Get Your 'Aloha' On The Rocks!

In Hawaii, it's basically summer all year round. After 5 years in rainy rainy Oregon, I was dying to come back home several years ago. All I could think about the entire time I was up there was, 'I need to get back to the sunshine- STAT!'. I missed the beach, the food and all the yummy fruits we have here- pineapple, starfruit, mangoes- you name it, I missed it! During those dark winter months, I often daydreamt about lying on the beach with a Plantation Iced Tea or a Pina Colada in hand. I think that's the same dream most people have when they think 'Hawaii' too.

So when it comes to brides planning an outdoor wedding in the Isles, incorporating all those lovely things people think of about Hawaii is crucial. Not only are you planning an elegant ceremony on the beach, you want to end the day with an awesome party! And parties mean drinks. And in Hawaii, we're talking Pina Coladas, Daquiries, lots of tropical flavors- coconut, pineapple, mango and on and on. We all know every wedding's got to have a great bar.


Enter Shaun Henderson of Aloha On The Rocks. He'll get your friends and family all set with cocktails, Island style. Have a favorite flavor in mind? Looking for a signature drink that will remind guests of your wedding and their time in Hawaii? Shaun will whip it up for you, no problem.

When it comes to a sunset ceremony, Pacific Aisles wedding planner Christina always recommends serving a non-alcoholic drink to keep your guests hydrated before the big night. Our favorite? A Plantation Iced Tea. Here's our recipe with a twist:



Ingredients
4 Balck tea bags
24 mint leaves, torn
4 cups boiling water
4 cups canned pineapple juice, chilled
6 lychees, peeled, deseeded, chopped
3 cups ice cubes

Mix!
Place tea bags and half the mint in a large, heatproof jug. Add boiling water. Jiggle tea bags for 1 minute. Discard. Refrigerate tea until cold.
Divide chilled tea, pineapple juice, lychee and remaining mint between 2 large carafes. Stir until passionfruit seeds separate and tea is well combined. Chill until ready to serve.

And to Make it Alcoholic...
Half-fill each glass with tea. Add ice cubes and top with ginger beer. Serve iced tea immediately.

Hawaii wedding planner Katy Castillo's got a couple more drink ideas for you here...

We're go glad to have Aloha On The Rocks join us at Pacific Bride Guide- we'll see you there!

pacific bride guide
The guide to planning your wedding in the Pacific

Iced Tea image by Pacific Bride Guide photographer Christie Pham, wedding image by Joe Buissink and Pacific Aisles

How to 'Go Local' at Your Hawaii Wedding

I love a simple outdoor wedding. Give me a table, chairs and sunshine and I'm happy. When it comes to food, I'm not into fuss either. Set me at this table and fill me up with simple salads, wine and cheese and that'd be my kind of wedding.


Following our Hawaii Bride's post on Downtown catering last week, I got to sit-down with Chef/Owner Ed Kenney on Monday to chat about what Hawaii's modern bride is looking for. Like Kristina said, great food pretty much makes a wedding... though I guess food is really only second to the actual wedding itself, we shouldn't forget that! Gone are the carving stations or hastily put together buffets, couples want great food, presented beautifully and (I'd like to throw in a third request) more and more couples are going local. We hear it all around town, but what does it really mean to 'go local'?


Well, here's an idea: Let's start with food. I love spending my Saturday mornings at the KCC Farmer's Market not 5 minutes from Waikiki. Over the past several years, the Farmer's Market has exploded and my favorite stall to visit is Ma'o Organic Farms. The first thing you'll notice are the piles of fresh salad mixes, chard and other leafy greens. The next thing you'll notice are the teenagers that man the stall... Ma'o Organic Farms was established to get Hawaii's youth back in the fields and to give them the opportunity to be at the forefront of sustainable, local social entrepreneurship. Ma'o has given thousands of youth, many of Native Hawaiian descent, a sense of purpose and accomplishment by getting them in the fields producing Hawaii's best organic produce.


Chef Ed of Downtown has been on of Ma'o's biggest supporters over the years featuring their 'ono salad mixes and greens daily. I've been a customer/fan of Town and Ma'o over the years and proudly support their mission of bringing local, organic produce AND supporting Hawaii's youth to the forefront of Hawaii's 'go local' movement.


So you're getting married? And you're probably hiring a caterer, right? Here's one little but awesome way you can go local: Ask your caterer to help you support Ma'o Organic Farms. Whether you're purchasing your greens through your caterer or making a trip to the Farmer's Market yourself, go local at your wedding by supporting Hawaii's environment and our youth. We promise you'll eat well and feel great on your Big Day.


pacific bride guide
The guide to planning your wedding in the Pacific

images by Honolulu Weekly, Ma'o Organic Farms and Pacific Bride Guide photographer Christie Pham

The Hawaii Bride: Are You Hungry? Downtown catering feeds you well!

