Today was our day! It was a wonderful and special event that is hard to fully put into words but here is a shot at it. In the morning we started getting ready as our ceremony was scheduled at 11 AM. Both Scott and I had realizations throughout the morning about this being our last events as single individuals.
Neither of us were in the mood for breakfast and we just got ready in our room. In reality I got ready for a few hours while Scott read until about 30-45 minutes before we had to leave. I am happy to report I only had one freak out moment when I couldn’t get some wrinkles out of my dress. In reality when we were standing together on the beach saying our vows none of that mattered.
We headed out to the beach, got a killer parking spot and had a minor mishap where we were waiting for our photographer and Reverend for 15 minutes before Scott found them behind us the entire time. We met Dave our photographer and Todd our Reverend/photographer and headed down to the beach via a woods trail. I almost asked to walk down the beach to avoid getting dirty but they were right, it was an easier route. Once we found our site Todd explained the ceremony and Dave the photos. It was interesting because there were quite a few people in the beach around us.
Todd lead us out to the beach and our ceremony began. It was a very special and beautiful ceremony and was actually quite a bit longer than we thought it would be. We were pronounced husband and wife - crazy! and then headed into the shade. Dave had been taking pictures of the entire ceremony and now we would take some more photos by both Dave and Todd at the same time (the pictures here were with our phone, professional shots to come later!). At this point we realized how HOT a Hawaiian beach wedding is. Our entire ceremony we were both fighting the urge to squint because it was so hot and sunny. Even though we both had on moderately light apparel compared to most other weddings we were still hot and sweaty in the sun so we took a lot of breaks in the shade. Luckily Scott had grabbed the sunblock at the last minute so we were protected in that sense.
Dave lead us through a lot of poses and we had a lot of fun, kisses and smiles. The whole event lasted around 2 hours or so. We did our final signatures on our marriage application - it was a surreal experience to have people call the other our husband/wife and to sign my new name for the first time! We said farewell to Dave and Todd and then headed back to the hotel. As we walked to our room we got many stares and congratulations. The entire experience was so special and intimate it solidified that this was the right choice for us and we look forward to celebrating with our loved ones this summer!
We quickly changed into our swim gear, had a huge lunch by the pool (we hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours!) and then headed back to Shipwreck Beach. This time we were heading back in more weather appropriate gear and as husband and wife! We were on the same beach we had been married on just earlier that day! We laid out for awhile and then headed out into the water. Shipwreck has rough water and is mostly used by experienced surfers and body surfers. You could really see why there was this reputation when trying to head out into the water. I was pretty scared and chickened out quite a few times. Scott was very patient, walked me through the process and we successfully made it past the waves. Once out in the water we were mostly buoyant and just enjoyed the water and sights. We saw a few crazies jump off the cliff - some looked like the landings really hurt but everyone made it out okay. We headed back to the beach and then laid out and read for a long time.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for our dinner reservation at Tide Pools restaurant. This was the best meal we have had our entire trip - I had the mahi mahi and Scott had the opah. Both were so flavorful and expertly executed. The meal was topped off by a complimentary molten lava cake and we left very stuffed. It was the perfect ending to such a special day!
Some excerpts from our vows:
Today we have come together to celebrate the special Aloha ("love") that exists between Josephine and Scott and their desire to make this Aloha eternal through the commitment of marriage.
As for family and friends that are not here, know that they are here in the spirit and are with you today as you celebrate your marriage.
Let this magical island bear witness to your eternal vows and commitment to each other in my presence and in the presence of God.
May your Aloha continuously grow truer and more wonderful with each day that you enjoy together.
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