fighting eel bridal collection

sophia

today, i am happy to present a wedding day proposal from paradise compliments of fighting eel!

the honolulu label recently premiered its first ever bridal collection filled with lovely looks designed with the island bride in mind. designers lan chung and rona bennett have been working on this extension for quite some time digging through fe's style archives to find a handful of looks to revive in wedding day white (with one notable exception: the gorgeous new sophia, shown above).

the results are simply stunning. the entire beach-friendly offering is crafted in the same comfy jersey knit as fe's main line and special attention seems to have been given to small details like the view from behind as you step down the aisle. i suspect the clean lines will find plenty of fans in brides-to-be who dream of picture perfect style with a minimum of fuss.

more peeks below . . .

canoe

karma

loca

fiona * molly * lily * ziggy * sienna

also included in the new collection: fe's signature style in 15 silhouettes for your wedding maidens. the mix-and-match frocks offer plenty of versatility with three different lengths (short/tea/floor) and sixteen colorways available for quite a few possibilities to coordinate the wedding party's look. plus, your ladies-in-waiting will appreciate the chance to rock something wearable after the ink is dry on your marriage certificate.

budget conscious brides will also welcome the reasonable price tag (bridal: $175 to $250 & bridesmaids: $150 to $200). sizes range from xs to xl.

currently, the bridal collection is available by special order only at fe's showroom.

• where: 47 north hotel street, chinatown
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 5p

p.s. enter to win a fe wedding gown and up to four bridesmaids dresses over at the star-bulletin (deadline: sep 25th).

sweet peek: cake works

chocolate hazelnut crunch

i was thrilled to discover that honolulu pastry chef abigail langlas took over the old mary catherine's spot last year. this exceptionally talented lady of cakes grew up baking away in her family's big island kitchen eventually leaving the islands for culinary school in england. an apprenticeship at the four seasons london followed then abi continued on to france to perfect her considerable confectionery chops before returning to hawaii to dazzle diners at alan wong's.

my first introduction to abi's delightfully decadent creations was through my wedding floral designer who insisted abi's cakes were not too be missed. intrigued, the fella and i immediately booked an appointment to meet the best kept sweet secret in town. at the time, abi spent her days as the pastry chef at the honolulu coffee co. filling the case with perfectly composed desserts and baking up wedding cakes on the side.

one bite of abi's chocolate hazelnut crunch cake (shown above) and we were both smitten. happily, she was game to indulge the mister's request to craft two layer petite cakes as table centerpieces (chocolate hazelnut crunch and green tea-rimisu, shown below). to this day, our wedding cake(s) still receive happy reviews from the foodies on our guest list.

green tea-rimisu

our petite & scrumptious wedding cake! (top right)

lucky for us, an impromptu visit to the bakery case to reminisce over bites of our wedding day confections has been an unexpected bonus. once upon a time that case was tucked in the back of the honolulu coffee co.'s ala moana outpost, however we finally found our way to cake works' new storefront over the summer and it looks like our little secret is finally out.

take a peek at the gallery of sweets at the official cake works website or stop by and say hello!

• where: 2820 south king street
• shop hours: mon to sat, 9a to 7p & sun, 9a to 6p

p.s. my own little wedding cake can be found in the online gallery (or in the photo collage above, top right corner). a very happy surprise!

sustainable soiree style

happy news for anyone who loves to flip through the party pages and gaze at the beautiful tableaus composed by the most stylish event planners. green honolulu relaunched its official website (designed by stacy from bradley & lily) last month and added a gorgeous event gallery which has taken a cue from the lovely inspiration boards that have become a must do on all the wedding blogs.

peek after beautiful peek takes you inside the most charming soirées to daydream about being the most fabulous host/ess or a guest lucky enough to score an invite where the little details include pretty parasols to protect partygoers from the sizzling hawaiian sun, the chance to be romanced under flower garland chandeliers, and lounging on comfy sofascapes beneath the starry sky.

gh's gallery inspired a little cut and paste action of my own to share a roundup of all the possibilities from the flowers to the settings to the small details.

more peeks below . . .

since social events can generate a lot of waste, avery solmssen, gh's proprietor & creative director, welcomes every opportunity to green client's parties including the recycling of all biodegradable materials, and has also been known to scavenge materials from reuse hawaii's lumber stash to build centerpiece boxes that have been transformed into planters post-party.

the company offers modern pieces big and small (including sofas, lamps and accessories) for rental, and when the show goes on the road, green honolulu does its best to keep all the elements from flowers to food as local as possible to help support the surrounding economy and avoid flying in stuff from off island.

click over to the green honolulu website to flip through the official gallery and to learn more details about booking their services for your next event.

{photo credit: top // chrissy lambert, shawn starr; middle // visionari, christiaan phleger & lexi mackenzie, dave miyamoto; bottom // christiaan phleger & lexi mackenzie, chrissy lambert, joanna tano}

wedding wrap

here's a cute idea if you happen to be on the lookout for a wedding gift destined to make a splash. the wedding café now offers custom embroidered bath linens that can be personalized however you please and are perfect for the soon-to-be-wed, love is always in the air, hopelessly romantic sweethearts in your life about to set up their official married nest.

anything goes from monograms to pet names to the more traditional mister and missus. surprise the newlyweds with towels stitched in their wedding colors or simply scoop up the forever set which is stocked in-store.

prices start at $14 for a hand towel and go up from there so consider gathering up friends and family to gift a complete set.

turnaround time for custom orders is about a week.

• where: twc, ward warehouse
• shop hours: mon to sat, 10a to 9p & sun, 10a to 6p

and the winner is . . .

jana from honolulu who will have to make space on her bookshelf for her copy of wedding belles!

mahalo to everyone who entered! remember h|h readers can save 30% off the list price when they order the book directly from the official website:

• secret code: hapahale

congratulations, jana!