This Hawaiian-born bride found the perfect place to say ‘I Do’ to her groom. They wed in San Diego, California, where they could celebrate with a taste of tropical decor right by the beach. DIY details and bright shades of aqua & coral make for one pretty party. Read on for the bride & groom’s story and how they achieved their perfect day.
Bryan and I started dating back in high school, and we both agree that even with over ten years of memories under our belt, our wedding day was our best day ever. It was such a dream come true having all of our loved ones in the same place at the same time. On top of that, it was a gorgeous day in La Jolla. I know a lot of people want a bright and sunny day for their wedding, but I wanted clouds so that no one would get too hot and have to squint in photos. Luckily, overcast weather is exactly what I got. With the sun peeking through the clouds and forming a spotlight on the ocean, It was perfect.
Even though the wedding was in San Diego, and at the time we were both residing in Orange County, we wanted everyone to feel like they were guests in my home state of Hawaiʻi. From the delicious shaved ice during cocktail hour, the beach glass details, using pineapples as decor pretty much anywhere I could think to, wearing the beautiful flower leis shipped from the aloha state, using my dad’s surfboard as our guestbook (which is now proudly on display in our living room), having my dear friend, Aito, fly across the Pacific to officiate our wedding, and being surprised with an oli (Hawaiʻian chant) written by my friend, Manakō, as an opening to our ceremony, I felt like I got to be in Hawaiʻi for the day. I couldn’t imagine such an important day being celebrated in any other fashion.
Looking back now, everything came together so beautifully, and this is in large thanks to my friends and family. All of the wooden signage was painted by my great friends Karly and Jesse (I splashed on the color in the background but we all know calligraphy is the hard part.) Same goes for the beach glass place cards, with extra assistance from my friends and family to finish them all. My sister, Katie, helped me with the hand painted aloha print table runners, which was quite a project to complete. While most of these projects were being executed, my parents kept us going with moral support and food deliveries. I cannot express how thankful I am to have such a support system.
omg the pineapples!!
So creative and cute!
love the ombre details!
Right?! It’s such a fun twist on a beach wedding!
We love it too!
Such a clever detail! We’re obsessed!
Where is this wedding venue/location? What is it called?