Monday, April 27, 2009

Why Great Wedding Photography Is Important

Any of your guests can take hundreds of candid shots of the ceremony and the bride and groom, but how many of those types of pictures would you blow up to an 8X10 and put on your mantel? How many of those would you keep many years to share with your grandkids as the picture that encapsulated your wedding day?

When you choose a Hawaii wedding photographer, you’re choosing someone who is going to take that shot of the year that you send out to all your friends and family as the pictures that captured a love so deep that it brought you all the way out to have a Kauai beach wedding. That’s a deep love and a long expensive journey; not something so easily captured by your amateur photographer friend.

Let’s assume for a moment that a friend or relative has a semi professional camera and does indeed capture some good shots. To really have that amazing photo on your mantel the photo will look a lot better with some editing. Touching a photo up, whether it be enhancing it, altering it or actually removing or adding something, makes the difference between a nice photo included in an album of many nice photos, and that ‘must get enlarged and keep for posterity’ photo that become the photo from you wedding day.

What makes a photo great? Is it just the editing? No, it’s much more than how a photograph is edited that makes it great. What makes a great photo is something that differs from person to person, but here are some generalities. In some cases it's the classic big smile that makes the picture great. Often times it takes much more than that. At Aloha Ever After we think that great photography captures a deep sentiment between people. Sometimes you can set that picture up, but often you can’t. It takes a keen eye, lots of experience and a lot of intuition to catch that special moment when two people in love give each other the glance that lets you see into their souls. When you can look at someone’s eyes and see into how they feel, that’s great photography. When you have a child or shy person let go of that fear and open up for just a moment, that’s what makes a picture go from good to great. Your wedding photography isn’t just some wedding detail, it’s the images that you will look at for many years to come to remember your amazing Hawaiian wedding experience. They’re the photographs that someday your kids will look at and comment at how young and in love you once looked. Taking your wedding memories from good to great is why it’s important to get professional wedding photography for your Kauai wedding (or any wedding for that matter). We honestly believe that photography is not only important now, but its value goes up as time goes by. That’s why we think it deserves to rate highly in your list of wedding priorities.

One last upside to hiring a professional photographer is the service you receive in addition to the photos. If you want something changed, cropped differently, or in any way altered, you have someone who will do this for you (often times included at no extra cost). If something happens to your copy of the CD of photos, or the photos themselves, you always have an extra back up too.

For more details visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Setting The Right Course for Your Marriage From Before It Starts

Everyone dreams of saying “I do” to the person of our dreams and living happily ever after. However, before we even get to the years of sincere work and compromise it’s important to start the entire path off on the right foot. How do we set the tone of living happily ever after?

Step number one in setting the right course for your marriage is choosing a kind partner who will be able to match many of your needs in daily life. Presumably you have already achieved this if you are reading this article and considering a wedding in Hawaii.

Step number two is to go about planning your Hawaiian wedding the way you’d like to see your life go after the wedding is over. Ask yourself these types of questions: What kind of life do you want? What things are most important to you?

If the answer to the question “What kind of life do you want?” involves the word ‘busy’ or ‘stressed’ then go ahead and create that kind of wedding planning, but who would want that? If the idea of a relaxed and easeful life attracts you, then I recommend creating a relaxed Hawaii wedding and a relaxed wedding planning process.

A relaxed Kauai wedding will of course be easier to have if you have less strict desires, but it’s certainly not necessary. You don’t have to take a mediocre or less than perfect wedding in Hawaii to avoid stress. You can have the wedding of your dreams and be relaxed too!

Start by making a short list of the most important things you want for your wedding. Some of those things might include being with loved ones, being surrounded by beautiful flowers and beautiful scenery, having a gorgeous dress that you look sexy in, getting great photos at a good price etc. Once you have an idea of what things are important to you then prioritize them (in a general way). If it’s more important for you to have great photography than an expensive archway, then you know where to allot your hard earned dollars and your time.

Knowing where to put your time and money will help relieve a lot of stress in the whole wedding planning process. Much of the stress that is created is because people want to have the best of everything at their wedding, yet they feel stress from paying for it. If you can simplify your desires that’s the easiest. If not, that’s ok. Then what you need to do is prioritize your desires. If wedding photography in Hawaii is more important to you than flowers, then spend most of the money on that and don’t put as much focus or money into flowers. Put the bulk of the money on the top 5 or 6 important things to you rather than the top 15. Look at your list of desires. If flowers are at the bottom but being married in a nice hotel is at the top, then get some nice simple flowers and put the money towards the site fee.

