Everything was just amazing! I know I keep saying that, but no other way to describe it.
Ceremony Coordinator - AWESOME - Best Bridal - Stevie - she was in constant contact with me and extremely responsive. If she couldn't help me with something (ie a guitarist that would play the Beatles) she told me so, so that I may hunt on my own. The day of, she was crucial, she kept the family organized, the vendors, the flower girl under control lol. The biggest thing here.....the officiant that she had originally set up became ill and was unable to perform the ceremony. I had no idea until I arrived and she had already spoken with FI and introduced him to the replacement officiant that was just sooo nice and wonderful. I kept thinking how it was a good thing I had a DOC because what if this had happened to me on my own?! It could have gone very differently.
Reception - Bali by the Sea - Hilton Hawaiian Village - Alicia - I was really nervous because Alicia is definitely on Hawaiian time. A friend that used to work with her at another restaurant kept saying trust her, she knows what she is doing. It turned out beautifully. The food was awesome, the tables were beautiful. My only complaint.....the cake....it looked beautiful but I had ordered Buttercream Frosting and it was actually whipped frosting. As I took the first bite I kept thinking in the grand scheme of things this isn't bad. Her staff was wondeful and catered to our every need. The view was spectacular. We had an ipod set up for background music and it worked perfectly.
Guys Day Out - Capt. Ken Middleton - Tradewind Charters - Beer and a boat....does it get any better for a guys last day single lol - Capt. Ken and his staff took FI and his friends out for an afternoon of sailing lessons. They ended up doing snorkeling as well and had dolphins jumping over their heads, sea turtles swimming below them. They had an awesome experience and all other snorkeling was nothing in comparison (as they reminded all of us constantly lol).
"Rehearsal" Party - Capt. Tiger - Rock N Roll Blues Cruise - The night before the wedding we hosted all of our guests for the Rock N Roll Blues Cruise. Capt. Tiger was awesome!! The drinks.....they were pretty awesome too lol. So awesome at the wedding FI kept saying he was only "84%" LOL. Everyone sang, danced, drank and had a blast!!! Great Party Time!! The good/bad of this.....bad - everyone drank a lot and had a great time and definitely felt it the next day, good - nobody wanted to drink that much at the reception lol. My reception came in $500 UNDER budget because everyone was still feeling the night before lol. Tip here...do this 2 days before the wedding lol.
Guitarist - Akahi Productions - David was FABULOUS! When I first contacted him and asked if he knew any Beatles, he possibly thought I was crazy lol. For the recessional he sang "All You Need Is Love" and thanked me for pushing him to learn it and broadening his reportoire. He did a beautiful job!
Photographer - Tony Grillo - Artistic Mindz Photography - LOVE HIM!!!! Tony was nearly one of the family before the night was over. He called Stevie before the wedding to make sure they were on the same page and spent 5 hours taking more pictures than I could ever imagine. We scrolled through his camera before he left and I can't wait to see the finished product. Tony was LOVED BY ALL!! Great work!!
Florist - Village Florist, Hilton Hawaiian Village - Bob - Another Superstar! Bob and I talked colors and he sent me pictures of amazing things. Helped me cut the budget down and stay in the same color range for table centerpieces and turned out some beautiful arrangements. I thought because the shop was at the Hilton he would be more expensive and when I called other recommended florists in town I found him to not only be cheaper but willing to work with you and not feel so "cookie cutter".
Welcome Cocktails - Tapa Bar - Hilton Hawaiian Village - Drinks were great and everything went wonderful. Great time for everyone to meet/catch up.
We also did the Paradise Cove Luau and went to Duke's for dinner as a group. I wasn't as impressed with Duke's as I think most people are. It was good but I think my expectations were higher.
I hope this helps in some way!!