Oahu, Hawaii

I loved the updo I got here, and the co-owners, Vona and Monique, were so nice. Monique is the one that did my hair, but Vona was the one I communicated with via email. She always got back to me right away, which I appreciated. Their salon is located on the main highway, so it was easy for me to find/drive to.

Vona's email is [email protected]

This was the best French manicure/pedicure I've ever had! It looked great, and more importantly, it STAYED PUT even though I got it the day before, and did all sorts of wedding setup afterwards. They are right down the street from the Haven Salon.

Their telephone number is 808-247-7707.

We rented an estate via Ingrid Carvalho, the owner of Pacific Islands Reservations. Ingrid was great to work with, and usually got back to me quickly by phone or email. Her contract was easy to understand, the costs were clearly listed, and I received my total deposit back without a problem.

She has many rentals listed on her website, http://www.oahu-hawaii-vacation.com, and is also a rental agent for several bed and breakfasts, http://www.bestbnb.com.

Her email is [email protected], and telephone number is 808-262-8133. 

Kahu Bruce is a popular Oahu officiant, and for good reason. He's very charming, has a good sense of humor, is great about communication, and really cares about his ceremonies. He met with us at the Department of Health days before our wedding to go over the ceremony, and came to the house the day before the ceremony just to check everything out, and give last minute advice.
 
His email is [email protected], and his telephone number is 808-220-2131.

I can't say enough good things about Chef Jill. She was easy to communicate with (phone or email), very professional, very caring, wanted to make sure everything was right. She came into the house on time, started cooking, and made us all very happy and very full. I'd highly recommend a private chef for small wedding parties; it keeps things very intimate, and it's a unique experience. (The only thing I'd change is to hire one waitperson/dish clearer/dishperson to take care of pouring champagne and getting drinks, and clearing dishes and keeping them from piling up on the counter). Jill gets an A+++++!

Her website is http://www.oahupersonalchefs.com, email is [email protected], and telephone number is 808-263-9828.

Eric and Wendy were so professional from start to finish, but friendly and flexible too! Wendy was very easy to communicate with via email, and very organized. They came to the house the day of the wedding, took pictures very unobtrusively, and captured a ton of moments I was too nervous and sidetracked to notice. They blended in so effortlessly, organized our crazy families for the beach pictures, and joined us for dinner that night. They went above and beyond, taking extra pictures and staying later than scheduled. In a word, they were awesome!

Their website is http://www.lmprophoto.com, email is [email protected], and telephone is 808-699-5439.

I would highly recommend both companies. We rented tables, chairs, tablecloths, and all the dining/drink stuff from Accel. They delivered the items the day before our wedding, which I was SO thankful for (our wedding was on a Thursday, so the items were not being used). They also included extras, which came in very handy. The items were in good condition, and the dishes, etc. were sanitized and wrapped in plastic, ready to open and use.

We rented monkeypod serving trays, glass beverage dispensers, and a cakestand from Event Essentials. The items were unique, and really added to the ambience, and I was glad to find a company that had those items (they have a lot of items you won't find from other rental companies). FYI - you have to pick the items up from them; they are located in Aiea.

Both companies were very easy to communicate with, and I would definitely use either again. Accel's contact info is: website, http://www.accelrentals.com, email [email protected], phone 808-484-2258. Event Essential's contact info is: website, http://eventessentialshawaii.blogspot.com, email [email protected], phone 877-255-8230

Strangely, flowers didn't really hit my radar, maybe because we were in Hawaii and they were all over. My mom and I went to Watanabe Floral in Honolulu the day before the wedding, and loaded up two carts for about $500. We bought ceremony leis, spider mums, mini lilies, green cymbidium orchids, orange and yellow mokara orchids, and monstera leaves for the buffet table. We were in heaven at their store, with all the refrigerated areas filled with flowers, and with their tropical floral section. You really can't go wrong at Watanabe, http://www.watanabefloral.com

Just in case anyone likes what they see here, this is where the wedding party's clothing came from:

My Dress - 2BE by Michael Gavin
Groom - Banana Republic shirt and pants
Maid of Honor - J. Crew (the style is no longer available)
Best Man, Groomsman: shirts from JC Penney, shorts from Gap
Junior Bridesmaids: Target, w/Forever 21 tanks underneath
Junior Escorts, Ringbearer: Old Navy shirts, GapKids shorts, newsboy caps were their own
Lei Girl and Flowergirl: Boden USA