Another really important thing, maybe the most important thing, is to plan out everything as well as you can, and then let go just enough that you can have a good sense of humor about things if they don’t turn out the way you planned them! Your Hawaiian wedding will be perfect and it may not be exactly the way you planned. Maybe you plan for a certain song to be played at a certain moment. Great. Plan it out. Ask the musician to learn the song and tell them exactly how and when to play it. Then, if something happens and it doesn’t happen the way you planned, don’t look at it as not perfect; just find the humor in what did happen. Often times the bride is so stressed trying to micromanage the entire event and make sure it goes exactly as she wants that she forgets to let the universe have a say in it all and to just let the wedding happen. I’m not saying mistakes are desirable; I’m just saying that sometimes things don’t always happen the way we planed, and its still ok. Try - of course you should have your wedding day the way you want it (more or less). Just be willing to let go enough that you still have fun, and you still see the humor in funny events and most importantly that you still are relaxed enough to start your marriage out on the right foot!

Remember our motto at Aloha Ever After: You can have the perfect wedding of your dreams and be relaxed in planning it!

For more details visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Why to go Hawaii for honeymoon?

The island of Hawaii offers a romantic atmosphere, which is always suitable for planning a wedding or honeymoon. The boasts of pure air, clear sea waters and the fresh and unpolluted sandy beaches make Hawaii a perfect place for the different occasions as it is always full with charm and grace.

Hawaiian Beach wedding are very sweet because the palm trees will dance on the rhythm of the soft music of your wedding ceremony and with the rhythm of the ocean. Romance is in the air of Hawaii and one can think of a romantic and lovely wedding or honeymoon.

The gorgeous beaches and the amazing weather make it the most ideal place for the ceremony. Watching the sunset from the heights of Mauna key or horse riding through the impressive waipio valley, anyone can have countless romantic ideas to enjoy with his/her partner. One can crank up the romance while walking along the Beach of Maui Island and enjoying the stunning views of the sunset.

The food menu of Hawaii includes dishes of many different varieties from many different cultures. The native food of Hawaii includes many types of fishes like cod, salmon, red snapper etc. Other than fishes some other popular foods available in Hawaii are chicken, coconut pudding, passion fruit, rice, noodles, shaved rice etc. There are other restaurants as well those who serve Chinese, Italian, French, and Japanese cuisines along with many others. In short one can find lots of varieties in food and experience the different cultures in Hawaii.

While thinking for a honeymoon in Hawaii one should plan very carefully so as to make your honeymoon a unforgettable experience. It entirely depends on the mood of the person, what kind of accommodation he/she wants during the stay in Hawaii. If someone prefers to spend the time relaxing in the resort of resting on the sand, there are plenty of fabulous resorts which are always perfect for a honeymoon couple. As a matter of fact even world’s most famous hotels and resort can be found on the Hawaii Islands.

There are lots of Hawaiian honeymoon packages which includes different accommodations and travel agreements. Unlike other traditional packages these honeymoon packages are also with discounted prices. The amount of money one can save always depends on the type of the package one have chosen and also on from where it is being purchased. These are always reasonably priced so that one can save some money and have a pocket friendly honeymoon.

For more details visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Should your family be a part of, or apart from, planning your wedding?

As a wedding planner I have a lot of experience dealing with the families of the bride and groom. The most likely to be involved are the mother of the bride (M.O.B.) and the sister of the bride. At Aloha Ever After we are more than happy to speak with and include other family members in the decision-making process. Often there is a parent who is paying for some or all of the wedding in Hawaii and wants to know that their money is safe and in good hands. Sometimes someone wants to be intricately involved and receive a copy of most emails. Either way is fine with us - we are here to serve you in whatever way makes the whole Hawaii destination wedding most enjoyable and easeful for you!

We at Aloha Ever After say it is completely up to you how much (or how little) your family is involved in the wedding planning process. Now here is the real question: how much do you think they should be involved?

When you think of planning yoru wedding with your mother, mother-in-law, father etc. … how do you feel? Does your stomach get tense or do you smile? Does your mind start immediately with worries or do you feel like a load is being taken off your shoulders? The answer lies in your response to such questions as these.

There are many families who are not involved at all with our Kauai weddings. Sometimes they are not even present for the wedding; other times part of the family is able to make it out to help the couple celebrate. (Lucky for them it’s such a gorgeous event … after all, how much more beautiful can you get for a location than a Kauai beach wedding?) Sometimes the family is only the lucky recipient of some beautiful Hawaii wedding photography because they had to stay at home for one reason or another. As you can see, there is a huge variance of involvement by families.

If you have a good relationship with someone in your family it can be a great benefit to planning your Kauai wedding, or a wedding anywhere for that matter. Since you will not be at home it can be useful to have someone be your helper. In our opinon enjoying your wedding and enjoying planning your wedding are of the utmost importance. One of the most important ways to help create this ease is to delegate! (Delegate, delegate, and then delegate a little more!)

You will find that most people are so happy that you are getting married, happy that you’re in love, happy to be included, happy that you’re getting married on a beautiful tropical island etc., that they would love to help out! So send them to pick up your dress at the cleaners. Ask them (or us) to research the closest dry cleaners to your hotel. Give them the list of important tasks to be done the 48 hours before your wedding. Here is a brief list of things that should be delegated to someone other than the bride and grrom:
- Cleaning of anything (gowns, shoes, vacation rental, etc.)
- Buying gifts for guests, family etc.
- Putting someone in charge of which photos you want taken after the ceremony. Have them stand next to the photographer and call out the names of the family groupings you’d like to have a picture of before the photographer is ready for them.
- Any computer research. Stick someone else on the computer and go take a walk with your fiancée.
- Finding anything you are looking for on the island (e.g. restaurants, activities, directions). Why not send someone else to the concierge desk or to an activity booth? They’ll have fun and sort out what you need to know and what you don’t.
- Checking last minute details. Give someone a list of numbers, names and instructions. Then relax and let go. Your day will be perfect whether or not it is micro managed by you. Go get a massage.

Remember, this is supposed to be one of the best days of your life. If you’re a stress case and practically fainting from lack of eating and fatigue … will you look back on the day and feel it was everything it could have been? Look after yourself by delegating, and use the stomach test to help decide how much your family should be part of, or apart from, your wedding planning.

For more details visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

How To Write Or Edit Your Wedding Vows

Whether you’re getting married in Hawaii or on the mainland, on the beach or in a church, one thing is for sure: you are going to be promising something to your partner. So how do you go about finding the right words? It seems like such a daunting task many decide to leave the job to a minister, but it doesn’t need to be so overwhelming. Here are a few simple guidelines to follow:

• Don’t get pressured into promising anything that you’re not ready to. If you’re not sure, then don’t postpone the whole wedding, just rearrange the words until you are sure. No one ever said you had to say or do anything specific. There are no rules (you don’t even have to say “until death do us part”!) - it’s your wedding. Your vows should reflect you, not your family or church unless that’s also what you believe. Avoid doing thing because someone else wants you to.
• Wedding vows do not have to be symmetrical. Just because one person is ready to promise something that the other one is not yet ready to, doesn’t mean anything is wrong or that the vows must be the same for both parties. It is perfectly fine for one person to say something that the other one does not say, or says a little differently. No one will probably notice anyway, and it’s more authentic.
• The more authentic your vows are the more likely they are to be followed. It’s better to have a marriage that lasts with vows that are followed than lofty vows committed to in a marriage that ends in divorce. If you’re the person pressuring someone else to promise something they are not fully ready to, think about this deeply!
• Start by making a simple list of the 5 or 10 most important qualities in life (not just relationships) to you (not your partner). Sit and reflect on these for days or months. Make your vows individual and base them (loosely) around what’s important to you. For example, if you found something like ‘honesty’ on your list of important values, than add a line in your vows that promises to try your best to be fully honest. Consider asking your partner to add in a similar line if this is really important to you, but do not demand that they do. Also, try not to be attached. It may turn out that your partner does not value a certain trait as much as you do. Everyone is at a different place in their own unique evolution and it does not mean that they will be more dishonest just because they don’t feel called to formally promise honesty.
• Don’t judge your partner based on their vows. In our example of ‘honesty’ it may turn out that one partner is not ready to promise anything yet because they have their own path to follow. It may turn out that they need to grow or learn about a certain quality before being ready. If a certain quality is important to you, live it! Embody it fully. Your partner will grow with you and vice versa. It is very possible that it may be years before your partner learns (probably from your example) about a quality enough to make promises around it or embody it as much as you do. This is perfectly okay!
• Remember, we are not all the same, and don’t need to be - how boring would it be to marry yourself!?

