Planning a Casual Outdoor Wedding Party in Hawaii
The vendors that we used for our Hawaii wedding party and our experiences with them.
After putting off a celebration for three years, my wife and I decided to have a casual party where friends and family from the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere could gather, have fun, and enjoy each others’ company. We decided to do it in Honolulu in the fall of 2023.
Even though we intended it to be casual, planning it was a lot of work. In this blog, I’ll share who we worked with for our wedding and our experiences with them.
Circumstances and wishes
Accommodate approx. 120 guests
No ceremony
Fully outdoors
Easy for guests to get to and from
Sophisticated yet casual vibe
No sit-down buffet or course dinner
Minimum number of speeches and formalities
Accommodate English and Japanese-speaking guests
Being that this wasn’t typical, all hotel packages didn’t fit and every time a coordinator or vendor we’d reached out to responded with an overly romantic message, we’d get the feeling that they wouldn’t be a match.
Despite these challenges, the night was a success and exceeded all of my expectations.
Here’s what we used and who we ended up working with from to make the night happen:
Invitations & Management
Wedsites
Wedsites - Wedding website, invitation management, guest and overall organization
Having guests that needed both English and Japanese communications added a challenge to finding a wedding management service. Wedsites was the only service that we could find that provided multi-lingual online invitation, email and website templates.
It wasn’t a perfect system. For example, it was difficult separating guests by their preferred language when sending out emails as there wasn’t an option to sort by it, so we had to check them one-by-one when sending. And because everything revolved around a template, we couldn’t control things such as how to display dates and time in a manner that was native to Japanese.
Overall though, it seemed like the best service that we could find that had some ability to accommodate multiple languages, and it did the job relatively well.
Venue
La Pietra School for Girls
The Great Lawn at La Pietra School was the main area for our wedding party
La Pietra was our first choice from the start, but they don’t open their schedules up until March, and that would be too close to our September target date to bet everything on them. We actually had the Hawaii State Art Museum lined up, but their communication with us was spotty at best and overall, they weren’t really helpful. We also found out later that due to their location and lack of parking, it would be basically impossible to have valet service, and the nearby area is not the safest for night events with friends and family.
Luckily, La Pietra notified us that we could select a target date with them and it happened to still be available. While they’re not the cheapest option and they come with some strict rules and limited parking, they were very responsive and helpful throughout the process. Their location at the foot of Diamond Head is fantastic, their campus is beautiful, and they made for a great location to have our celebration.
https://www.lapietra.edu/about/facility-rentals/inquiry
Planner/Coordinator
Lauren R.
Finding a planner/coordinator was a bit difficult, especially because we started our search only a few months before our date, and because most wedding planners have their set approach and teams. We, on the other hand, were looking for something a bit different from the typical.
Our planner/coordinator happened to be someone who had never done a wedding before.
We got connected to her through my mom’s friend. Moving back to Hawaii a few years ago, Lauren’s experience centered around doing events and corporate parties for companies on the U.S. Mainland, and her non-traditional approach and experience getting people to socialize and interact was perfect.
Throughout the process, she was very helpful and made sure everything went the way it was supposed to. She doesn’t have a website or anything that I know of (this was just a side gig, after all), but if anyone’s interested, contact me and I’ll reach out to her and see if she’s open to helping out. I’d definitely recommend her.
Catering
Livestock Tavern & Tchin Tchin! Bar
Two of Downtown Honolulu’s hippest spots, they’re actually run by the same company. While we reached out to a few other vendors, Livestock / Tchin Tchin! were the ones we were hoping for from the beginning because we wanted to have food and drink vendors that we actually liked at our party.
They were really good at working with us to adjust our menu as well as offer services to us so that we wouldn’t have to find someone else to help out. They provided cocktail foods and drinks, had wait staff walk around the party offering the dishes and bartenders handing out beer, pouring wine and mixing the cocktails.
At the end, they did all the clean up and everything went really smoothly. They even kept our leftover drinks for us to pick up at their restaurant a few days after. If you want friendly service and a crew that does things well, I recommend them.
For non-alcohol drinks (seltzers, coffee, water, kids’ juices), we bought and packed them ourselves, then brought them to the event. Livestock / Tchin Tchin! were willing to man those stations for us for the evening.
Black Sheep Cream Co.
Black Sheep Cream Co. has a small station setup to serve ice cream to the guests
Perhaps our favorite ice cream in Hawaii, Black Sheep Cream Co. was our first choice when we thought about having a dessert vendor. They have an amazing list of flavors to choose from, and we could choose 3 for our party, a cookies-and-cream one, coffee and black sesame.
