Every time a Kauai wedding makes it’s way across my desk, my heart skips a beat. Maybe it’s because my fiancé and I are scouting the area for our honeymoon, maybe it’s the breathtaking beaches or maybe it’s because they’re gorgeously orchestrated by a fabulous team of vendors like this one from Moana Events and Sea Light Studios. Either way, getting lost in the gallery is an easy fete.
From the beautiful Bride…Given our courtship, which spanned years and continents, our wedding could be anything but typical. From the day we got engaged, we were torn between eloping and having a stereotypically grandiose Indian ceremony, between having something local and accessible rather than something remote and intimate – these are, of course, decisions we never had to make in full, instead indulging ourselves with our favorite parts of each. We settled on Kauai for our reception because, despite our constantly connected careers and lives, we wanted somewhere completely cut off from technology. Somewhere you don’t really need GPS because there’s only one road, and where you aren’t worried about your bandwidth affecting Netflix streaming quality because you can hardly stay indoors. With endless beaches surrounding lush tropical forests, Kauai seemed like the most remote yet visually rich landscape within several thousand miles of home. It also incorporated my husband’s love of the outdoors as well as the preternatural comfort I take in flora and natural beauty.
In Dallas, we wanted to make sure to incorporate all the things we couldn’t bring with us to Kauai – in addition to bridal mendhi from my sister-in-law Kiran Meghani of KM Henna Artistry, we had the nikkah ceremony in our local mosque (where we coincidentally met for the first time fifteen years earlier), and celebrated both events with some authentic, spicy indian cuisine. We were told to prepare for some interesting and unpredictable weather in Kauai, supposedly the wettest island, but nothing could have prepared us for snow and freezing rain in Dallas – it certainly made us feel loved that our guests braved that weather to celebrate with us.
Once we escaped the Texas frost to sunny Kauai, we were in the able hands of our wedding planner, Morgan Childs, of Moana Events. She really helped us articulate a vision that brought together our eclectic styles and taste into something truly one-of-a-kind. The residence at Na Aina Kai’s botanical gardens proved to be the perfect backdrop for our welcome dinner, providing ample space for Bollywood dancing and East African barbecue.
Despite ample rain the entire week, the clouds parted at 3pm, giving way to the sun just minutes before our afternoon ceremony. The style and decor provided by Martin Roberts, in the elegant tent from Kauai tents, were beyond compare – capturing every aesthetic we had both imagined. The dancing and festivities were broken up by an incredible dinner from Contemporary Flavors as well as breathtaking Tahitian and Fire Knife dance performances from Urahutia Productions.
After the wedding, the things we remember fondest are the things that went against plan – the rain, the mud, the groom losing his ring (don’t ask). We can scarcely remember the sublime, captivating moments and scenes that Fawne and Sebastian of Sea Light Studios captured so perfectly. Every detail from place settings to floral arrangements to beverage stations reflected our vision perfectly, and the time Morgan took to really understand us before executing really made a difference – the entire affair was perfectly reflective of us.
We’re now left with a special attachment to Kauai unlike any other place, as this remote tropical paradise, for one weekend, became ‘ours’ – and thanks to the memories, it will forever remain that way.
Photography: Sea Light Studios | Videography: Zest Kauai Videography | Floral Design: MartinRoberts Design | Ceremony Venue: Moana Belle Events | Reception Venue: Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens | Catering: Contemporary Flavors | Entertainment: Hope Stanley | DJ: Kustom Sounds Kauai | Tent Rental: Kauai Tent | Coordination & Event Design: Moana Belle Events | Hair & Makeup Artists: Mia Moriguchi LLC | Henna Artistry: KM Henna Artistry