Hi, after having a wonderful wedding in March 2010, I promised myself I would post recommendations for others because my vendors deserve the praise and theknot had helped me so much during planning. So here it goes!
Venue
Ihilani JW Marriott Resort, Ko'Olina, Oahu (
http://www.ihilani.com)
This place is beautiful, professional and will makes your dreams come true! Cathy Nakahara was my contact and she did a wonderful job and was very accommodating. The food was to die for and the wedding cake was beyond my expectations. Photos from here are gorgeous too! All of the staff made my guests feel so special! What a joy to have a ceremony, on the lagoon lawn, and reception there.
For comparison, we went to Turtle Bay for a few nights during our honeymoon... what a let down in comparison to Ihilani!!! Ihilani is 10 x's nicer, more luxurious, and friendlier!!!
Hair and Makeup
Flaunt Studio - Vicky (
http://www.hawaiimakeupartist.com)
My girlfriend had her hair/make done for her wedding by Christine Gardner and Vicky, and this studio came HIGHLY recommended to me. And thank God for that--Vicky and her team made me look like a goddess on my wedding day!! Vicky improved the hair style I thought I wanted (had extensions) and she made sure that all of my bridesmaids looked their absolute best before we left. There was never a doubt we were in expert hands! Her team impressed me too--they all worked very well together.
Aloha Beauty Center Nail & Spa, 435 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu
Vicky did our hair/makeup at her family member's salon, Aloha Beauty Center. It's not a flashy place, but I got THE BEST manicure and pedicure of my life there. It's worth a visit if you're shopping at Ala Moana!!
Transportation
Travel Plaza Transportation, LLC (http://www.tpthawaii.com)
TPT provided a bus for our wedding guests, from Waikiki to Ihilani. They were professional, reliable and on time. The bus was also quite swanky and our (drunk) guests were thrilled to have transport taken care of. What more could we ask!!?
DJ
Hawaii Sound & Vision (
http://www.hawaiisav.com)
Our DJs, Glenn and Rob, did a phenomenal job! Our selected music was played--a appropriate times--and they also took some great requests from guests, including a brand new song we had JUST heard the night before for the first time (no one even knew the song's details) and some Aussie classics that our Australian guests loved. Good job guys! (877-982-8330)
Photographers
L'Amour Photography (www.lmprophoto.com/">http://www.lmprophoto.com)
We hired L'Amour to photograph the evening and we have beautiful photos now! The owners, Eric and Wendy, were scheduled to take photos, but at the last minute, Wendy fell ill. Her replacement wasn't my favorite, but c'est la vie he did an OK job! Eric was great and we were happy to have him with us all evening. We would hire them again tomorrow!
Child Care for wedding guests
Happy Kids Oahu (http://www.happykidsoahu.com) We hired a baby sitter from
Happy Kids Oahu for our wedding guests children (my nieces and nephews) and everyone was very happy with the experience!