For more details visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Why participate in writing your own vows for your wedding?

How often do you sign a major contract without reading it first? Hopefully not often. Well you would be surprised how few people are involved in even reading their vows before the ceremony. Most people spend hours planning for their wedding, and months working to pay for it, yet very rarely do couples ask what they are committing to, let alone help create the contract.

If you were to negotiate an important business merger would you show up on the day of signing the contract having not read it yet? Of course not. If it were a business merger you would want to know what you were signing, consult with a trusted advisor and then alter the document to better fit your long term needs. So why would a commitment you are taking to your grave be any different?

At Aloha Ever After you are certainly not required to write your own vows or even to read them before the wedding but you are certainly welcome to! I would strongly advise that you consider at least asking for a copy of your vows before your wedding day and making sure you agree with them. You are about to make a commitment for life, so you best be sure you agree 100% with what you’re committing to!

It’s perfectly fine to ask to speak to and consult with your minister as much as you need to make sure that you feel comfortable with your vows. It is also perfectly fine to take out anything you don’t feel ready to commit to. It’s much better not to commit to something you don’t fully believe in than to say it and not mean it! It is also of course wonderful to add in anything you would like to add to further personalize your sacred commitment. After all, it’s you making the commitment, not the minister!

For more information visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Hawaii Wedding, Great Experience for Life Time Memories

Hawaii weddings are really very interesting and an enjoyable. There are number of ceremonies that happen and from couple to every attendee enjoy it to the fullest. Here is the effort to cast the wedding through this mode.

Groom’s_______ & Brides name_______: This is a special day as you have chosen this beautiful corner of paradise that we call the Garden Isle of Kauai as the place you will declare your abiding love for each other. Here in the Hawaiian Islands when one leaves or arrives, people say “aloha”. For the Hawaiian people the word “aloha” has three meanings. I believe that each of these meanings has significance for y our marriage today.

The first meaning of “aloha” is “hello”. This signifies that you are beginning a new life together; a life of love and deep commitment.

The second meaning of “aloha” is “good bye”. This signifies that you are leaving the past behind as just fond memories and greeting the future with excitement and anticipation..

The third meaning of “aloha” is probably the most important. And that meaning is “love”. As you have been growing in your knowledge of each other, you have discovered together how special love is when it is shared. At this time will you turn to each other and express from your heart “ALOHA”… (by exchanging leis. Exchanging leis is optional).

______ and _____, You are two people from different walks of life entering into the marriage relationship of oneness. A relationship in which neither of you loses your personal identity but where you help each other be their best in all things. Marriage is the blending of each person’s interests, dreams and desires. Together you will work to make the marriage a relationship of love

Let me read from I Corinthians 13:4-7 on love that you need to always model in your relationship.

"Love is patient and kind,
never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud,
never haughty or selfish or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges and
will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.
It is never glad about injustice,
but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
If you love someone
you will be loyal to them no matter what the cost.
You will always believe in them,
always expect the best of them,
and always stand your ground in defending them."


______ (Groom) Are you willing to commit your life to ______ (Bride)

______ (Bride) Are you willing to commit your life to ______ (Groom)


VOWS

(Couples face each other with their hand joined and repeat after me).


I_____, take you,(wife, husband)to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep, as God is my witness.

THE EXCHANGE OF RINGS

Though small in size, these rings are (this ring is) very large in
significance. Made of precious metal, they remind us that love is not
cheap nor common; indeed, love may cost us dearly.
Made in a circle, their design tells us that love must never come to
an end; we must keep it continuous. As you wear these rings, whether together or part for a moment, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.

______ (Groom) I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness.

______ (Bride) I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness.

May these beautiful rings be a sign to each of you of the continuing love you pledge to each other today.

Blessing for a Marriage

Let me share four things that I believe are imperative for a growing and exciting marriage. You may imprint them on your mind by remembering that when you put the first letter of each word together it spells BEST.

Bless - Speak well of each other often. Express and share appreciation for the small things as well as the big things they do for you.

Edify - Cheer each other on in every area of life. This will encourage, strengthen and bring harmony and peace. Never criticize or tear each other down.

Share - Share your hearts and feelings everyday with each other. Another word for sharing is communication. Take time each day to focus attention on each other. Learn to listen to what each other means as well as what they say.
Touch - Marriage is a hands on relationship. Let there be plenty of caressing, hugging, touching and kissing.

