Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

The cathedral length veil is the show stopper in this inspirational photo shoot! But we also absolutely adore the bouquet. We think many brides this season will be impressed!

Details for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

Hawaii – it is truly a paradise on earth! The lush flowers, beautiful tropical plants, and, of course, the beach make a gorgeous natural backdrop for your big day. However, location isn’t the only aspect of a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding that you should consider. Hawaii is home to many wedding traditions itself, and many can be incorporated easily into your wedding day.

You’ll want to incorporate the use of leis in a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding. Leis may be used by not only the couple during the ceremony but also by the family members of the bride and groom. The orchid is also used heavily in Hawaiian tradition. The wedding cake may be decorated with loose orchids, and the reception area can be adorned with orchid sprays.

Colour Palette for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

The Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding colour palette can include any colour one might see when touring any of the islands, including Oahu and Maui. One colour palette might build off shades of pink and purple – rose, blush pink, lavender and deep purple. White and green could be incorporated with these particular colours.

Orange and yellow are also popular, vibrant colours that are commonly seen in Hawaiian flowers. Again, these hues can range from muted, soft yellows to bright orange mixed with white. You can also utilise blue and white, but blues should be royal blue or a very light blue. Dark blues such as navy or midnight blue won’t fit a Hawaiian-styled wedding.

What to Look for in a Venue for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

Hawaii is one of the few places on earth where the weather is warm and beautiful year-round, which makes an outdoor wedding venue an easy choice. There are multiple breathtaking venues for an outdoor wedding, including those on the beach.

If you’re considering a small, personal wedding, then the beach is perfect for this type of ceremony. Of course, there are also gardens featuring beautiful flowers and unique plants such as banana trees and palms that will serve as a unique venue as well.

Indoor weddings on a tropical island are also quite beautiful. There are many chapels available as well as historic locations that can be rented for the big day. There are also lots of opportunities for all-inclusive venues in Hawaii; these venues host the ceremony as well as the reception, and you’ll enjoy less stress as most of these venues offering wedding planning assistance.

Outdoor Wedding Ideas for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

Regardless of whether you plan for 500 guests or 50, an outdoor wedding in Hawaii is always a great option.

You can choose a location that is set on a cliff overlooking the island. These areas are often well-manicured and offer a beautiful natural backdrop of flowers and greenery. The venue will offer a ceremonial backdrop and chairs, and all you’ll need to do in the way of decorating is allow Mother Nature to show off her natural beauty.

You may also opt for a venue at which you can choose to marry on the beach or at another location on the property that overlooks the beach. If you want to throw in a little tradition, consider having family and friends place a ring of flowers where you’ll stand and say your vows.

Food for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

You’ll want to offer some traditional Hawaiian foods at a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding.

One of the most popular - and tastiest - traditional Hawaiian foods is laulau. This dish uses the leaves of the taro plant wrapped around pork and cooked in a hot rock oven (underground). The pork is slow-cooked for hours, which leaves the meat tender and juicy. As an alternative, laulau can be made with fish or chicken should you wish to forgo using pork.

Kalua pig is prepared in much the same way as laulua. However, one may treat the roasted pig like pulled pork (an American BBQ dish). This could be served on sandwiches for a laid-back and relaxed reception. Poke is another popular traditional Hawaiian food should you wish to serve fish, and you’ll want to offer lots of tropical fruits along with the main dish.

Bridesmaid Dresses for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

Considering the beautiful weather in Hawaii, you’ll likely want to choose a style of bridesmaid dress that is flowing and made from light, breezy fabric. One of the perfect solutions for this is a maxi dress. Most maxi dresses have a high, fitted waist and the maxi skirt is slit up the side. Plus, a maxi dress compliments multiple body types!

You may also wish to use a kimono-style dress for your bridesmaids. Kimonos are quite popular in Hawaii for you and your attendants as well. If you don’t wish to go with a maxi dress or a kimono, choose a dress made from light fabrics like chiffon. Sleeveless or spaghetti strap dresses are appropriate for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding.

Menswear for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

Hawaii Fresh Orchid Weddings offer your groom and his attendants multiple outfit options for the big day. Of course, most people associate a laid-back atmosphere with the Islands, and your groom may very well opt for a more traditional Hawaiian groom’s outfit for the nuptials. This would include a button down shirt, linen pants, and a lei. Shoes are optional, particularly if you marry on the beach and you wear barefoot sandals.

