We know that looking your very best on your big day is so important! A big part of your look is your hair and makeup for the day, and that’s something we can help you with. You may have some ideas for your hair or makeup style, but we wanted to share a few of our tips with you.

Many brides ask us if we can refer them to a salon or stylist. We highly recommend our team of in-house hair and makeup artists. They are some of the best in the industry, and they’ll come right to your Waikiki hotel room to help you look amazing on your wedding day!

 Our stylists have beautiful natural looking lashes for your special day! 

Having a wedding or vow renewal is not something done often, so one of the questions that often comes up is, "Is tipping common? If so, how much?" 

The short answer: Yes, tipping is common in the wedding industry. As we like to say, "tipping isn't expected, but it's always appreciated."

If you Google this question, there are many articles about tipping vendors. Just remember that many of those are for large, traditional weddings. We're trying to make it easy with this article by letting you know what's common here in Hawaii.

Who to Tip

It's common to consider tipping anyone who performs a service on your special day. 

• Officiant
• Photographer/Videographer
• Musician/Dancer
• Limo Driver
• Hair and Makeup Artist

“I want to do dinner after my ceremony, but I don’t know where we should go. Do you have any suggestions?” It’s something we coordinators hear all the time, and I am here to provide my recommendation!

Signature Prime Steak and Seafood is my favorite restaurant for a celebratory meal for two main reasons: The view is lovely, and the food is fantastic (with that said, what more could you want?!). But for the skeptics, let me elaborate.

 From the 36th floor of the Ala Moana Hotel, the views are quite beautiful.

It's a question we often hear: How can I get my wedding dress to Hawaii? 

While it's easier for the groom, transporting your wedding attire is something you need to think about, especially for the dress. We generally have two options we recommend.

1. Carry Your Wedding Dress on the Plane

It's rare these days for the airlines to loose your luggage, but it's best to play it safe and not pack your wedding dress in your checked luggage.  We ALWAYS recommend bringing your dress on the airplane as carry-on luggage. The safest place for the dress is in your possession. 

By carrying it on the plane with you, you're responsible for it arriving safely and undamaged.

If you'd like to have your dress pressed and your hotel does not offer the service, you could use Marie Louise Cleaners (808-593-1110 ). They do same day pickup and drop off, so it's very convenient. Many of our brides use their services, so we feel confident recommending them. 

Make sure to schedule ahead of time to ensure they can accommodate you. 

Capturing memories with photo and video is an important part of your day, and we want to give some tips to make sure you look your best and are comfortable with your team.

Photography

Our professional photographers will greet you with a warm aloha and lead you through everything from start to finish. They know it’s not every day you turn up for a photo shoot, so they’ll do their best to make you comfortable.

Tips to Remember:

• Relax and enjoy yourselves. The day is meant to be fun, so don’t take the photo shoot too seriously.
• Let your photographer know if you have any special requests. If there’s a particular pose or photo you’ve seen on our website that you know you want, just ask.
• Have good posture. Standing and sitting up straight are more flattering.
• Not sure about your smile? Mix it up. Your photographer will take a lot of pictures, so feel free to try a variety of expressions.
• Don't be late to your ceremony or it'll cut into your photo/video time.
• Following your ceremony, your photo shoot will start with group shots. If you have a large amount of guests, prep them so they know not to disappear. These take more time than you might think. 
• Love on each other. You’ll see the emotion and joy in the final pictures!

Will reality meet your expectations?

When dreaming about your Hawaiian beach wedding, you probably imagine beautiful blue skies with a handful of white, puffy clouds. You’re both wearing sunglasses as you make your way onto the beach. The trade winds are blowing. Your photographer’s snapping away, framing the moment around an amazing backdrop of ocean and mountains. The temperature’s a comfortable 83 degrees, which is around 27 degrees Celsius for our international couples ;-)

You’re probably picturing something like this: