A Green Wedding in Hawaii

In honor of Earth Day I wanted to share a green wedding. Tami and Brian recently tied the knot at Lanikuhonua on Oahu, Hawaii. The location was perfect for them, outdoors next to the ocean and very green. This couple was all about green…the color. But, the wedding ended up also being a green wedding from an eco-conscious standpoint as well. They wanted it to be fun, fresh and cheerful, but not traditionally or touristy Hawaiian looking. Most of all, we wanted to make sure it was personalized. This took some creativity, but it all came together seamlessly. I couldn’t wait to share the fun things we did for this wedding, so please excuse my amateur photography.

Their gift table was highlighted with the bride’s family’s Japanese bonsai tree (very green!). The tree was used to hang a thousand origami cranes, a nod to their Japanese heritage and tradition for good luck.

Hanging seating cards matching the invitation gave the guests something look at and do during cocktail hour. The breeze made the cards sway which actually made them more fun.

This is a view of the tent from the outside and then from the inside. We used a clear tent so that you could see the sky, making you feel like you were outdoors. The couple wasn’t into cut floral arrangements and the waste associated, so to make it a green wedding, we rented ficus trees that “grew” out of the tables. Each tree was different and were our centerpieces to a candlelit pacific rim family style meal.

To continue the feeling of outdoors and the use of live plants, I created these chandelier boxes which held honohono orchids. These orchids naturally grow downwards and give off a very light fragrance which added a wonderful scent to the evening. Twinkle lights, a personal favorite of the bride, were used to light up the tent.

Ball jars, a nod to the bride’s love of cooking, were filled with sand from the beach right next to the venue and provided candlelight on the tables. Covers were handed out at the end of the night so guests could take the jars home and reuse them.

This is a day and night shot of the lounge used for seating during cocktail hour and for the after dinner live music (a big must of the couple) featuring the amazing John Cruz. The formal program was short and sweet, just as the couple wanted. The couple didn’t want dancing, but some great live lounge music instead. The recycled branch structure formed an organic “wall” to separate the lounge space from the tent.

This is a close view of the branch structure intertwined with baby’s breath (a bride favorite) and fern.

The playful couple had a photobooth stocked with lots of random props and costumes the couple had collected over the years. Yup, even the photobooth was green. The custom backdrop had the tree used on their invitation and was placed on a quilt for the couple to use later in their home together.