Indian Weddings in Hawaii

The Bride walks on Water!

2012-01-12T01:24:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Beate walked a ramp to wed Mark at The Modern in Honolulu, Hawaii
Pics courtesy of Joe Marquez

October wedding with blue accents at Ihililani, Honolulu, Hawaii

2011-10-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Blue mandap and aisle

Reception setup

Ceremony setup

September wedding at Turtle Bay with red accents

2011-09-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

The carriage awaits!

Can you guess, the theme was red!

Hula performance

An open air reception under a

sheer tent with an ocean backdrop

All pics courtesy of Joe Marquez, see www.joemarqquez.com

Destination Indian Wedding at Royal Hawaiian at Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii

2011-08-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed at the ingenuity and willingness of my clients to try something new. The groom for this wedding eschewed the traditional horse in favor of a segway to come to the wedding location. For the Vidai the couple elected to use a pedicab!
As usual, Joe Marquez (www.joemarquez.com) created magical memories with his camera Here are some of his pics.

The beautiful bride with intricate bridal henna

The mandap setup at the Royal Hawaiian at Waikiki, Honolulu

Mehndi party at ocean front estate

The bride and groom posing in the pedicab

Indian Wedding at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii

2011-07-28T01:46:00.000-07:00

The newly weds at the Fairmont Orchid with a magnificent ocean backdrop

The setup for the Sikh wedding, with the Palki for the Guru Granth Sahib, with the ocean vista for the ceremony site.

Here are some brief videos that capture the festivities preceding the wedding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWmsqEQHENI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt5jyu3w2UU

Gorgeous Indian Wedding on the lawns of Honolulu's premier hotel

2011-07-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Panoramic view of the beautiful setup

There are so many fabulous pics. it is difficult to select just a few to put on the blog. So I may change them in a few days!
Here is a link to the highlight video
http://vimeo.com/26335391

The mandap with Diamond Head on the far left.

Indian hand carved chairs were used for the first time in a wedding in Hawaii

The beautiful aisle with a floral carpet by Yvonne Designs

Stunning Reception setup by Yvonne Designs

Joyful Mehndi celebration at private Kahala home, in Honolulu, Hawaii

2011-07-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

The vision for this setup was fuscia and tangerine, and to invoke the indoor outdoor feeling that is truly Hawaii.
The gardens provided a spectacular backdrop for the occasion.

Destination Indian Wedding at The Sheraton at Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii

2011-06-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

The setup for the bride to get her henna

Intricate designs for the bride on both hands and feet. One palm has a ganesha and the other a peacock.

Colorful mandap overlooking the ocean, strands of flowers swaying in the wind

Below the dining arrangements for the reception, with the Kransekage (almond ring wedding cake)

Destination Indian Wedding at Four Seasons, Maui

2011-06-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here I am in front of The Beautiful Red and Gold Mandap ready for the Indian wedding ceremony, with the fabulous ocean view at the Four Seasons, Maui, Hawaii

We had a lovely visit to the Ranch to rehearse for the barat. The horse looked splendid in the costume which came all the way from India. This was the first time that a barat in which a groom came on a horse

to the Four Seasons, Maui,

Spectacular ocean views and the Four Seasons pool area

Hindu wedding at the Marriott Ihilani Resort on Oahu, Hawaii

2011-05-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a highlight video of a beautiful ceremony, barat, and mandap at Ko'Olina with the ocean backdrop

http://vimeo.com/23076194

I would love to hear your comments

thanks to Video 21 of Honolulu, HI

What a wonderful video of an Indian wedding in Honolulu, Hawaii

2011-05-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

imfvisions.com has created an outstanding video, a must see
the jubilation, the colors, the tradition, the backdrop of hawaiian beaches, the drama of an Indian wedding are all captured!

http://vimeo.com/22686800

Would love to know what you think of it

Another beautiful wedding in Paradise

2011-05-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Table setting for Sangeet and Mehndi (henna) night of an Indian Wedding in Honolulu,

on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii

Beautiful mehndi (henna) for the bride

Indian wedding Mandap with the beautiful ocean waters of Hawaii in the background

Setup for the Bridal Mehndi (henna)

Pics of bride and groom at the Stables, Turtle Bay - Mar 12th wedding

2011-03-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Bride and brother in Cinderella Carriage

Groom arriving on horseback, horse decorated Inidan style along with accompanied umbrella and handlers with Indian inspired garments.