They came about an hour into our party, discreetly set up a little cart under an umbrella that we were asked to get for them, and began serving. We were also able to pick up the leftovers from their Waipio location which was great since we like their ice cream so much.
https://www.instagram.com/blacksheepcreamco
The Alley @ Aiea Bowl
Lemon crunch and strawberry crunch cakes from The Alley at Aiea Bowl were among the desserts served at our wedding party
We’re not fans of most American cakes, they’re too sweet. But how can you have a party without cake, right? One of the cakes that we like is the lemon crunch cake from popular local spot Aiea Bowl.
We ordered lemon crunch cakes and a strawberry crunch cake of the same style, had someone pick them up and bring them to our party. Cake stands and servers were prepared by us, and our planner/coordinator helped with managing their set up and clean up. It seemed that everyone else liked them too as I think they were gone pretty quickly.
https://aieabowl.com/restaurant/bakery/
Hauoli Pastry
Chewy mochisadas from Hauoli Pastry were dropped off and placed for self-service
Hauoli Pastry and their mochisadas were introduced to us by our planner/coordinator. We had planned on having malasadas, the doughnut-like pastry that’s popular in Hawaii, but when I went to try these mochisadas at a school fair, I wanted to find a way to have them instead.
Mochisadas are small chewy, mochi-like doughnuts with a light sugar coating on the outside. John, the pastry chef and owner, had options to either set up a booth and cook them on-site or do a drop off just before dessert time. We chose the drop-off, our planner/coordinator handled it, and everything went smoothly. I’m really glad we were able to have these at our party, although I wish could’ve eaten more!
Tables, linens, etc.
Event Accents
Furniture was rented from Event Accents, and they transported, set up and took down everything
After browsing catalogs and reaching out to a few different furniture rental companies, Event Accents had the most options at reasonable prices, and they were able to accommodate our weekend event.
Their rental minimum for a weekend event was $5,000, but our order exceeded that mark. About 4 hours for set up and 2 hours for clean up was requested, so this did add to the time we needed to rent the venue. Everything was completed without issue and the staff was responsive and helpful throughout the process.
WedCycle
Tables were decorated with a combination of rentals from WedCycle and The Wedding Linen Company, florals from Watanabe Floral and items we made or provided ourselves
We bought some of the small decorations ourselves on SHEIN and Amazon, and at places like Target, but we also rented a lot. WedCycle, a boutique rental service located in West Oahu, was a great option as it helped eliminate waste since we only had plans to use a lot of decorative items once.
While they asked to change the exchange time from what was planned, the owners were personable and everything went smoothly.
https://www.wedcyclehawaii.com/
The Wedding Linen Company
While Event Accents rented out linens through their partner, Fine Linen Rental, their prices were quite high and many of the options had to be shipped in. The Wedding Linen Company had the linens we needed for a lot less and they came pressed when our planner/coordinator picked them up.
https://theweddinglinencompany.com/
Wasara
Japanese brand Wasara makes stylish disposable plates, bowls and utensils
Due to the casual nature of our wedding party, we decided to have disposable plates and utensils. As you know, most of these types of things are unstylish. We decided to buy matte black plastic forks from Sabert, and we bought paper plates from Wasara.
Based in Japan, Wasara adds class to typical paper dishes and disposable utensils, items that almost always get overlooked in the U.S. Square-shaped and designed with a slight wave, these plates were easy to hold, just the right size for the cocktail foods, and they looked nice. A lot of guests made positive comments about them as they’re not known or seen.
Floral
Watanabe Floral
The go-to place for flowers on Oahu, Watanabe Floral had options to customize floral arrangements for pick up or delivery as well as individual items for purchase.
Having Watanabe make the arrangements were ridiculously expensive, however. For an 8-foot garland for a farm table made of an arrangement of mainly greens and a little bit of small white flowers, we were quoted $640/each. For a 4-foot version, $320. Delivery would’ve been $40.
This would’ve totaled to quite a bit considering there were several tables to cover, so we decided to purchase the items individually and put them together ourselves. It was a lot of work, but it saved us a lot of money in the end.
Cindy’s Lei Shoppe
Located in Chinatown, Cindy’s Lei Shoppe had a nice catalog at decent prices. Some leis we were considering weren’t available and a couple of our orders needed to be adjusted, but that can’t be helped as they depend on the flowers coming in.
