I always feel like the luckiest wedding planner on the island when the most darling brides-to-be reach out to me via the internet and we form an instant connection. This was absolutely the case with this charming bride. From the start we had a mutual vision of fun yet sophisticated event. We chose a lush venue with an amazing caterer. The food was served family style, giving all guests an opportunity to share and get to know each other over dinner. After dinner, the bride surprised the groom with a hula she had been secretly learning for months. The night ended with the most thoughtful breakfast in a box favors for the guests to take home.

As much as we love all of our clients, we have a soft spot for the ones who tell us to run with whatever design ideas we envision for them. This was the case with this couple. The bride, a self proclaimed anti-bride, gave us a list of things that were important to her; the food, looking awesome on her wedding day, and having an impressive dessert bar. After spending weeks hunting for a beach front venue, the couple fell in love with Waimea Valley. Although it was not the beach front venue they had originally envisioned for their wedding backdrop, they felt it would still give their guests the tropical Hawaiian experience they were going for. As the exclusive caterer for Waimea Valley, Ke Nui Kitchen created a one of a kind menu that combined the bride's love of Italian food with the groom's love of local Hawaiian food. To create the perfect elegant vintage feel with the decor, we arranged a variety of flowers in the bride's favorite color, purple. The mix of lavender with dark plum really popped in the green surroundings of the valley. We accented the tables will custom made wood table numbers and lots of soft candle light. Instead of a typical wedding cake, the bride opted for a dessert bar. To give the desserts another level of interest, we made a dozen crystal cake stands using found pieces from thrift stores. Between the cake stands and the impressive line up of cheesecakes, cookies, fresh berries, and mini tiramisu the dessert bar looked like a million bucks! All the guests couldn't help but try at least four desserts each.