Wedding Roundup 💍

August 2, 2020 Rachel Estrada

Some of you may not know this, but I have been a wedding planner for quite some time now! I have always had a knack for party planning and I give credit to my mom for this because she was the go-to party planner and I was her little helper. Trust me, growing up in a Filipino family living in Hawaii, we hosted a TON of parties. From birthdays, to graduations, to my own high school proms — yep, I planned it all. While attending college, I interned and worked for a wedding planner. That is where I gained a ton of experience from! Then from 2016-2019, I decided to do my own thang! (With lots of hedge & flower wall rentals in between. :P)

I guess it takes a global pandemic for me to catch up on this long-overdue post, haha. But here it is: a roundup of the twelve weddings that I have coordinated. I’ll share a quick snippet of the day as well as my most memorable moments! Grab a snack because this is gonna be a long one!

Nancy & Andrew’s 50th Wedding Anniversary ♡ 4/2/2016

My first event was actually my grandparents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary! It was held at Sunset Lanai, which is the perfect indoor-outdoor space located on Camp Smith. It had a stunning view of Pearl Harbor and of course, the Hawaii sunset! Traditionally, celebrating 50 years of marriage is not just any anniversary, but a golden anniversary! Everything at the reception was decked out in gold. From Ferrero Rocher towers to the lantern centerpieces, to the beautiful Chiavari chairs (my faaaaave chairs) and even to the personalized M&M's with my grandparents' faces on them. It was so so cute.

Cindy & Kimo ♡ 11/12/2016

Of course my first official wedding would be a 400-person wedding…because why start small, right? 😜 Family and culture played a huge part of this event and it was a blast to be a part of! Blog post HERE.

Christina & Tyler ♡ 11/19/2016

This was a lovely and intimate wedding at the Pikake Pavilion of Waimea Valley. The simplicity of it all is what made the day so beautiful. Blog post HERE.

Victoria & Michael ♡ 11/11/2017

For this event, I had the opportunity of working closely with the bride throughout the entire wedding planning process. It was soooo fun! We worked together to put together decoration ideas, wedding ideas and so much more. I will forever be grateful that Victoria not only trusted me as a day-of wedding coordinator, but also as a decorator. I was able to showcase their personality and style through the wedding programs, signage, ceremony decor and reception decor. If you want to see how I made the wedding signs, you can check out the video HERE. There were many great moments on their wedding day and this wedding is a prime example of why I absolutely love what I do. ♡

[ Venue: Kapolei Golf Club | Photo: Snap N’ Clicks Photography | Video: Island Paradise Video | DJ/Emcee: Hoku Entertainment ]

Cora & Sam’s 50th Wedding Anniversary ♡ 12/2/2017

This was another family event that I had the honor of planning! Something about wedding anniversaries brings the family together…literally! Relatives flew in from the mainland just to be here for this special event. After their vow renewal at St. Joseph Church, the family and friends gathered to celebrate at the Hawaii Okinawa Center. 50 years is definitely a milestone to celebrate!

Lori & Eric ♡ 8/4/2018

Let’s talk about how adorable these two look in their wedding photos! Lori and Eric were such a lovely couple to work with. They found so many ways to incorporate their love for games with their guests! From having Jenga at the sign-in table to playing the classic Shoe Game, these two enjoyed sharing this special day with their closest family and friends. Also, look at those wedding invites and programs the groom designed himself! Super creative! My most memorable moment of the day: when the bride walked down the aisle to “I Knew This Would Be Love” by Imaginary Future. Cue the waterworks!

[ Venue: Queen Emma Summer Palace | Photo: Maxim Photography | Cake: Cakeworks | Catering: Kenekes | Hair & Makeup: Taylor & Jhermayne]

Faina & Roger ♡ 11/3/2018

This particular wedding holds a special place in my heart because well…it was my mom’s wedding! We had tons of fun planning all the details and DIY-ing practically everything. When the big day came around, I was happy to have my assistants (aka my besties) to count on to make sure the day ran smoothly. Shoutout to our vendors as well! They did a superb job and I made sure we had the best of the best for this event! ;) Cheers to my mom and Roger!