Their staff was really friendly and patient, especially with me since I don’t know much about flowers and leis. We’re very satisfied with them and recommend them.
https://www.cindysleishoppe.com/
MC, music & entertainment
Torch Hawaii
Kaulana of Torch Hawaii did an amazing job MC’ing our wedding party
For lights, sound, MC and DJ, we went with Torch Hawaii as we’re connected through a mutual friend. They were able to overcome some big external issues that was out of either of our hands, and were flawless for our event.
The MC, Kaulana, was really personable and always made us feel relaxed and reassured that things were being taken care of just how we wanted it. He’s amazing at reading the crowd and their energy, and responding accordingly.
Prior to the party, we submitted a short song list so they could get a feel for what we wanted them to play throughout the evening, and the music was on point for the whole time. We’re really happy to have been able to work with them and would easily recommend them.
https://www.instagram.com/torchhawaii/
Jordan Paul
Kauai-based singer songwriter Jordan Paul performed live music at our wedding party
What’s an outdoor wedding party without live music, right? To set the mood at the beginning of our event and for the first hour or so, we had local singer songwriter (and my cousin) Jordan Paul perform. Based on Kauai, Jordan not only performs locally but has also toured as far away as Europe, performing for enthusiastic crowds there.
He was a breeze to work with and was exactly the vibe we were looking for. Guests who didn’t know we were related came up to us complimenting him, so I definitely recommend checking him out.
https://www.instagram.com/jordvnpaul/
Photography
Colby and Jess
Colby of Colby and Jess took great couples’ shots as well as candids at our wedding party
As someone who takes photos myself, I was a bit particular about who I wanted to work with. I looked around at potential candidates but would find reasons to not go through with them. I was referred to Colby and Jess by a great photographer we worked with in Japan, Sam Spicer.
Colby flew into Honolulu from Maui, was really chill and easygoing, and helped us feel relaxed in front of the camera. He was able to capture great photos of us, our event and the moments that happened and delivered 385 shots from the evening. We're very happy that we worked with Colby, wouldn't hesitate to work with him again, and would recommend him to anyone.
Signage
Zazzle
Zazzle allows users to design custom signage, stationary and more
Due to their wide range of customizable products, Zazzle proved to be a good one-stop option to get our signage and thank you stationary from. We ordered directional signs for parking and guidance, a welcome sign, drink and food menus, and tabletop directions on what to do with the disposable cameras that we had left out for guests to use.
Products could be designed on the site simply by editing existing designs, and everything arrived as ordered with no issues.
Guest Photo/Video Sharing
Guestpix
Guestpix lets wedding party guests easily upload their photos and videos that can be downloaded after for memories
We wanted our evening to be documented as much as possible, and getting the guests involved is a great way to do that. Guestpix allowed guests to easily upload the photos and videos they took into a gallery that could be downloaded and shared by us after.
This could be done by providing a link to an online drive, however this service was more seamless for those who may not be as tech-savvy. QR codes were generated by the service and we printed them out and left them around our event for easy access. We were able to download all of the content submitted and everything was separated into folders according to which guest uploaded them.
It’s a pretty easy tool to use and a great way to easily collect the photos and videos from your event.
Insurance
The Event Helper
Insurance was required for us to have by the venue, and we were able to get coverage quickly through The Event Helper. I’m not sure how they compare to other options, however I had no issues and getting coverage was pretty simple as it’s just going through a few pages of online questions.
https://application.theeventhelper.com/
Security
Honolulu Police Department
Officer presence was requested by the venue, and we were able to apply for an off-duty police officer through an online application. Payment was made by check directly to the officer who reported at the time of the event.
https://www.honolulupd.org/police-services/hire-a-special-duty-officer/order/
I hope my comprehensive list and reviews give some insight as to who you could potentially work with for a casual yet classy outdoor wedding party on Oahu. While planning was still a lot of work and at times quite chaotic, the actual wedding party went smoothly, guests had a great time and so did we - and that’s what matters.
Keep in touch:
Street Photography: Chinatown, Honolulu
Walking around Chinatown, Honolulu, and taking some street photos.
Chinatown in Honolulu, Hawaii, is not only a historical center of the city, it’s also arguably one of Hawaii’s best areas for street photography.
Around the Lunar New Year in 2023, I felt an urge to shoot some street photos. I decided to go to Chinatown with my camera and make a video showing where I was walking and what my perspectives were while taking these shots.
Here’s what I took that day:
If you want to see how I shot these, please take a look:
Keep in touch:
The Japanese Versions of Hawaii Snacks
There are many Japanese-influenced snacks in Hawaii. Here are the Japanese versions of them and their histories.
