halekulani + vera wang = $$$$

if you have $4000 burning a hole in your pocket, here's a way to blow it all in one night (and, no, i don't mean vegas) . . . the vera wang suite at the halekulani. not only will you enjoy a lanai larger than some apartments, but you'll also have your very own private butler who can pop in one of vera wang's favorite movies for you to enjoy on the 50-inch plasma tv while you lounge around your 2100 square foot suite that has been decorated with all things vera.

in addition to all the vera wang suite goodies, a chauffered limo will greet you at the airport and you can summon the spahalekulani to come to your room. the halekulani has also designed an experience hawaii program exclusively for suite guests which includes your very own private tour of shangri la.

thank goodness for the rest of us that the view of diamond head can still be enjoyed for free.

wedding wings

here's a little secret for anyone planning either a long distance wedding in hawaii or expecting guests from the mainland. we all know it can be pricey for guests to attend a wedding in the islands which is where hawaiian airlines' wedding wings program can help.

just register for the program at least 60 days before your wedding and then give your wedding wings code to all your family & friends flying in from the mainland. they'll save 10% off their airfare and you'll earn a one-way upgrade to first class. it's the gift that keeps on giving!

let them eat cake

hawaii is a foodie's paradise so finding a wedding cake is not too difficult unless you're searching for a yummy modern creation. luckily, there are many talented pastry chefs in the islands so the most difficult decision will be selecting the flavors for all those layers of cake.

cake couture's owner, carmen emerson bass, trained at the california culinary academy and is now one of the better known pastry artists in the islands. the cake above reminds me of the hula dancers at the merrie monarch festival. carmen's fanciful creations have been featured in martha stewart weddings and pacific rim weddings.

i think this cake from the sweet stop in kailua is so pretty and tropical. once upon a time pastry chef (and former marine!) joslyn laura-annette benn created the desserts at roy's and many other notable restaurants on oahu. a few years ago, she opened up her own bake shop which means you don't need to be getting married to indulge in her delightful concoctions!

here comes the bride

{l to r} designs by hemingway * yvonne floral * flower girls

you would think that the abundance of flowers in hawaii would make selecting the flowers for your wedding one of the snappiest decisions you'll make. choose your color, decide on a style and bam . . . wedding flowers. if only that were true. even if you're leaning towards simple diy flowers one look at the very elegant designs by hemingway and you just might change your mind.

if flowers are your big splurge and you want nothing more than to step into a dreamy floralscape on your big day then click over to yvonne floral designs and take a peek at the wedding gallery. once you see her breathtaking designs you will quickly understand just why she was the floral designer at mar-a-lago, donald trump's private club in palm beach.

upon first glance the very pretty arrangements from flower girls hawaii seem like they would fit into many bride's budgets. their fresh designs are very eclectic and i wish one of these orchid creations were sitting on my desk right now!

and just because you're opting for a simpler wedding doesn't mean you shouldn't splurge on the leis. if you're on oahu, stop by rainforest at the ward warehouse kilohana square and when you place your order request that your lei be wrapped in a ti leaf pu'olo. owner michael miyashiro is one of the most sought after lei designers in hawaii and the leis he created for our wedding were simply stunning.

island style invites

hibiscus/kinohi designs * old hawaii/savvy designs * chloe/p+p

since the wedding invitation establishes the style of your wedding before the big day, it is one more area where the pressure is on to pick just the right one. if you're not the diy crafty type but love graphic design you should check out kinohi designs which was first on the scene with their collection of modern island wedding invitations.

if you're throwing a major bash, then savvy designs might have just the right thing to pull it all together. the owners are event planners so they seem to have all the bases covered from save the date cards to invitations to programs and more.

i love letterpress. it is the perfect combination of old world artistry and modern style. if your budget can swing it then take a look at party + papier's letterpress invites. the selection is small but charming so look no further if you covet letterpress from the islands.

{update | dec 2009: kinohi designs can now be found exclusively at wedding paper divas and it appears that savvy designs and party + papier have closed their doors}