MAHALO!!
FINALLY, I get to blog a sneak peek from JMatt and Adam’s ridiculously fun destination wedding at the Ihilani Resort in Oahu! They started off the weekend festivities with a 50’s Vintage-themed Hawaiian Luau where everyone had a blast getting into character (even Adam’s hilarious dad who wore dreadlocks…which we couldn’t figure out which decade he was a part of lol). The Ihilani is so gorgeous and has a private cove surrounded by coral rocks and intimate beaches, perfect for finding tons of little nooks to have privacy and to take photos. They had an amazing team of Wedding Coordinators, Nicole and Erika with Best Day Ever Events, and I felt like they did such a fantastic job using all of the spaces on the property so everyone could enjoy the entire venue.
The day before the wedding, we decided to do a fun “Trash the dress” Shoot all around the island in lieu of their engagement shoot and it turned out to be such a ridiculously fun experience and a great way to check out the best views, beaches and food trucks on the island:) Jessica’s brother drove us around in a minivan and it was like a fun family outing where we constantly jumped out and ran around to take photos.
On the Wedding Day, we all hung out in the pool, relaxed and got ready for the beachside ceremony on the lawn. After their ridiculously touching ceremony where there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, Jess and Matt walked over and had a special, intimate Hawaiian ceremony to commemorate Jessica’s parents that were there in spirit…tossing Leis out into the ocean in their honor. Afterwards, we all celebrated and watched the best sunset while having dinner and drinks in a clear tent overlooking the rocks and ocean. It was a breathtaking sunset and some of my favorite photos of the trip were on the rocks as the tide was coming in. Then afterwards the dancing and partying DID NOT STOP, which I knew would be the case with a group of crazy Aussie’s in the house:)
This wedding was the perfect mixture of fun, happiness, and remembrance and I am so happy that Jessica and Adam have found each other. Watching their slide show, seeing all of the things they have done in their lives both together and separately is amazing and I know that their adventures have only just begun:) Congratulations you two, I am SO blessed to not only be a guest and your photographer, but also your neighbor and friend now that I am back from Burning Man and in Venice!!!:)