Kanani and John met in a sea of thousands of people dressed as Santa Clause. You read that correctly! A mutual friend introduced these two at Santacon in San Francisco. Santacon is exactly what it might sound like – a bunch of people gathered to party all dressed as St. Nick. They hit it off and John said it was the only good thing to come out of the day. I’m assuming that day was as hectic as it sounds! Kanani is from Oahu, and really loved the idea of a Paliku Gardens wedding. It’s one of my favorite venues on the island because it has beautiful views of both the mountains and the ocean. They are both outdoorsy and love adventuring together, so the dramatic mountainous backdrop was perfect for them!
We started with their getting ready photos at Paradise Bay Resort which isn’t far from Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch. I loved seeing Kanani’s eyes light up when she first saw herself in her Haku Lei! We went straight into the first look when we got into the venue. I chose the lush middle level of the gardens for their first look and wedding party photos. It was a great contrast to the mountain view and their first look was adorable! Their entire day was full of so much love, and when it came time to the reception, the dance floor was poppin’!
The vendors who brought their amazing Paliku Gardens wedding to life:
Planning & Design: For The Good Events
Hair & Makeup: Whik’d Weddings
Rentals: Pacific Party Rentals
Specialty Rentals: Aloha Artisans
Florals: J’adore Floral Hawaii
Venue: Kualoa Ranch Weddings
DJ/Emcee: Spectrum Entertainment Hawaii
Bar Service: Tropical Moon Events
Catering: Keneke’s
Cake: Cake Works
Dessert: Wicked Hawaii Slush
Officiant: Kahu Bruce Ah Leong
Chelsea Stratso is a Hawaii destination wedding photographer. She also specializes in elopements and adventurous couple portraits. Contact her today to plan your wedding photography!
