How To Have the Perfect Backyard Wedding in Hawaii

One of my all-time favorite types of weddings is a backyard wedding. There is something so magical about being able to transform a beloved family home into a one of a kind celebration. When this lovely couple reached out to me with their vision of turning the bride's parent's beachfront vacation home into a beautiful, sentimental and intimate affair, I couldn't wait to get started! 

With each element of this wedding, we strove to incorporate personal and sentimental elements. A dear friend of the bride and groom's played the processional songs on a keyboard as they walked down the aisle. The bride's brother officiated the ceremony. During the cocktail hour sausages with international mustard; a unique family holiday tradition. All of the favors had handwritten thank you notes written by the bride's mother. An heirloom cake cutting set was used to cut the cake. Furniture from the house was used for the lounge and cake table. My all-time favorite sentimental element was when the bride and groom incorporated a Mai Tai toast at sunset into the program. This is something the bride's family does every night when they are in Hawaii and they wanted to share the tradition with all of their guests. It was a huge hit, to say the least.

Aside from sentimental elements, they also added a few understated Hawaiian touches. For example, they had a musician play the ukulele and sing during the prelude, cocktail hour and dinner. The bride and groom honored their family members with a traditional Hawaiian lei during the ceremony. Last but not least, instead of a traditional guest book, the guests were invited to write on vintage Hawaiian postcards that would be mailed to them throughout their first year of marriage. 

From beginning to end this event was packed full of thoughtful details, amazing food and a beautiful group of the bride and groom's nearest and dearest.