Photographs courtesy Joe Marquez, http://www.joemarquez.com/

Wedding on the North Shore Mar 17th

2011-03-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Marion wanted an elegant but simple Mandap that would blend with the garden setting. The weather gods were on our side. No rain fell till the ceremony concluded!

The Mehndi party was outdoors in the lanai with lush tropical plants in the background, and peacocks running around in the garden. Traditional Indian decor in bright colors was the theme.

Arrangements for the Turtle Bay Wedding March 12th

2011-03-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

What a great backdrop at Turtle Bay. They went all out to let us create a Bollywood style wedding, with the groom arriving by helicopter, arriving on a horse decorated Indian style, the bride arriving in a Cinderella carriage, the barat dancing, the Milni, a helicopter flower drop, and the authentic Hindu Vedic Wedding ceremony. It took hours of coordination and many more hours of setup but it came together like a dream!

With a horse decked out in such finery, which bride can resist the bridegrooms arrival! The handlers were sporting Indian style jackets, sashes and turban. I am holding the custom made Jai Malas. Photographs courtesy Joe Marquez, www.joemarquez.com

A treat for the eyes - Our Valentine day couple with a beautiful hawaiian sunset backdrop

2011-02-15T03:44:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy Joe Marquez, www.joemarquez.com

Makeup and hair Greg Howell

A treat for the eyes from our November Wedding

2010-11-18T22:47:00.000-08:00

Bride and groom in a lovely Victorian carriage in Honolulu

Decorations on the Mehndi table

Bridal mehndi on the feet

Bridal henna on the hands, with a dancing peacock motif

Mandap by Moonlight

Bollywood Nights Honolulu Hawaii August 20, 2010

2010-09-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.thesmokingcamera.com/bollywood_nights_2010
to see all the wonderful pics taken by Joe Marquez

See http://tgif.staradvertiser.com/archives/7073 for pics by Malia Leinau.

See http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20100829_On_the_Scene.html by pic by John Berger

Limited unlimited feast.

2010-06-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

By common practice, most Hindu weddings choose to serve vegetarian food on the actual wedding day. This is due to some Vedic traditions. For some wedding parties this could prove to be a challenge of how to offer a wider range menu.

The answer is to think outside the box. A popular option to resolve this dilemma, which is now being used by a large number of Indian and Hindu wedding parties, is serving international cuisines. Who says that just because your wedding is Indian, the food selection must be too? In fact most of our clients, choose to have fusion menus with influences from all over the globe. What is nicer than having an Indian wedding in Hawaii, with a touch of the local magic on the tip of your taste buds, and the scent of the exotic fruits making your head swoon? With a larger variety of global cuisines, comes a larger variety of vegetarian dishes. It is no doubt that the creative minds of this new generation of brides and grooms are a force to be reckoned with. This was reaffirmed even more strongly by one of our recent clients. An Indian bride that we are currently working with decided that she wanted to keep her Indian Vedic wedding traditional, and serve Indian food exclusively. As expected, when faced with the challenge of dish variety, she came up with the most wonderful of ideas. She took her inspiration from the different regions and the infusion of cultures that make up India. She said to us "why go beyond to the whole world, when there is a whole world within my motherland to explore?" She decided that her wedding menu theme will be "cuisines of India" and she chose to incorporate cuisines from 5 different regions, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kashmir, and Rajasthan. Even a few dishes from each region, made the buffet appear an endless feast. The wedding venue transformed into the land of mouth watering butter naan, creamy panner makhani, the sweet and sour aroma of the Gujarati chutneys with dhokla's, and the sense awaking sounds of dosas crackling as you imagine the spicy coconut chutney tingling on the tongue. In the midst of this whirlwind of intoxicating flavors, not once did we hear the words uttered, "Where are, the non-vegetarian dishes?"