However, your groom and his attendants may opt for linen suits or linen suit pants with a vest for the nuptials. Be sure to choose light colours if your groom favours this option.

Ceremony Decor for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

You should use much of the natural beauty around you to create Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding ceremony decor. For instance, use the palm fronds and plentiful orchids for much of the ceremonial decor.

First, many of the venues available already have a ceremonial arch in place. You can use arrangements of palm fronds at the top corner of the arch, and you may also add cascading orchid arrangements.

A circle of flowers that you and your partner stand in as you say your vows is a traditional part of the Hawaiian wedding. You can ask your guest to place a few flowers in a circular pattern when they arrive, and you can play the Hawaiian Wedding Song while they are seated.

Reception Decor for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

If you are planning to have a true luau, then you’ll want to set up tables (you might want to set up long tables, but round tables are fine too). Orchid floral arrangements may make the centrepieces, and you can set up pineapple-shaped place cards for your special guests.

String lights above the reception area, particularly if the luau is in the evening. You can also set up tiki torches at the edges of the outdoor reception area. Add banana trees, Hawaiian plants, and Easter lilies in the way of greenery. Loose orchids are also appropriate to use as decor for the Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding reception.

Favours and Gifts for a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding

You can offer many cute wedding favours and gifts to your guests when hosting a Hawaii Fresh Orchid Wedding.

Start with Save the Date items. A pineapple is one of the chief fruits (and images) associated with Hawaii, so a pineapple-shaped Save the Date magnet makes an adorable wedding favour and lets your guests know what the theme of the big day is.

A welcome bag – with “Aloha” on the bag, of course – is also the perfect gift for guests. Be sure to place a wedding itinerary inside, Hawaiian-inspired snacks (fresh fruit is a must), and any instructions about the rehearsal dinner as well as directions to the venue.

Regal Bridal Session with an Orchid Veil

I’m so thrilled to share this shoot from the fabulous Carmen and Ingo Photography with you today! When these two told me they were going to be stopping by the Hawaiian Islands (on their honeymoon!) I couldn’t resist pulling something together for them to capture.

With design & styling by the incredible Morgan of Moana Events, her beautiful lead wedding coordinator Meaghan as our model, a stunner of a blush wedding dress, and the flawless backdrop of Dillingham Ranch – this regal bridal inspiration shoot is breathtaking!

The shoot consisted of several different scenes in the house and around the grounds at Dillingham Ranch on Oahu. The ranch has an innate air of nobility since it was established in 1897, built by Hawaii’s first railroad tycoon, and has hosted multiple royal families while on vacation.

I’d been eyeing a blush lace Carolina Herrera gown from Nearly Newlywed for a while and this editorial was the perfect excuse to have it flown out. With an elegant top bun and flawless makeup from Sarah of Wicked Hawaii, everything ended up suiting Meaghan perfectly.

The historic residence on the estate has its original high windows, hardwood floors, and a fireplace made out of lava rocks. Morgan of Moana Events styled the look with antique props, vintage love letters from Paris, and a bespoke veil from  Danani Handemade which was worn backwards for some old-fashioned formals.

We also styled the dress with a headpiece from Olivia, repurposed as a sash to add some glitz and glam to the indoor portion of the shoot.

Morgan did an absolutely epic job styling and designing everything – especially the flowers. To honor the grand estate and create the vision of a timeless royal bride she designed a cathedral-length veil made entirely out of white dendrobium orchid blooms. It looked fabulous shot along the stately aisle lined with royal palm trees! She also designed a king protea bouquet tied with gray satin ribbons and trailing strands of purple crown flowers.

Dillingham Estate includes a working ranch with horses, whom Meaghan couldn’t resist stopping to pet and of course being in Hawaii, Carmen and Ingo were drawn to the ocean just across the road. At the perfect ‘magic hour’ we all made our way down to the water for some final shots.

It was such an immense pleasure to finally meet Carmen and Ingo whom I’ve been a fan of for ages and can now count among my friends. And of course a big mahalo to the dream team of Hawaii wedding pros who brought this shoot to life!

Be sure to catch more work from Carmen & Ingo here and a celeb wedding from Moana Events here.

Credits: Photography: Carmen & Ingo Photography // Styling, Design, & Floral: Moana Events // Coordination: Burnett’s Boards // Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera from Nearly Newlywed // Hair & Makeup: Whik’d Hawaii // Veil: Danani Handmade // Bridal Belt: Olivia Headpieces // Model: Meaghan // Venue: Dillingham Ranch on Oahu, Hawaii.