Hawaii and Japan are tied culturally due to the mass immigration of Japanese pre-World War II. It’s still close today. For Japanese, Hawaii is considered a top travel destination and many locals in Hawaii also enjoy visiting Japan.
It should be of no surprise that some foods and snacks have ties to Japan as well. Here are a few.
Tomoe Ame (Bontan Ame)
Tomoe Ame is a brand of “bontan ame” is a candy found in crack seed and drug stores in Hawaii. They may appear in Japanese shops on the US mainland as well.
It’s soft, chewy, slightly fruity candy wrapped in rice paper. It’s fun for kids because they put a sticker inside the box. It’s made in Nagoya, Japan and is imported but I haven’t seen the brand or box being sold in Japan.
In Japan, it’s more commonly known simply as Bontan Ame, and tastes almost exactly the same as the one in Hawaii.
It originated in Kagoshima and was derived from a mochi-like snack from nearby Kumamoto. The candy was created by adding bontan, or a Pomelo citrus fruit.
Found at: Daiso
Price: ~100 JPY (1 box)
https://www.seikafoods.jp [J]
Butter mochi
Japanese butter mochi
Butter mochi is actually a local, Hawaii snack and was not imported from Japan. However, it does use Japanese ingredients and it’s reasonable to say that there’s at least some influence.
Japanese butter mochi is very different. While the Hawaii version is a dense, caky, dessert treat, butter mochi in Japan resembles typical mochi more.
Butter mochi in Japan originated in Akita, and is a simple, delicious, butter-flavored soft mochi snack.
Found at: Supermarkets
Price: ~180 JPY (1 pc)
Hawaii version recipe: https://kirbiecravings.com
Chi chi dango
Chichi dango is one of the more well known Japanese snacks in Hawaii. It’s a soft, sticky mochi that’s often made with mochiko powder, coconut milk and so on.
The truth is, chichi dango is not well known in Japan.
Chichi dango originated in a small city called Shōbara-shi (庄原市) in Hiroshima prefecture. In 1900, a national dairy farm was established in the area and got big. The founder of Izumi Kouwadou, a nearby shop, wanted to make a nutritious snack with the milk, and that’s how his shop became the origin of chichi dango, selling it in 1934.
The ingredients differ from the common recipes found in Hawaii. They use no water or coconut milk. It’s simply mochiko powder in milk, sugar, glucose syrup and honey.
Food coloring also isn’t used for the pink and green colors. The pink is made from rosé wine from Miyoshi-shi, a city next to the Shōbara-shi area. The green is made from yomogi, a sagebrush.
While it may be known in the eastern parts of Hiroshima prefecture, it’s not known throughout Japan.
Found at: Online, shops in Hiroshima
http://chichidango.co.jp [J]
Price: ~ 810 JPY (15 pc.)
Habutae mochi
Habutae mochi is similar to chichi dango. The reason why I’m adding this in is because it’s more well known in Japan than chichi dango.
It’s made in many places in the country but originated in Fukui prefecture. It’s called “habutae” in reference to Japanese silk. Fukui prefecture is known for making a lot of textiles, including the silk, and the mochi has a texture that is smooth and silk-like.
Habutae mochi is made from steamed mochi powder, sugar and corn syrup. No milk.
It is very soft, and is somewhat similar to gyuhi, or the mochi-like topping that’s found in frozen yogurt parlors.
Found at: Department stores, supermarkets
Price: ~ 800 JPY (8 pcs)
Li hing mui
Li hing mui is not from Japan, but there is something similar. If you don’t know, li hing mui is dried plums that began being imported from China in the early 1900s.
Probably the most common snack condiment in Hawaii, li hing mui can be found everywhere. If not in seed form, it’s used as a powder or syrup on anything from gummies and Sour Patch Kids to apples and pineapples, popcorn and shave ice to margaritas and desserts.
It is an acquired taste, however, as it’s very salty.
In Japan, dried, salty plums are most common in Okinawa. These were from Gifu prefecture though, and they were a lot saltier. They also had a sakura-like flower, which is different from Hawaii’s, which are either red or grey.
Found at: Convenience stores, Japanese ingredient shops
Price: ~200-500 JPY (1 pkg)
http://www.plumnature.com [J]
Keep in touch:
How Hawaii Brands are Responding to COVID-19
A list of Hawaii brands taking admirable actions to help the local community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the days and weeks following the COVID-19 / Coronavirus outbreak, as a marketer and just out of curiosity, I began to pay attention to how people and brands were responding.
