Between the bridesmaids’ sparkly dresses and the vibrant tropical florals, this Hawaii wedding at Puakea Ranch was the ultimate combination of classy and casual! Claudia and Nick worked extra hard to make sure their destination wedding felt like a true love fest for their nearest and dearest, treating them to a healthy dose of local flair, stunning views, and personal touches. The bride also pulled out all the stops for her not one but two looks that included a Wtoo ballgown for the ceremony and a white bodysuit with custom sequin skirt for their first dance. From beginning to end, this was the perfect cool and casual island wedding, and Couple Cups could not have captured it more beautifully!
The Couple:
Claudia and Nick
The Wedding:
Puakea Ranch, The Big Island, Hawaii
Our advice: If you’re having a destination wedding, organize a trip there early on to get a lay of the land. It will make everything much easier when organizing from afar!
We wrote our own vows and had a family friend as the celebrant… and had a few family traditions thrown in there. We also had everyone ring cowbells when it was time to kiss the bride!
I’m a huge fan of shiny things, so I had all my bridesmaids choose sequin dresses within a metallic palette. I also had two dresses! The main one that was enormous with a glitzy bodice. I loved how the fabric moved in the many layers of the skirt and how effortless the style was to wear (surprising considering the size of the skirt!). The second one was for our first dance because we had a lot of fancy footwork and I was hyper-aware of the proximity of the pool to the dancefloor and didn’t want to ruin my dress if I ended up in that pool (which I did!). I sewed the bodysuit myself and ordered a white sequin A-line skirt that was custom made to my measurements online. I was torn between the two styles so I’m glad I got to have my cake and eat it too!
With a lot of help from family, we ordered flowers and foliage from a local wholesaler and arranged all the bouquets and decorations ourselves (apart from the Haku and the leis). We ordered a ton of ribbon, the cowbells, name places, and Christmas lights off Amazon and personalized it all.
The Wedding Team:
Photography – Couple Cups
Venue – Puakea Ranch
Floral Design – Grace Flowers
Catering – Red Water Cafe
Cake – Pineapple Bakery
DJ – Aloha Got Soul
Live Music – Tristan Smith and Jessica Hamilton
Hair and Makeup Artist – Fix Hair Lounge
Wedding Dress – Wtoo
Groom’s Apparel – Uberstone
Rings – Baxter Jewellery Design
Rentals – Waimea Party Rentals and Big Island Tents
Transportation – Big Island Party Bus
Congratulations to Claudia and Nick, and a big thanks to Couple Cups for sharing this incredible wedding at Puakea Ranch with Junebug! Love these laid-back vibes? Then you have to see our cool casual wedding ideas for low-key couples!
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