If this is your first wedding, you are probably being pulled in way too many different directions and wondering where to start. Do not stress; you got this! If your budget allows, hire a wedding planner. It will reduce your stress and eliminate unnecessary guesswork. If you prefer planning on your own, invest in a wedding day coordinator. Have a professional take care of all the details, so you have time to celebrate. As a wedding day coordinator, I am happy to share some details from one of our recent He'eia State Park weddings.
Casha and Brian reached out to me a few months before their wedding day. They had the venue. This was going to be a He'eia State Park wedding with breathtaking views and a rustic setting of the banquet hall. They had gone through the entire planning on their own. The last part was to hire a wedding day coordinator to manage all the day-of details.
We connected and chatted about their plans. At about a thirty-day timeframe, I reached out again, and we gathered everything they had worked on so far. Casha and Brian had a great vision and were able to plan out everything nicely. However, there were some final touches I needed to assist them with, finalize some selections and place all the dots above Is. I always prepare a blueprint for a wedding day to avoid uncertainties on the day of.
This was a gorgeous He'eia State Park wedding. The park is located near Kaneohe on the windward shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The park is an 18-acre peninsula. It is home to stunning views of Kaneohe Bay and the Koolau mountain range. He'eia State Park is well-known in Hawaiian culture and is referred to as the point of shimmering light. The reception hall features exposed beams, tradewinds, and a 180-degree ocean view. Needless to say, it was a breathtaking venue!
My assistant and I arrived onsite at noon to set up the ceremony and reception decor. The bride and bridesmaids started getting the beauty service done around the same time while the groom and groomsmen arrived at the venue to bring some items for the party and get ready for the day. The hair & makeup were provided by Beauty by May.
Around two o'clock in the afternoon, the guests started coming. We greeted them and directed them to the ceremony area to be seated. Dream Weddings Hawaii took care of the couple's ceremony music, photography and videography, and personal florals. This was not their first He'eia State Park wedding. All the details were set and ready for the big moment. We lined up the bridal party and began the wedding ceremony. As a wedding day coordinator, I take pride in keeping my timelines as close as possible to what was planned. Things go smoothly and in order.
After the ceremony was over, we invited the guests to mix and mingle during the cocktail hour while Casha and Brian stayed with the photographer for a post-ceremony photoshoot.
Akahi Productions provided a DJ for the reception part. The music was playing, the drinks and pupus were served, and after the couple was done with the photo shoot, we welcomed them with a Grand Entrance. After that, the couple danced their first dance. We then moved on to dinner. The delicious catering service was provided by Keneke's, and Aloha Hospitality Professionals provided the bartending service for the wedding. As a wedding day coordinator, I genuinely appreciate the hard work of these wedding professionals because they made the whole wedding run smoothly and made my service significantly more manageable.
The rest of the night, the couple and the guests simply enjoyed themselves. It was a magical night of laughter, dancing, and good memories. While the guests were celebrating, we wrapped up the catering service and cleaned up the space. Later at night, we had Oahu Party Bus take the guests to their hotels. The couple departed in a limo provided by Jay's Limo Service. We finished breaking down the event, and putting away furniture; we made sure nothing was left behind and completed the coordination of all events.
Long day? Yes. Awesome experience? Absolutely! I genuinely love what I do and am honored that couples invite me to be a part of their wedding. Especially for a He'eia State park wedding. If you're looking for an Oahu wedding day coordinator, feel free to reach out. It would be my pleasure to coordinate your special day!
Coordination: Hawaii Weddings Planner | Venue: He'eia State Park | Catering: Keneke's | Bartending: Aloha Hospitality Professionals | Photo, Video, Floral, Ceremony Music: Dream Weddings Hawaii | Reception Entertainment: Akahi Productions | Transportation: Oahu Party Bus & Jay's Limo Service | Beauty: Beauty by May |