Tell us a little about yourselves!
Jordan and I met the old fashioned way, at a bar. To be fair, we think it is one of the most romantic bars in Los Angeles, Cafe Stella. We bonded over our Southern roots and love of music. Jordan surprised me with an engagement surrounded by family and friends at the same spot four years later.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We knew we wanted the wedding to take place somewhere at least a little bit outside of Los Angeles, so we went on multiple weekend trips around Southern California to tour venues. We really envisioned our wedding at a private estate, but after receiving quotes it looked like all of the venues were going to be astronomically expensive. On top of that, they required you to bring in all of the vendors yourself. Having worked as an event planner, I knew that I did not want to take on that extra work myself. On a whim, I reached out to a restaurant we had dined at in Kauai a couple months prior. I grew up going to The Beach House for dinners on summer vacation with my family and we always had a memorable time. Their coordinators were so kind, quick and responsive. While I knew that going with an all inclusive type of venue might restrict how creative we could be with all of the details, we really wanted a streamlined planning process that wouldn’t strip the joy out of the experience for us. Our families and friends are spread out all across the US, and ultimately any destination was going to require some travel for our guests, so why not make it a memorable one?
How many guests did you have?
85.
Tell us about your outfits.
Before I was ever engaged, I assumed I would walk down the aisle in an understated silk dress. After our engagement, I started to daydream about big statement gowns. My ceremony dress was an ultra dramatic gown by Rita Vineris. The detachable sleeves really sold me. The fabric was an embossed silk jacquard. It just felt like a once in a lifetime dress. For the reception, I wore a short, corseted Vivienne Westwood. I would wear that dress everyday if I could. The dresses were very different from each other, but both felt completely me.
Jordan wanted to match the Kauai weather while also taking a cue from the rock ‘n’ roll suit stylings of Nick Cave, so he went tieless in a powder blue suit by Paul Smith. To keep the look upscale, he paired the suit with shiny, buckled Paul Smith loafers.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We really wanted to focus on making choices that felt authentic to us. We did not want to get distracted by worrying about having a super Pinterest/Instagram-worthy wedding. The day was not meant to impress people or meet expectations. Fun was the operative word. We just wanted all the guests to be able to feel the love and let loose.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We weren’t super attached to following any traditional standards, but we did both agree that it was important to us to not see each other until we walked down the aisle.
It was also important for us to read our own vows, speaking from the heart in our own voices. We hadn’t shared them beforehand, but our vows were so similar that even our jokes were like a continuation of each other’s. It was a perfect representation of how we interact on a daily basis which felt fitting.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Planning a wedding is never going to be completely stress free. There will undoubtedly be a couple bumps in the road during the process. Tackle the difficult decisions early and then move along and don’t second guess yourself. Once you get to the last two weeks, just let go and let God. There was nothing left to do but enjoy the ride. Even though I had a tough time during the planning, I had so much more fun during the wedding than I could have ever imagined. Jordan and I were just smiling from ear to ear throughout the entire reception. We were bouncing around the room so completely full of joy. Don’t let any small details get in the way of fully living in that moment.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We were so grateful that we were able to have Elizabeth Pishal Photography there. The venue strongly encourages using only their in-house vendors, but Elizabeth is a friend and we really wanted someone who understood our style. She has such a sweet, comforting energy and worked so diligently throughout the entire process. We felt totally confident that we were going to get images that we loved. Mia Moriguchi at The Artists Co. is a godsend. Since it was a destination wedding I was not able to do a trial session, but Mia knocked it out of the park with my hair and makeup. Our friends at Show Me Your Mumu provided the bridesmaids dresses and they were perfect. I wanted black because it felt like a nice juxtaposition against a Hawaiian backdrop. I thought it added a timeless sophistication, and all the girls looked amazing. Finally, Tiffany, Sylvia and Fran at The Beach House are such pros. Planning a destination wedding is not simple, but they are excellent communicators and seamlessly coordinated all the vendors. I was able to really show up the day of and trust them to make sure everything ran smoothly.
Photographer : Elizabeth Pishal @elizabethpishalphoto | Videographer : Sunlit Films @sunlitfilms | Ceremony + Reception Location : The Beach House @thebeachhousekauai | Celebrant : Tommy Tokioka @tommytokioka | Entertainment : Kustom Sounds Kauai @kustomsoundskauai | Flora : Lost Girls Kauai @lostgirlskauai | HMUA : The Artists Co @theartistsco | Catering, Beverages + Cake : The Beach House @thebeachhousekauai | Stationery : Minted @minted | Ceremony Dress: Rita Vineris @ritavinieris from Kinsley James Couture Bridal | Reception Dress: Vivienne Westwood @viviennewestwood from Loho Bride | Groom’s Suit + Shoes : Paul Smith @paulsmith | Engagement + Wedding Rings : Happy Jewelers @happyjewelers | Shoes : Larroude @larroude + Badgley Mischka @badgleymischka | Earrings : Starday Vintage @stardayvintage | Wedding Party Attire : Show Me Your Mumu @showmeyourmumu + The Black Tux @theblacktux