I had the pleasure of photographing an absolutely stunning wedding on the Big Island of Hawaii this past November. The couple is from Durango, Colorado and wished to have a destination wedding on the Big Island of Hawaii. Their wedding was an intimate gathering of close friends and family who rented Starseed Ranch for a long weekend. The morning of Aaylah and Joseph’s wedding day began with a trip to Pololu Valley where Aaylah and her friends danced a gorgeous hula dance that they had learned during Aaylah’s bachelorette party and performed for the group the evening before during a pre-wedding talent show. This time they performed the hula dance with the ocean and cliffs as the backdrop. After the dance and a quick dip in the sea everyone headed back to the ranch to get ready for the festivities. Aaylah and Joseph had asked everyone to wear white and the women made all of the men traditional leis which were placed around their necks as the women entered the wedding circle. The visual of everyone in white with the green leis around their necks is stunning. Aaylah and all of the women in attendance entered the wedding circle in a long line while singing a beautiful song. The wedding was opened with a blessing to the four cardinal directions and the two hour ceremony began. The ceremony was intricate and beautiful. Their vows were loving and genuine. Afterwards, everyone was asked to leave a small object at the alter that held significance to their relationship with Aaylah and Joseph. To wrap up the ceremony, the happy couple performed a water blessing and offered a drink from the calabash bowl to everyone. Afterwards, while an island feast was being prepared, we dipped out for a photo session at Pololu overlook. The rest of the evening was filled with amazing food, wonderful speeches and dancing. It was truly an amazing wedding and simply perfect for Aaylah and Joseph.