Brides and grooms are guaranteed to agree- Good food at your wedding is a must! Today our Hawaii Bride Kristina gives you the low-down on what to expect from a wedding caterer and why she chose local fave Downtown for her Big Day...

Pacific Bride Guide got an email from reader, Kelly, last week asking about wedding food catered from Downtown at the Hawaii State Art Museum. I was lucky enough to work with General Manager Keoni and the staff at Downtown for my own wedding and I’m happy to share my experience. Here is just a little photo from my wedding, courtesy of Pacific Bride Guide vendor and my favorite photographer, Christie Pham, to tantalize you… (more photos below).

Now, some people come to weddings to see the dress, or to check out the good looking bridal party, others are family members there to wish the happy couple off… But, no matter who it is, everyone is also there for the food! So while we’re on the topic, let me just state that your menu is probably one of the most important facets of the wedding planning. They say that your food bill should be about 25%-30% of your total budget. Add in the bar tab, reception site, and you are talking a good 50% of your funds! So yes, this is important, brides!

I’ve been to my fair share of local weddings where they served the standard buffet that was sub-par. What I can tell you about Downtown is that it will not be ordinary or lacking in inventiveness. Their food is amazing and their presentation is even better. I worked with GM Keoni to decide on the menu. Since TOWN and Downtown are two of my favorite restaurants in our beautiful state, I already had my go-to dishes in mind. Downtown is all about fresh ingredients, so Keoni outlined the plan for food, but waited on the seasonal produce to confirm the details.

I had a gallery hour for our guests to walk through the wonderful spaces at HiSAM, and in the sculpture lobby we served wine and appetizers. Our appetizers were Kamiya papaya wrapped in prosciutto and mint; ahi tartare on Ho Farms cucumber; and crostini of roasted grape, mascarpone, and rosemary. Everything was delicious!

For dinner, I choose to go with stations to enhance guest mingling and minimize the need for many staff members, thus saving on cost. We had two stations full of antipasti dishes including a watercress salad with pear, gorgonzola, and walnuts; bitter greens with pine nuts and raisins; tomato and avocado with ricotta just to name a few.

One of Downtown’s specialties is the massive cheeseboard with assorted cured meats, dried fruits, and bread. This was a hit and had a line throughout the night.

Our entrees consisted of 2 selections: braised pork with the best polenta I’ve ever had and olive oil roasted free-range chicken with fingerling potatoes. Downtown is also known for their slow cooked, melt in your mouth meat entrees and ours did not disappoint.

For dessert we had a seasonal fruit warm dessert made by downtown. I have to admit that by that time I was stuffed and so tired, I don’t even remember what it was. But, I know it was delicious because we got a lot of compliments. Coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic beverage service were provided by downtown as well.

Also for dessert, we catered individual pieces from JJ’s French Bistro and Bakery on Waialae Avenue, known for their chocolate pyramid. This was a wonderful little treat for our guests since we didn’t have a large cake to pass out. Our petite cake was also made by JJ’s and it was so yummy.

Downtown was nice enough to receive all of these desserts and display them in their elegant, understated way. This is just an example of the exceptional service you will get from Keoni and staff. I felt that working with them was like working with friends – they cared about my event, and were very real as opposed to being corporate and robotic. I do know that downtown is growing in popularity every day and Keoni is swamped, so make sure to check in every now and then.

I hope that answered some of your questions, Kelly! Have a great day!

Thanks, Kristina! And have a great weekend! For more stellar Hawaii caterers, click here...

pacific bride guide
The guide to planning your destination wedding in the Pacific

delectable food photos were shot by the amazingly talented Christie Pham.

The Pacific Wedding Guide Collection: New Additions

To say this week has been a long week would be an understatement. On Sunday I was lucky enough to be helping Pacific Aisles with a wedding in beautiful Hawi on the Big Island... and the bride was none other than avid reader Betty Lee! Congratulations again to Betty and new hubby Kent- I can honestly say, as tiring as putting a wedding together is, I never get tired of being there for such a special moment. Tear. P.S.- this isn't Betty and Kent... I'm waiting on the pics but promise to post as soon as I get them!

Ok, back on Oahu and back to work! I believe in giving you the honest low-down on all things wedding in the islands and what I can tell you is I do know Pacific Wedding Guide's Caterers. Well. Why? Because I've tasted their food before I decided 'yes, oh yes!' I must stalk them to be a part of our humble website. Ginniberries? Yum and yum. Big G? Bread pudding- amen. Downtown? Hello, I'm at sister restaurant Town all the time. So a couple of weeks ago at a Kualoa wedding...


