Philana + Gary Wedding :: Better Together (Oahu, Hawaii) Part II of III

Words by Maureen Young

“There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart”

~ Better Together, Jack Johnson

With an hour for creatives, we made the most of the time by shooting at a nearby lagoon where the rocks and water added a sense of fun and calm. While it was too cloudy for a sunset shoot, the clouds were stunning.   The newlyweds were happy to relax and enjoy some of their first moments as husband & wife (as long as the dress didn’t get dirty!)

Welcome Mr & Mrs Wong

Philana + Gary opened their reception with their first dance.  To celebrate their travels (and make it just a lil bit harder for guests to request a kiss) Philana + Gary locked lips only when someone named a place they had traveled together.  Finn, of camera lens mischief earlier in the day, was first to the podium, proudly declaring ‘France’ as an answer.

Always thoughtful, Philana + Gary had a photo booth, complete with costumes and props, to keep the kids entertained.  And a candy bar to keep the kids going ;)  Cameron, the flower girl, was so pleased with her photos she rushed over to show us – we loved the goofy shots! Thanks for sharing Cameron!

The wedding games were light-hearted and everyone had a laugh when Philana answered ‘July’ and Gary answered ‘August’ to the question ‘when did Gary propose?’  Typical of Gary, responsible enough to know it was a summer month but not romantic enough to know exactly when.

The speeches gave everyone insight into Philana + Gary’s personalities.  Philana, patient, caring, globe-trotter and bargain hunter extraordinaire is a loving romantic.  Gary was touted as the perfect guy; family-focused, responsible, career-orientated, handyman and an excellent cook.  Careful not to oversell, Vic added that Gary is also a man of few words and little sense of humor before stating that love must be deaf as Philana was impressed by Gary’s sense of humor.

Philana’s parents ended their speech with a surprise – they had youtube’d traditional Hawaiian dances and got the guests dancing along with them while Philana, shocked by her parents technological adeptness and dance ability, laughed and joined in.

Grandpa Gary, as his friends call their sensible, responsible friend, was encouraged to enjoy his wedding day and ‘hang loose’.  Taking his friend’s advice, Gary took part in the ‘who can dance better’ game and while he lost out on the Hershey’s Kisses with macadamia nuts and Kona coffee to Bobby and Fred, his bride was proud.

Part III :: A stunning couple, a stunning state = AWESOME.

Much love,

A+R