Many have admirably stepped up around the world, but I’ve paid a little more attention to my hometown in Hawaii. Even more than I expected, many in the community have come together to do their share.
I put together a list of brand actions I’ve seen so far that I found admirable.
Central Pacific Bank: “Keep Hawaii Cooking”
Because Hawaii was put on lockdown, business basically came to a halt and small businesses are some of those who feel it the hardest.
To help keep things moving, Central Pacific Bank launched the #KeepHawaiiCooking campaign where they would split the bill and pay a 50% refund via DM and PayPal to people who ordered delivery or takeout from local eateries.
They launched a website with details on how to participate as well as all of the restaurant options (categorized too!).
In less than a week, they’ve reached 75% of their goal of sharing 10,000 meals and have given back $100k to local restaurants.
https://www.keephawaiicooking.com
Hawaiian Airlines: Mahalo to the Healthcare Community
In order to help local hospitals and clinics manage the logistics of their healthcare personnel, Hawaiian Airlines is providing free inter-island flights to their medical professionals so that their work goes as smoothly as possible throughout Hawaii.
https://newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com
HONOLULU MAGAZINE: Shop Local
In an effort to support local designers, artists and boutiques, Honolulu Magazine teamed up with over 50 local brands to host an online shopping event.
People, while shopping from home, can access special deals through their promotion.
Recognizing that it’s not just restaurants and small businesses that are being hit by effects of COVID-19, many small businesses in the food industry have helped to do their part.
A Cake Life: Essential Workers Giveaway
In addition to giving out cupcakes to healthcare workers and first responders, they also let others participate for giveaways.
People were invited to nominate friends and family working in essential roles, and those being put at risk at work. Posts for jobs in healthcare, restaurants, hotels, first responders and supermarkets were done, and free bags of cake cups were given to winning nominations.
Asato Family: Community Thank You
To show their gratitude to those in the community working in healthcare during this pandemic, family-owned and popular local sherbert shop delivered bags of individually cupped sherbert to hospitals.
https://www.asatofamilyshop.com
I’ve come across Stories being shared of other businesses helping out as well.
Watanabe Floral: Bouquets for Healthcare
Bouquets were given to healthcare workers to help brighten up their day. Watanabe Floral is also posting videos on DIY tips as well as their brand story on Instagram.
Enjoy Snacks: Snack Bags for Healthcare
Gift bags of favorite local snacks were given to healthcare workers .
Other brands and musical artists are providing content to entertain people while they stay at home.
Salvage Public: Artist Showcase
Fashion brand Salvage Public is showcasing local artists through Instagram’s IGTV as well as letting artists do account takeovers.
Jack Johnson: Together At Home
Musical artist Jack Johnson is a goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme, and in collaboration in collaboration with Global Citizen in support of the World Health Organization (WHO), put on a #TogetherAtHome livestream concert from his living room.
I should have expected Hawaii, a place with a strong culture of community, to react this way. It’s great to see, and after all, we’re all in this together.
I’m sure there are many other campaigns and stories of positivity, so tell me if there’s one I should know about!
KEEP IN TOUCH
SHARE
Honolulu Street Walks
Taking my camera around the Kakaako, Kaimuki and Downtown areas of Honolulu, Hawaii.
I was recently in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a friend’s wedding. For a week and a half I got to play tourist in my hometown, meeting up with friends and trying new places that have popped up over the years.
Bringing a camera out is not so common for locals in Honolulu, but I decided to do it as much as I could.
While I was there, I frequented the Kakaako, Kaimuki and Downtown Honolulu areas the most.
Wilhelmina Rise in Kaimuki
KEEP IN TOUCH
Friends' Wedding in Hawaii
Seeing friends Ryan and Kathy get married in Honolulu at the Nutridge Estate.
Kathy and Ryan after marrying
I recently went home to Honolulu, Hawaii, to see my longtime friend Ryan marry my more recent friend Kathy.
The wedding was at the Nutridge Estate in Tantalus, was casual, warm and really fun. It suited them quite well.
I took my camera with me and shot around a bit. Here’s some of what I took.
View from the Nutridge Estate, looking west towards Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
Awaiting the ceremony. Pictured: Aja
Awaiting the ceremony. Pictured: Joey
Kathy and Ryan get married outdoors
Cupcakes by A Cake Life
Kathy dances with her dad in the Father and Bride dance
Kathy and Ryan on the dance floor
Ryan with his mom on the dance floor
Bride’s maids having fun
Andy also taking pictures
Evening set up
Kathy and Ryan
The vendors that we used for our Hawaii wedding party and our experiences with them.