... I got the chance to sample Memoirs Hawaii. Uh-mazing! Chef Peter (though he looks quite young) knows his way around an outdoor kitchen and cranks out amazing food right on site. There was a veggie saute station, lobster-on-the-barbie, pasta and more! His right hand gal and event manager, Heather, was onsite to make sure the whole food experience was seamless. Good food made by cool people? Check. Another amazing catering experience? Check. The fact that I get to give YOU personal recommendations for all of our caterers? Priceless.


Let's take a quick hop back to the Big Island and one of my favorite small towns in the State... Pahala! Just south of the Big Island's Volcanoes National Park, the tiny town of Pahala is a like taking a trip back in time. If you're familiar with Hanapepe on Kauai or Hawi on the Big Island, Pahala is an old sugar town too, filled with too-cute plantation houses and a super chill Old Hawaii vibe. When photographer James Rubio posted his pics of the Pahala Plantation House and Cottages I fell out of my seat. Hawaii's version of a deep-south plantation mansion, Pahala Plantation House is both venue and accommodation. Another tip: Rent out the House for your wedding and the Cottages for your friends and family. You've got volcanoes up the road and black sand beaches down the road- hello! Make a weekend of it, you won't be disappointed.

We've got a bunch of surprises in store next week, my friends! It's time to say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall!

Have an awesome weekend,
Tara

pacific wedding guide
The guide to planning your destination wedding in the Pacific

wedding images by Pacific Wedding Guide's James Rubio

Been On My Mind, Lately

Just a few fun things that have been on my mind lately...


Yep, I'm blogging about booties. When I first saw this trend a couple of months ago, I was like, 'no and no'. But then I spied these Steve Madden zipper bootie/pumps and Nordstorm and found myself going, 'yes and yes'! Totally a departure from my normal style, but I really like these!


I popped into Sephora last week to restock my supply of DERMAdoctor products and came across this sugar and lemon fragrance by Fresh. When I first sprayed it on I thought it smelled a lot like lemon-scented kitchen cleaner but as the day wore on, I really started to like it. It's something I'd probably spray on before hitting the beach or running around town in a little floral romper.


It's been a couple of months of reminding myself next time I was in Kailua to go into Crepes No Ka Oi and I finally made it there last weekend. Now, I love crepes and I'm so happy we finally have a creperie in Hawaii! It's a couple of doors down from uber-popular Boot's and Kimo's but the thing is- no wait! The past two times I've been, there are huge lines out the door at Boot's and Kimo's and room to spare in Crepes No Ka Oi. They've got a simple but cheery dining room and even serve Illy coffee! Next time you're on the hunt for breakfast in Kailua...


I spotted this pic of Natalie Portman in Lanvin last week on People.com. To me, this is a total do for a Hawaii destination wedding. Love the bright floral print, huge flower, bubble chape and red lips. How cute would your bridesmaids be in a getup like this? Too cute.


After a weekend in Kona, I've totally got the area on my mind. One place I can't wait to check out for next time is Kona Beach House. Right on the water, I'm loving the two plantation style houses and huge lawn just begging for an intimate wedding by the sea. Put your family up in one house and the groom's family in another and voila! Instant intimate seaside wedding. And hello? Love the interiors...


And... drumroll, please... finally! A shave ice truck at a wedding! I'm so stoked! I've been waiting for the day and James Rubio is the photographer who captured it! I'm loving the look of this laidback local-style wedding. There's more to come on this one, friends...



pacific wedding guide
The guide to planning your destination wedding in the Pacific

Who Takes the Cake?

Maybe it was all the birthday celebrations this weekend, I don't know. All I know is that I woke up this morning thinking of cake. Specifically, Lilikoi cake with buttercream frosting. What is Lilikoi you say? Our levely Hawaiian word for Passion-fruit. Mmmm. So with cake and weddings on the brain this morning, of course the first people that come to mind are Rick and Sasha of Cakelava. I'm a simple gal and I've always loved the look of this elegant Hawaiian-inspired cake decorated with Monstera leaves.


But what I'm really thinking about right now is what's inside all these beautiful cakes. Guava Lava? Banana Nutella? Broke da Mouth? I go with Broke da Mouth- a colored mango cake with mango Li hing mui curd and cream filling. Yum. Maybe that's what's in this Indian inspired cake...


Besides tasting good, a cake's got to look good and I'm endlessly amazed at the way Cakelava can go from an elegant Hawaiian themed cake (like the Monstera) to a Seattle Seahawk's stadium groom's cake (check it here) to traditional scrolls and flowers. I think I'm going to start calling husband and wife team Rick and Sasha, the 'Cakelava Chameleons'...

Here's to starting your day with a yummy slice of Hawaii!

pacific wedding guide
The guide to planning your destination wedding in the Pacific