Hair & Makeup     Beauty by May       A++

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May did a FANTASTIC job with my wedding day hair and with my 3 BMs hair.  I had a trial run three days before the wedding and that help ease my mind.  I showed May my inspiration picture and she nailed “the look” during the trial run and again on the wedding day.  I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED my wedding day look. On the day of, May came early and was able to accommodate my MIL, a last-minute decision.  Make-up was flawless. It was a treat to see all of us made-up since all of us wear little to no make-up on a daily basis.  I highly recommend May for your wedding day if you are undecided.  She is such a sweetheart, answered e-mails promptly, accommodating, and super friendly!!!


Photographer     Shawn Starr     A++

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This is a no brainer! LOL! He was the first vendor booked.  I made a deal with DH that if I got my photographer, then I will compromise on everything else.  DH even said that it was an enjoyable experience working with Shawn.  Shawn answered our e-mails promptly and gave great professional suggestions.  On the day of, we were limited on time to take sunset photos but Shawn made it quick, easy, and fun.  We gave him complete creative control and we were game to do anything.  I was a bit nervous about being in front of the camera, but that all melted away as soon as I was with my DH.  I highly recommend Shawn Starr. I can’t wait to see our photos!!!!! 


Venue     The Coconut Club/Tiki's Bar & Grill     A++

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DH picked this venue because of the SUPERB view of Diamond Head, Pacific Ocean, Waikiki Beach, and Waikiki.  It’s just breath-taking!!! The Coconut Club is on the 21st floor of the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel with 3 large, spacious rooms and a huge lanai.  It was a perfect location for our small ceremony & reception.  I loved the fact we had the entire place to ourselves.  The only issue that I heard later was that our guests had problems getting upstairs.  There was suppose to be a Tiki's representative down on the 1st floor to help accompany guests up to the 21st floor.  Luckily two of our guests were staying at the hotel and helped shuttle everyone upstairs (only hotel guests are able to use the elevators with their room keys).  Correspondence was mostly through e-mail and occasional phone calls.  We worked with Michael and Tiare at Tiki’s and both responded to e-mails within a few days.  On the day-of, Derrick was our banquet captain and Eddie was our bartender.  Both guys did an outstanding job! The buffet dinner was delicious! Unfortunately I didn’t get to eat as much as I wanted.  All I can think of was the spicy crab cakes served during cocktail hour. LOL!  I highly recommend this venue if you want a private function in a hotel setting with an awesome view.

Welcome Party Venue     Tiki's Grill & Bar     A+

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Can you tell we love Tiki’s?!! All of our guests were able to meet up with DH and I for drinks and bar food 3 days before the wedding.  Our waitress was quick with refills and our orders.  There was a problem with the tab at the end of the night but she was able to work it out quickly.  The best part was listening to live music! We stayed for two bands and the second band played a mash-up of kids tunes like Row, Row your boat and Itsy, Bitsy Spider.  Our friend’s kids sure did enjoy the music! 


Officiant     Reverend Alice Inoue     A+

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Rev. Alice was a perfect fit for us and delivered a beautiful, sweet, personalized ceremony.  At first when checking out her documents for performing a marriage ceremony, it seemed cookie-cutter-ish, however we were able to customize bits and pieces to make it our own.  The only downside is that Rev. Alice does not accept deposits to hold a date.  We had a soft confirmation until four months prior to the wedding.  Luckily Rev. Alice was available on our day! DH and I spoke with her a couple of months prior going over the ceremony.  The ceremony was simple (just like DH & I), we wrote our own vows, did a lei ceremony for each other, and presented lei’s to people who made a huge impact on our lives.  Correspondence was mostly through e-mail and responses were quick.  I highly recommend her!


Cake     Cakelava-Rick & Sasha Reichart     A

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One of DH duties for the wedding was to handle everything related with our wedding cake vendor.  From DH views, Cakelava was the only vendor that responded four months before the wedding.  We were thrilled that they would work with us.  DH wanted something simple, casual, and Hawaiian and decided to use the fabric I bought from our scouting trip.  I was amazed when I first saw the cake.  It also tasted great, not too sweet, moist, and yummy.  There were two flavors, kona toffee crunch and chocolate dream.  Communication was great and the transaction was smooth.  DH was lucky to meet both Rick and Sasha. 


Flowers     Watanabe Floral/Joni Naki     A+

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Initially we were going DIY route but as the wedding date approached, I become more and more stressed out about making bouquets, centerpieces, and trying to enjoy a vacation.  To make life easier and stress-less, I went with Watanabe Floral (there was another floral vendor I contemplated but they were not as responsive).  They offered the best quote for our needs: 1 bridal bouquet, 1 MOH bouquet, 2 BMs bouquet, about 8 lei’s, 200 loose orchids, and a stem of green cymbidium orchids.  I also took advantage of getting $100 GC from Costco for $79.99.  I worked with Joni and she was super responsive to my e-mails and requests.  We also had the pleasure of meeting her in person. 


Keep Sakes Wedding Preservation/Gabriela Quaid     A

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I contacted Keep Sakes two weeks prior for an appointment.  They did a good job getting my dress pressed (it traveled nicely folded and put into a small carry-on bag from TX to HI but I wanted the dress to look fresh).  I met Gabriela and she is very sweet woman.  The transaction went smoothly and Gabriela was on time picking up and dropping of my dress.  My only regret is not having them clean my dress afterwards.  Overall, I highly recommend.


Travel Agent     Darryl Wong/All Travel     A++

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Contacting Darryl was the best idea.  He was able to get great rates for flights, hotel, car rental for my family and us.  Darryl was super patient with me with my long list of requests and changes.  He was prompt in answering e-mails, phone calls, and offered us some cool discounts and/or upgrades.  I also made a group reservation through Darryl to attend Germaine’s Luau and he was accommodating with my request to add an additional person at the last minute!  Darryl made my life a little easier with travel plans and luau reservations.  I highly recommend Darryl for any traveling needs! 


Rehearsal Brunch     Lulu’s Waikiki/Skip Lambert     A++

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Excellent food and service!!! I contacted Skip a couple of weeks prior to arriving in Oahu and he was able to accommodate our request to host a rehearsal brunch.  DH and I picked out from both the breakfast menu and lunch menu to create our own brunch menu. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the view from Lulu’s.  The wait staff and manager on duty (his name escapes me right now) were very attentive and super friendly.  I highly recommend eating there at least once if you are in Oahu.


Favors     Honolulu Cookie Company     A

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We picked the lilikoi mango and the triple chocolate macadamia dipped in dark chocolate cookies for our favors.  One of each was put into a small draw string bag my aunt bought from Michael’s.  I love their shortbread cookies. 


Group Activity     Germaine's Luau     A

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The majority of our guests are first-timers in Hawaii and we wanted them to have a chance to experience a luau.  For DH and I, it was our 3rd time going to Germaine's Luau and we all had a fabulous time there (note that we have not experienced other luau's offered in Oahu yet).  When we arrived, there were 2 picnic tables reserved for our party nearby the stage thus we had an awesome view of the show and were close by the beach.  The food is good and there were long lines to get alcoholic drinks.  The best part: one of our friends volunteered for a hula competition and he won! We all had a blast together and I believe we were the loudest group present.