The Mehndi (Henna) Name Game

2010-06-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

Mehndi (Henna) although often seen as one of the most traditional parts of Hindu and Muslim ceremonies, who knew, has quite a flirtatious twist to it. One of the traditional parts of the Henna anointment ceremony is actually a form of subtle ice-breaking, between the bride and groom. The customary practice of hiding the groom's name or initials within the design on the hands of the bride's, is actually a game to be played on the wedding night between the couple. If the groom, before the wedding night is over, can find his name or name/initials within the intricate henna patterns, it is said that he will be the dominant one in the marriage. If he fails, the bride then will be the boss in turn. Along with this traditional significance, and the actual artistic decoration of the Mehndi, (Henna) it also is a way to initiate physical contact between the newly weds. It makes you wonder, if our extremely traditional ancestors, the creators of these traditions, may have been hiding some ulterior motives.... ;)

Bridal Entrance

2010-05-21T03:22:00.000-07:00

Marriage licenses in Hawaii

2010-05-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

You do need a marriage license to get married in Hawaii, but it is very simple to get a marriage license in Hawaii. There are no citizenship or statehood requirements, no blood tests, anyone over 18 can get the license easily. If you are younger, then you do need to fulfil some other conditions. This applies to all islands, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island

Where to Apply for a Marriage License

In Honolulu - Room 101 (1st floor) of the Health Department Building, 1250 Punchbowl St. (corner of Beretania and Punchbowl Streets)
For the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of marriage agents in the rural and suburban areas of Oahu - call (808) 586-4544

For the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of marriage agents on the neighbor islands - call the local office of the Department of Health:

Hawaii (Big Island) - (808) 974-6008
Kauai - (808) 241-3498
Maui - (808) 984-8210
Molokai - (808) 553-3200

Monday through Friday (excluding holidays and furlough days), 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
All details may be found at http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/marriage/index.html

The form may be downloaded from
http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/pdf/marriagelicense.pdf

Bridal Henna (Mehndi) is an integral part of Hindu or Vedic Weddings

2010-02-10T07:18:00.001-08:00

Mehndi or Henna parties are an integral part of the traditional hindu wedding. It is an occasion to mingle, sing and dance.

Hands and feet with the henna (mehndi) applied
Intricate designs for the bride and less intricate ones for the friends and relatives are part of the tradition.

Beautiful hands in Honolulu, after Henna (Mehndi) is removed

There are Henna artistes on all islands, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island

Technorati Tags: Henna,mehndi,party,hindu wedding,vedic wedding

Great oceanside homes for weddings

2010-02-10T07:10:00.001-08:00

Mandap setup for the Hindu wedding ceremony at a beach house in Honolulu.
Lovely Flat lawns with the ocean in front make ideal settings for a wedding followed by a catered reception dinner. You can also rent the house to live in for the duration of your visit and have all the comforts of home, instead of staying at a hotel.

Perfectly scenic location.

Crystal blue oceanside location

Peaceful serene location

Technorati Tags: beach weddings hawaii,oceanside homes hawaii

Hindu, Vedic or Sikh weddings, or memorable parties and events

2010-02-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

I organize events in Hawaii. This applies to all islands, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island Would you like a Hindu or Sikh wedding, a Bollywood DJ, indian bollywood dancers, a mehndi (henna) ceremony, an Arya Samaj havan, an Indian pandit to perform a Hindu or Vedic wedding?
I love to create memorable events.
Call me at 808-342-1366

Mira Savara