Events and an adorable duo that is all about throwing an intimate, seaside party and the results are beyond amazing. It’s classic Hawaiian laid-back charm meets all kinds of pretty. See it all captured by What A Day Photography right here.
From Mango Muse Events… Sumina and Perry are a really cute couple from NYC who are totally in love. She’s sweet and soft-spoken and he’s upfront and easy going. And they just adore each other (it’s really cute). They like to travel, are serious foodies and while they are from New York, they love Hawaii.
Having been to a ton of weddings, they really wanted their wedding to be easy going and comfortable and more like a nice get together rather than a formal wedding. They also had family and friends coming from all over the world (Japan, Korea, LA, Chicago, NY, etc..), so having a destination wedding in Hawaii made perfect sense.
Easy going was the theme and they really wanted to create a wedding that felt like a super nice backyard party in Hawaii. So, it needed to feel casual, low key, simple and intimate, but still really special. Having an outdoor wedding was key, so we picked a location that was beautiful and serene and away from the bustle of the city. Lanikuhonua fit the bill for its oceanfront location and gorgeous sunsets.
With the ocean as inspiration, we kept all the design elements soft with a watercolor feeling so that it felt flowy and easy and matched their personalities. We used custom wood dining tables that had a beachy, white washed stain. Instead of fabric runners, we created ribbon runners that ran the length of the dining tables along with a collection of vases in aqua, green and clear glass and flowers in white and yellow.
Being the foodies they are, the menu was extensive with a 4-course meal and a ton of appetizers and desserts. Menus and paper goods were printed on watercolor paper and tied simply with string. Seating cards were soft pink sea urchins sitting in sand to mimic both the ocean inspiration, but also the uniqueness of each of their guests. It also gave the guests a little token to take back home with them and remind them of their experience.
One of the most important things to the couple was to make sure the wedding wasn’t a big show and that particularly applied to the ceremony. The location we chose at the venue was right under a massive and beautiful old tree. We played up the tree while also keeping it very natural and strung lights that fanned out from the center point. The center point was where the couple sat, but also where the ceremony took place. Instead of doing the ceremony first, we dove right into the cocktail hour and dinner. And then after dinner the couple got up, took a few steps back and got married at night right under the tree with the lights and the flowing archway we created using a branch of the tree, tuberose garlands and ribbon. It was simple, sweet and understated, just like them.
After the ceremony came dancing and lounging and just casually hanging out with the couple celebrating their new marriage with the ones they love. I mentioned that the venue has gorgeous sunsets and the sunset that particular day was one in a million and so was their wedding.
Photography: What A Day Photography | Event Design: Mango Muse Events | Wedding Planner: Mango Muse Events | Wedding Dress: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Memoirs | Hair & Makeup: Maleana Cosmetics | DJ: N-D Mixx Productions | Transportation: Travel Plaza Transportation | Photobooth: Shoots Photobooth | Private Estate: Lanikuhonua | Rentals: Accel Rentals