Like a tropical vacation married with meaning, Heather Cook Elliott Photography captured this wildly rural celebration. A botanical garden fête complete with unbelievably turquoise waters, hula dancers and even Hawaiian Shaved Ice, the gallery is refreshing as it is romantic. It’s the ultimate island evening and you can see it all in The Vault!
From Heather Cook Elliott Photography… Kauai is a wild and rural place, constantly changing but in many ways age old and always the same. Lush green peaks tower over unbelievably turquoise water and beaches jagged with black volcanic rock. Horses and goats and trucks are everywhere the tourists aren’t and surfboards are tied to any four wheeled thing that moves. There is very little “architecture” to write about as what is there has an odd wild west-saloon quality to it, but the sleek palms, incredibly varied plants and rock formations give form and structure to all the outdoor places anyone might care to visit. Brooke & Steve have called Kauai home for nearly two years now, two Haoles who have done an amazing and genuine job of immersing themselves in the culture, the place, the food, the sense of being that is Kauai. Their wedding was a destination one for their families and childhood and college friends, but for scores of other guests and for themselves it was really a wedding at home. Catered by their local favorite places with entertainment by an expert and acclaimed hula dance and music group, they invited everyone to explore the botanical gardens and enjoy Hawaiian Shave Ice, to dance and to lounge in the sun, to take photos in a converted VW bus, to pray with them in the oldest Catholic church on the island. In the span of just a few hours I felt that I came to know them both as old friends and I have to share some of who they are here. I loved how everything felt distinctly Hawaiian, but also unarguably Brooke & Steve and I think that’s because whatever Brook & Steve do they do all in. From shipping his truck thousands of miles from Wisconsin to Kauai because that truck is his baby to them getting matching spam musubi tattoos because they love those things, Brooke and Steve are all about love and passion and awesomeness – living it day by day and always together.
Photography: Heather Cook Elliott Photography | Floral Design: JC Flowers | Floral Design: MartinRoberts Design | Wedding Dress: Joelle Perry | Reception Venue: The Kampong | Bride's Shoes: Seychelles | Hair And Makeup: DT Style Team | DJ: Mike Lopez | Hotel: Koa Kea | Aloha Shirts: Kealopiko | Hula Dance Group: Hope Stanley | Leis: Lin's Lei's | Photo Booth: Hawaiian Photo Bus | Purses: Mermaid At Heart Hawaii By Kapua Kaneakua | Shave Ice Truck: Wailua Shave Ice | Styling & Coordination: Kawaii Designs Hawaii | Tattoo: Ms. Billie At Blue Tiki Tattoo