Remember! You both chose THE BEST! Take care of each other the way you want to be cared for.

Hawaiian and English

E mau ke aloha me ke kai la,
E kupa’a me ke kuahiwi
E mehana i kala
E pa’a no ka olelo ho’ohiki aloha
I ka po me kea o
Mai ka la hiki a ka la kau
O ka noho pu
Me na hoku o ka lani

Let love continue as the sea
Stand firm as the mountains
Be warm in the sun
Let the vow of love be firm
Night and day (all times)
From East to West (all corners)
Many and sparkling be the days living together
As the stars of heaven

Pronouncement

With this union of hearts and hands, and by the authority vested in me as a minister and by the laws of the State of Hawaii, I pronounce you husband and wife. At this time you may kiss the bride.

With this the family members introduced the couple with everybody and the Hawaii Wedding ends and a new life starts.

For more information visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Getting Over Commitment Phobia?

What is it about us guys and our commitment phobia? Ever since they were little girls, women look forward to their special day, their dream Hawaii wedding (or wherever), but most guys dread being tied down when they tie the knot. How can the average male feel more comfortable about taking the plunge?

Firstly, you need to understand the basic nature of men and women. Women grow by filling themselves up with love. They are symbolized by an empty vessel, like a cup, which aims to fill itself to the brim with Life, love and the abundance of the world. Women find meaning by going deeper into loving and caring, and being in a sexual relationship with a man (and possibly also having kids) is often the primary way they develop their love. From a spiritual perspective, you could say that women get to know God through love.

Men, on the other hand, are a different breed altogether. They thrive on cutting through constraints, limits and barriers, crashing through to freedom on the other side. Men find meaning in conquering their fears, rising to the challenge and bringing out the best in themselves, proving to the whole world their strength, endurance and trustworthiness. Hence a man’s primary purpose on earth is not his relationship; he may love his woman (and kids) dearly, but he still has his mission, the fulfilling of which drives him to be the best he can and always somehow leads to liberty in the end. From a spiritual perspective, you could say that men get to know God through freedom.

There are only two fundamental emotions, love and fear, which are complete opposites. Since the achievement of freedom is the total banishing and conquering of fear, and since when fear is completely gone only love can remain, you can say that love and freedom are ultimately the same thing, or two sides of the same coin. Thus from a spiritual perspective women and men realize God by traversing different paths, but they ultimately arrive at the same mountain peak.

So there is an asymmetry to love: women consider their relationship with their man as part (or all) of their purpose for being here, while men consider their mission as their purpose for being here. Rather than resisting this truth and trying to change it, women and men would do better to accept their polarities and realize that this is what creates the wonderful sexual energy between them.

With this in mind men can get over their commitment phobia by first accepting it as a natural aversion to constraint. Secondly they can understand that it is completely possible to love a woman dearly and still have a mission which drives them to be who they are. Men must take responsibility for knowing themselves and knowing their mission, and staying dedicated to it while being in a relationship. After all, this steadfastness and strength of character is what a woman really wants in a man. No woman can deeply respect and trust a man who would frivolously drop his mission. If he acts like that with his mission, why wouldn’t he also act like that with her?

Men need to find freedom within apparent constraint, and by their calmness, steadiness and strength, show that all limitation is an illusion. What better way to do this than by being with one woman?

Once a man has conquered his fear of being with one woman permanently, he must reassure her that he loves her deeply and is committed to working through the tough times with her. This builds tremendous trust and allows the man sufficient space to fulfill his mission while being in a relationship.

For more information visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Friday, April 10, 2009

How to Propose to your Girlfriend?

Okay, so you’ve gotten over your massive case of commitment phobia and have decided to take the plunge. Your stomach is knotted by a deep sense of nervousness and your palms are sweaty from the mere thought of getting down on one knee. Upon your shoulders is the burden of the crushing expectations of your girlfriend and the entire female race. You know deep down that a boring, business-like proposal isn’t going cut the mustard and may leave your love eternally disappointed, distrustful and even turned off. You’d rather watch sports, eat potato chips and not put any time into it, but you know you’ve got to get up off your backside and come up with a truly original and romantic proposal. The question is, how?

First of all, take a deep breath and calm down. Look around you – if all these bozos who are married went through it and came out the other end alive, so can you. In fact, you can even do a better job. How? By knowing the secret about women.

We all know that women want to be serenaded, to be whisked off by their white knight in shining armor. Women are attracted to masculine strength, but here’s the trick: they want direction. They yearn for a man with decisiveness. Women want to relax and feel free to play their role as the wild windy dancing goddess. That way they embrace the essence of feminine energetic pole, and become incredibly attractive to males. But you need to step into the full masculine energetic pole to allow them to be goddesses. They can’t be truly feminine if they can’t trust that you’ll take charge. Then they have to become more masculine themselves and take the lead, which results in a depolarization of the energy between you two. This means the sex won’t be as charged and passionate, and let’s face it, that’s a bottom line for most guys.

So, take some responsibility for this and step up to the plate. If you want a passionate relationship with hot sex, make it happen. Tell your woman, “You’ve got 30 minutes to pack your bags and get ready. Then I’m taking you on a date/vacation to a beautiful secret location. Everything’s taken care of.” The thrill of the secret, of romance, and of a strong decisive man is irresistible to most women. Her heart will be beating in rapid excitement.

Next, ensure you’ve matched the place to her character. Does she like outdoors? If so, is she more of a beach, forest, mountain or jungle girl? What’s her best time of day? Most women love sunset proposals, but a warm snuggle after sleeping in also works. What are her favorite places? Theatres, restaurants, clubs, bars? Choose a place where you met, or dated frequently, that has significance. If it’s a restaurant, choose a place serving her favorite cuisine. Surprise her – have her favorite dessert or type of cake preordered, embossed with the writing, “Will You Marry Me?” Get that question in somewhere, whether it’s a big banner hung somewhere, or if it’s etched into a rock or tree, or if it’s a treasure hunt with each word hidden in a different place.

Lastly, don’t wear yourself out by trying to get the perfect ring. Get a placeholder instead – for $100 or $200 – and then she can choose or even design her own perfect ring. Tell her in your own special way how much you love her as you pop the question – and getting down on one knee always helps add chivalry and romance to the moment.

Remember, it’s a lot of effort planning it, but it’s worth it. You only have to go through it once, and your fiancée will be eternally grateful for the effort you put in. Finally, remember that while you put in all the effort for the proposal, she’ll take care of the wedding, so it all balances out in the end.

For more information visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Why Get Married On Kauai?

Kauai is the most beautiful of all of the Hawaiian Islands. As a world traveler who has traveled to 45 countries I consider Kauai to be the most beautiful place on earth. I could have chosen to get married and live anywhere in the world, but after seeing much of the world and traveling extensively, I chose to come back to Kauai and make her my home, again. Why?

Kauai is the hidden jewel of the Hawaiian Island chain. It’s called the garden island because of its vast lush tropical diversity. Kauai is the getaway from the chaotic main island of Oahu, where people from the Hawaiian city of Honolulu and beyond go to get away from the rat race. Kauai is a perfect blend of things to do in an exotic and gorgeous place, yet getting away from the things that distract us from who we really are and who we really want to be. Kauai is the perfect choice for a destination wedding because you have a never ending choice of exotic places to choose from for the perfect wedding site. Beautiful long beaches, hidden jungle locations, private pieces of land overlooking the ocean, waterfalls, canyons adorned with rainbows, mountains, forest, jungle, cliffs, valleys, sand dunes…the choices go on and on.

Kauai is the perfect place to get amazing wedding or honeymoon pictures taken. How could you go wrong with one of the most beautiful settings in the world around you? All you need to do is decide what kind of scenery and backdrop you want behind your amazing wedding photography.

Most importantly Kauai is magical. It really is. Kauai has an uncanny way of manifesting that which you want and focus on faster than almost anywhere else on the planet. You will be amazed at how many times on your trip you are blown away by the synchronicity of how you were just talking about something…and just an hour or two later you find it (or a book about it, etc.) at some shop down the road. Weddings/honeymoons happen anywhere everyday, but on Kauai dreams really do come true. Sounds corny? Come check it out and see for yourself!

For more information visit: www.AlohaEverAfter.com

Thursday, April 2, 2009

What it was like to get married on a Kauai beach

Getting married on a beach in Hawaii was a dream come true for me. Since the moment my fiancé and I discussed getting married I knew it would be on the island of Kauai. Then the real work began: at which beach would we get married and who would we use as a wedding photographer?

I scoured the internet for wedding sites on Kauai and became fascinated with the Hanalei Colony Resort. Its remote location is perfect for the intimate wedding we wanted and the lush landscaping provides the tropical touch that was so important to me in my decision to marry in Hawaii.