Watch a snippet of the wedding day HERE and HERE.
Watch how I made the DIY Wedding Escort Cards video HERE.

Jennifer & Jordan ♡ 12/29/2018

Jennifer and Jordan are the ultimate high school sweethearts! For their big day, I was able to help them with more than just wedding planning! We were able to incorporate my hedge wall as a backdrop for their ceremony as well as a photo booth for their reception. After their ceremony at INC Honolulu, their dinner reception took place at the Hale Koa Hotel, which is one of my favorite venues. Turns out, it is also a favorite of some of the brides in this roundup! The colors, decor and little details gave this event a beautiful, elegant and whimsical charm. My most memorable moment: the enthusiastic Slick Vic engaging with the guests as he hosted the hilarious wedding games!

Sera & Zach ♡ 4/28/2019

Haiku Gardens was the perfect backdrop for this next couple’s wedding. Sera and Zach are an inspiring and lovely couple that I had the opportunity to work with. They incorporated so much of their personality and had everything planned down to the little details. My most memorable moment of the day: their vows were sealed with a kiss right before it started to rain! (Showers = blessings!) Despite the rain, this moment turned out to be the perfect photo opportunity for their photographer, Kay. I mean, look how dreamy these photos are!

Hilde & Dom ♡ 6/1/2019

Hildegarde and Dominique’s love story is one you have to hear for yourself! Watch the highlight film where Dom narrates how he fell in love with Hilde HERE. Their ceremony and reception took place at Kualoa Ranch’s Moliʻi Gardens, a venue that is private, lush and beautiful. My most memorable moment of the day: watching the bride descend down the stairs was a jaw-dropping moment. Cheers to Hilde & Dom!

Jasmine & Isaac ♡ 11/15/2019

Last but definitely not the least, we have Jasmine and Isaac! I have known Jasmine since high school and was sooo excited to plan this big day with her. Their love story was narrated not by the couple, but by their their family members, haha! Many have watched their relationship grow and this wedding day was something everyone was proud to be a part of. It was a beautiful way to celebrate their love, family and an undoubtedly amazing future together. My most memorable moment: when the bride and groom did their grand entrance to “Bring Em Out” by T.I. — because that’s THE best way to do it!

[ Venue: Hawaii Okinawa Center | Photo: Keith Uehara | DJ/Emcee: Hawaii Events Unlimited | Florist: Mealoha Made | Photo Booth: Phresh Prints ]

And that is it for my wedding roundup! Thank you to the amazing couples who let me be a part of their big day. It truly is an honor to have someone trust you with making sure everything runs smoothly. I have learned SO many things as a wedding planner. Each wedding has taught me something new, including a wedding that did not make this list. It’s a wedding worth sharing possibly under a post of Do’s & Dont’s for Brides, haha. I would love to share my experience with that particular wedding as well as more details on the behind-the-scenes of wedding planning.

Of course, these were not one-woman shows. I attribute the success of these events to my assistants (who happen to be my close friends as well!). It is a huge responsibility as a wedding planner/day-of coordinator to make sure the day is executed smoothly. I would not have been able to be in ten places at once without my assistants. Love ya! ♡ [ Ashley, Kristi, Karli, Tracy, Tawnie, Jaymie ]

I decided to make this wedding roundup post to reflect and kind of close this chapter of weddings in Hawaii. Don’t worry, there is still SO MUCH I have to share! Wedding Planning Templates, Wedding Favor Ideas and more coming your way! Wedding planning is and always will be something I love to do especially for family and friends. After my big move to Washington and COVID happening, I have taken on other ventures but always relating back to my passion for parties and all things crafty.

Thanks for checking out this post and reading (or scrolling lol) to the end. Don’t miss out on any of my upcoming posts! Talk to y’all very soon. 💕