An Artful French-Inspired Garden Wedding on the Island of Oahu

The Planning
Design / Vibe / Vision

Nora and Jackson’s French-inspired garden wedding in Hawaii featured a mix of elegant and rustic elements. The overall design was romantic, with a touch of whimsy and charm. The venue was adorned with lush greenery, palm trees, blooming flowers and vintage-inspired details. Aloha means "the presence of breath" or the essence of existence, love, peace, mutual understanding, and respect. Nora and Jackson felt this beautiful, profound word portrays the pillars of their relationship. They immediately fell under its spell after visiting the island back in 2015. As a haven for Asian food and multicultural delights, they felt it was the place to gather all their loved ones and immortalize their love. And on their 7th anniversary – October 16th, 2022, Nora and Jackson translated their vision into reality at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. Nora and Jackson's entire wedding was a beautiful fusion of different elements. The aesthetic was inspired by French gardens and enveloped by glorious tropical greenery and palm trees. The ceremony aisle was adorned with lavish floral artistry in the form of a double arch that beautifully framed their love and devotion. It exuded a timelessly elegant feel while channeling an airy, romantic look. The blush palette enriched with a rare color of plumeria was enough to touch the hearts of everyone present and be forever etched in their memory. The reception perfectly embodied the ethereal garden floral delight with a French touch, with long tablescapes. The opulent chandeliers whose poles were wrapped with fresh rainforest leaves. The guests were welcomed with a vintage gold welcome mirror while fresh flowers caressed everyone's senses. But what made this exquisite French garden affair was the customized high-end favors by Jo Malone, which were an ode to classic elegance. Beautifully placed on ivory lace medallion linens and refined tableware, and surrounded by blush-colored flowers, this combination quenched everyone's thirst for pure aesthetics. To elevate the guest experience and achieve a natural garden feel, as a finesse, there were pink butterfly place cards for the seating chart. The butterflies were placed around the champagne glasses – fluttered with the breeze's help. Finally, the chandelier's luminous beauty allowed the fête to unfold into the evening hours. Then, the guests were treated to Tahitian and fire knife dance performances, adding a Hawaiian atmosphere to the wedding celebration. It was truly splendid entertainment for Nora and Jackson's loved ones, who came from all around the world to celebrate their love. Despite their challenges, Nora and Jackson's iconic day was curated to perfection.

The Fashion
Wedding Gown

The Vera Wang Fernanda Gown is a classic French tulle strapless soft A-line gown. It is a statement piece that embodies an elegant ball gown with a modern twist in the neckline. The dress is made from layers of ivory tulle, which gives it a soft, ethereal feel. The dress features a unique blend of classic and modern elements, resulting in a sophisticated and whimsical design. What a princess dress in the fairytale!

Bridesmaid Dresses

The bride waned to have a mix of dresses for her bridesmaids. She chose a range of color tones in a similar hue to make sure her bridesmaids could stand out individually but still keep things cohesive. She picked beautiful satin dresses from Jenny Yoo and the colors were: sage, latte, quartz, whipped apricot, gold and petal.

The Details
Food & Drink

The wedding had 11 types of passed canapes during the cocktail hour with catering by Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina:


Prawn cocktail with pickled mango, crab meat and avocado tart, spicy Ahi in sesame miso cone, coconut and fish of the day ceviche, seared tuna with edamame pureé and furikake on baguette, beef tartar with quail egg and brioche, mini lobster puff with tarragon and preserved Lemon scallion profiterole, duck spring rolls with Hoisin dipping sauce, mini crab cakes with tomato chutney 10. spiced braised beef short ribs with furikake blinis, Kalua pork and sweet potato croquette


Dinner was offered in 3 courses:


Appetizers - Arugula and Endive Salad with Prosciutto

Entrees - Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Salmon/Roasted Filet Mignon/Kabocha Squash Gnocchi

Dessert - Key Lime Bar


Wines served tableside: prosecco, Sangiovese and Chardonnay Cocktail Selection: Wheatley Vodka, Havana Club Rum, Old Lahaina Dark Rum, Bulleit Rye, Jim Beam Bourbon, Johnnie Walker Black Scotch, Bombay Dry Gin, Mi Campo Tequila

Florals & Decor

From the sprawling arches to the overflowing centerpieces, this wedding is a true garden of dreams, where lush blooms and delicate petals come together to create a stunning display of nature’s beauty. The beauty of summertime (still in Hawaii) has been captured in this lavish this wedding floral design, where every detail is an ode to the season’s renewal and growth. For Nora and Jackson’s wedding, we have more than 20 types of flowers including: Anthurium, Clematis, Delphinium, Tulip, Garden Rose, Spray Rose, David Austin Rose, Hydrangea, Lisianthus, Lily, Parrot Tulip, Ranunculus, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea, Butterfly Ranunculus, Plumeria, Gypsohila, Stock, Allium Neopolitanum and Astrantia.


Even though they couldn't have locally sourced flowers because Hawaii has only tropical ones – and the climate doesn't allow for roses and other cool climate plants to thrive – they managed to get them. This was done with the help of the New York floral vendor – Floraland Weddings & Events, who ordered them from NY, Japan, the Netherlands, and other European countries. With the stunning natural beauty of Hawaii, this French-style garden wedding was a truly unforgettable event, filled with sophistication, beauty, and romance!

Wedding Cake
The three-tiered fine art cake inspired by French garden style, was decorated by all fresh flowers. It was placed in front of the double arch. The delicious vanilla cake had strawberry fillings inside.
Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs
The Harp Quartet played the following music pieces during the wedding ceremony: Jesu joy of Man’s Desiring --- Groom’s Entrance Ode To Joy --- Processional Wedding Party Canon in D --- Processional Bride La Vie En Rose --- Unity Ceremony – Sand Ceremony Sheep May Sefely Graze --- Recessional Dance music: DJ played Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” for Nora and Jackson’s first dance and Carrie Underwoo’s “Mama’s Song” for mother daughter dance. Performance: Local Hawaii Tahitian and fire knife dance in front of “ALOHA” sign
Special Detail #1

This wedding has various personalized items including: pink butterfly place cards for the seating chart, gold wooden place names, personalized “NJ” monogrammed dinner napkins and a custom portrait guestbook. The guest favors – Jo Malone body cream and colognes were pre-ordered and shipped to Hawaii, together with 5 huge chandeliers. All the fresh flowers were also shipped from New York City, Japan, Netherlands and other European countries.

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Cinematography: LIKEFILM STUDIO | Event Planning: Manna Sun Events | Floral Design: Floraland Weddings & Events | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Catering,Wedding Venue: Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina | Entertainment: Hawaii Hula Company | DJ: Aloha Event DJ | Groom's Attire: Giorgio Armani | Engagement Ring Designer: De Beers | Dance Lesson: Fred Astaire Dance Studios | Weddings Rings: Harry Winston