We wanted these elements to be showcased in the wedding photography. And Timory was able to pull it all together. Of course it’s impossible to depend on the weather to cooperate on Kauai’s north shore, but Timory worked with us and our small wedding party through wind and rain to capture our event forever in the best possible way. She focused on the other elements that made the day so special for us, such as family, location, incorporating the lush grounds, and the wedding party’s attire.

She exceeded our expectations with her determination and dedication to provide us professional pictures capturing that special moment in time, from the formal photos of my husband and I in the grassy garden area to the ensemble on the beach during the ceremony. I am thrilled with the outcome of our wedding and anticipate the day we return for additional fond memories.

Heidi Hastings

For more information visit: www.AlohaEvereAfter.com

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

How do I choose which island to get married on?

From far away, it can be confusing knowing which of 4 beautiful and exotic islands to choose from for your beach wedding in Hawaii. Here is a brief breakdown of the 4 main Hawaiian islands based on my 10+ years living and traveling on these islands:

Oahu-This is where Waikiki and Honolulu are located. It is NOT the Big island, which is a common misconception. This island is where most of the people in the state of Hawaii live, and thus it is very much like a big city you would find on the United States mainland dropped onto an island setting, at least until you leave the Honolulu/Waikiki area. If you are looking for nightlife traffic and tourists, this is a good place to go. If you are looking for a quintessential trip to tropical Hawaii, this is not the best choice.

Maui-This is the next most populated and busiest island. It is not really like a major city, but it does have a lot of people, city grid-like streets, and reminds many of southern California put on an island. However, it is possible to get away on Maui if you head to the west side (which is dry) or around the other side of the island towards Hana (where unfortunately there are few to no places for tourist accommodation). Maui is full of social butterflies and its great nightlife is not consolidated into one place like on Oahu.

Kauai-This is the beautiful garden island and it is filled with tropical flowers, botanical gardens and lush beauty. Kauai does not have grid-like streets and is considered the ‘country’ get away from the ‘city’ of Oahu. It is the least populated of the Hawaiian islands. Kauai has a valley called Kalalau valley which many guide books and people consider to be the most beautiful place on the islands (I think it’s actually the most beautiful place on Earth!), so you will often find Kalalau on the cover of a book on Hawaii. (It’s like the cover girl of Hawaii, your quintessential gorgeous vista.)

Kauai does not have the nightlife options that the previous 2 islands have, but there are options of some bars and places to dance. There are many options of things to do during the day/night ranging from all of the normal tourist attractions (snorkeling, helicopter rides, luaus, boat rides etc.) to things found specially on Kauai such as kayaking, horseback riding, tube rides, taro patch tours, ziplining and much more.

It has great natural diversity, including a large colorful canyon, steep cliffs, jungle, and desert. Many people consider it to be the best of both worlds because you can have your tropical island getaway and romantic Hawaii wedding on a beach without 100 unwanted guests, yet you still have options of many things to do.

The Big Island/Hawaii- The Big Island, or the Big I, is the largest of the main islands and is very large with very few residents. There is not much nightlife, but you certainly can get far away from everything. The Big Island of Hawaii also has an active volcano you can hike out to and actually see the hot lava enter the ocean. Other than that, you will not have so many things to ‘do’ (there are of course all the normal tourist activities), but it does have immense natural diversity. (Out of the world’s 33 climatic zones, the Big I has 26 of them.)

So, there is my personal overview of the 4 main islands (there are 7 in the state of Hawaii but almost all visitors go to these islands only). Having a Hawaii beach wedding is a wonderful experience. Having a Kauai beach wedding is even more special in my opinion because of the special nature of this garden island. Kauai has so many secluded spots and gorgeous backgrounds that the pictures always turn out better. There are beaches where you can stand facing one way and have a mountain scene behind you, face another way and have mountains and a beach and a pier, and face yet another way and have cliffs and a river next to a beach behind you! You can imagine how stunning the wedding photography is when you have that much variety in one spot.

Of course, no matter which island you choose, having a wedding coordinator or wedding planner will make your special Hawaii beach wedding day run so much more smoothly. It’s so comforting and relaxing to know that someone else is running around doing your worrying for you! Luckily for all the brides and grooms-to-be, there are many attentive and experienced wedding coordinators in Hawaii.

For more information visit: www.alohaeverafter.com

Thursday, March 26, 2009

What you need to know about Kauai beach weddings, and Hawaii beach weddings in general

1 At this point in time you must have a beach permit from the state of Hawaii (DLNR). At current moment (2009) the judge is still making a decision as to the legality of the legislated permit requirement for all Kauai weddings (actually all Hawaii weddings on all islands) taking place on public property. Nonetheless, until this is settled in court it is still required and without this permit the state still has the power to shut down any beach wedding on Kauai that did not pay for and obtain a permit (with proof of insurance) before the wedding.
Aloha Ever After will obtain this permit for you. You do NOT have to do anything extra besides pay the $30 fee that we are required to pay. Aloha Ever After does not make money on this; in fact it costs extra time to do it for you. Aloha Ever After does not charge you for this service or the time it takes to do it, since we want your romantic Kauai wedding to go smoothly and easily and will make sure it is completely legal and safe.

2 All Kauai/Hawaii beaches are public beaches and therefore anyone can use any beach at anytime. This is good news for you, but this also means that there is no way of guaranteeing a private Kauai/Hawaii beach wedding. Having lived here since 1999 Timory can however offer expert advice as to which beaches are usually deserted and what times are the best times to have your Kauai beach wedding. There is at least one beach that Timory use where there have never been other people near us on the beach nor many people even walking past. Timory is happy to share this beautiful Kauai beach site with you. There are other beaches where lots of people take walks (with and without dogs) and use the beach for swimming, surfing, cliff diving and sun bathing. This does not need to be an inconvenience - it can really offer an authentic Kauai beach wedding flavor, and after all, that’s what people do on an exotic tropical island!

3 It’s always windy. Brides, if you don’t want your hair to blow everywhere during the photography shoot and ceremony, get it put up/back and out of the way! It will look better back than being windblown.

4 High heel shoes are awkward in the sand - don’t bother with them if they aren’t totally necessary.

5 The hair/makeup always takes longer than expected. Plan 30-45 minutes minimum extra into whatever the person says she/he needs!

6 Your photographer does not know the names and relations of everyone in your family. Plan out what family shots you want ahead of time. Give a list of who you want in what group pictures to a trusted family member/friend and instruct that person to stand next to the photographer during the after ceremony pictures. Have this person call out the names of the next group at least one picture before the photographer needs them. This way you will get all the shots you want plus extra pictures. It takes a lot of time to get people together and organized. If the photographer is not required to play group leader she/he will have more time to take more quality photos.

7 Having a Kauai beach wedding will be one of the most memorable events of your life. Having captured moments to treasure and share forever by utilizing our professional Kauai photography community is one of the most crucial steps in planning your big day, so don’t forget to set up your photographer early to assure getting the date you want!

For more information visit: www.alohaeverafter.com

Monday, March 23, 2009

Why get married on Kauai?

Kauai is the most beautiful of all of the Hawaiian Islands. As a world traveler who has traveled to 45 countries I consider Kauai to be the most beautiful place on earth. I could have chosen to get married and live anywhere in the world, but after seeing much of the world and traveling extensively, I chose to come back to Kauai and make her my home, again. Why?


Kauai is the hidden jewel of the Hawaiian Island chain. Its called the garden island because of its vast lush tropical diversity. Kauai is the getaway from the chaotic main island of Oahu, where people from the Hawaiian city of Honolulu and beyond go to get away from the rat race. Kauai is a perfect blend of things to do in an exotic and gorgeous place, yet getting away from the things that distract us from who we really are and who we really want to be. Kauai is the perfect choice for a destination wedding because you have a neverending choice of exotic places to choose from for the perfect wedding site. Beautiful long beaches, hidden jungle locations, private pieces of land overlooking the ocean, waterfalls, canyons adorned with rainbows, mountains, forest, jungle, cliffs, valleys, sand dunesthe choices go on and on.


Kauai is the perfect place to get amazing wedding or honeymoon pictures taken. How could you go wrong with one of the most beautiful settings in the world around you? All you need to do is decide what kind of scenery and backdrop you want behind your amazing wedding photography.


Most importantly Kauai is magical. It really is. Kauai has an uncanny way of manifesting that which you want and focus on faster than almost anywhere else on the planet. You will be amazed at how many times on your trip you are blown away by the synchronicity of how you were just talking about somethingand just an hour or two later you find it (or a book about it, etc.) at some shop down the road. Weddings/honeymoons happen anywhere everyday, but on Kauai dreams really do come true. Sounds corny? Come check it out and see for yourself!


For more information visit:www.alohaeverafter.com