Sometimes Mother Nature decides to us throw a curve ball…in this case, She sent us a hurricane! After a year of planning and all wedding finalization complete, the news struck on a Monday that a hurricane was heading to Hawaii. If it hit, it would do so over the weekend….the weekend of Michelle and Jonathan’s wedding! We watched the news intently and waited, and finally on Thursday I picked up the phone and called Michelle and Jonathan to let them know that I thought we needed to move their wedding up a day, from Saturday to Friday. WHAT!??? With 200 guests to call and 15 different vendor companies to reschedule, this made for a very eventful 24 hours!
Friends, family, vendors and our team sprang into action. Amazingly, their venue and every single vendor they selected for their wedding day was able to accommodate. That itself was a miracle, and might I mention that this was no easy feat. Rehearsal was originally scheduled for Friday morning; instead, we held it in the dark at 9pm Thursday at a park in Waikiki. Flowers had thankfully all arrived and the florist pulled an all-nighter to create the bouquets, ceremony decor and centerpieces. The caterer closed his storefront kitchen early. The bartender was on a flight from the east coast to Oahu, got off the plane to a flurry of voice messages, and was able to guarantee that he had staffing available. Tenting, lighting, rentals, needed to be juggled with other event installations. Hair and make up…oh, hair and make up…that was a close one! Michelle’s stylist had another wedding booked and the soonest she could make it to style Michelle and her five bridesmaids was 2pm…just an hour and a half before Michelle would depart for the ceremony. Styling six ladies in that amount of time plus allowing for getting dressed and bridal photos was cutting it close to say the least. And one more thing…the vendors were all onboard, but what about the wedding planner’s staff? All of my normal “crew” were not available on Friday due to travel and other work commitments, so I called upon other Hawaii wedding planner peers in the industry; they jumped on board as my staff and provided the support necessary for a smooth day!
Friday came and not a drop of rain! Michelle and Jonathan’s day meant more to everyone there than you can imagine. Everything ran smoother than anticipated, and ahead of schedule. You can imagine my surprise when the photographer called to let me know that hair and make up for SIX ladies was completed ahead of schedule. How does that happen with only an hour and half allotted? Yes, on Saturday it rained and rained and rained…like torrential downpour kind of rain, and every single one of us were counting our blessings that Michelle and Jonathan had the Hawaii wedding of their dreams.
I have to send warm fuzzies to all the vendors that came together seamlessly as a team without a drop of hesitation. Need I say more about how important it is to hire vendors that are honest, reputable, and have your best interest at heart? Be good to them…they will love you in return and support you when you need it most.
To Michelle and Jonathan, I would not trade this experience for anything in the world! The grace you showed speaks volumes and I’m quite sure you’ll be able to overcome any obstacles that life may bring your way! XOXO! ~Diana
Bartending: Aloha on the Rocks
Cake: A Cake Life
Caterer: Kahai Street Kitchen
Dessert: Kona Ice
DJ/Emcee: Troy Michael DJ
Florist: Aiea Florist
Lighting: Mood Event
Linen: Chair Cover Express
Location: Lanikuhonua Phase II
Officiant: Timothy Ung (family friend)
Photographer: Rachel Robertson Photography
Rental Equipment: Pacific Party Rentals
Styling: Leslie Fair
Tent: Accel Party Rentals
Venue: Lanikuhonua, Phase II
Hawaii Wedding Planner: Lucia Events
