Eugene Kam Photography's SNAP SHOTS

Where else but the happiest hotel in Hawaii?

Where else can you see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Lilo and their Disney friends but at the Aulani Resort?  Avid and dedicated Disney fans Sherrie Suzuki and Davin Itano planned to have their March 17 wedding at the Disney-themed resort before the Aulani had opened its doors to guests.  

The ceremony was held in the Makaloa Garden, just a few steps from the beach where the couple shared their first kiss years ago.  At the reception, guest enjoyed a surprise hula performed by both mothers and an innovative video slideshow of the couple's trips to Disney theme parks.  Images of their travels flashed across the screen the entire evening, and during their first dance, Sherrie and Davin paused to look at their memories together.

 

 

Lion dance tease and garter wrestling

Sayuri Ching and Brian Chang had a some fun with their kids before their ceremony on March 3.  Girls' Day--a perfect day to get dressed up for something special.

Double conch shell blowers announced the arrival of the bride as Sayuri walked to the Koko Head Gazebo escourted by her son.  Traditional Hawaiian symbols like the ti leaf mixed with the conventional wedding symbols like the exchange of rings and the all important first kiss.

During the reception in the Maile Ballroom, friends of the couple kept things lively.  Sayuri's girlfriends kissed, taunted and teased the lion before feeding him their dollar bills.  When it was time for the bouquet toss, the same friends made it serious competition--fierce, but friendly.

It was the same for the garter.  The pushing and shoving were all in fun, but in the end, one of the littlest guys vying for the prize won out.

Leap Day 2012

On a day that is historically the day women asked men for their hand in marriage, Jennifer Schultz married James Baker.  With their daughter as the flower girl and their son as the ring bearer, Jennifer and James exchanged vows at the Diamond Head Gazebo of the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

Zebra print dresses and fuschia flowers were as unique as the date February 29.  The girls took advantage of the opportunity to take off their shoes after the ceremony and frolic in the sand and surf.

Under a clear tent to with a perfect view of the sunset, guests watched Jennifer and James share their first dance as the twilight sky turned blue behind them.  Leap Day occurs about once every 4 years, therefore the couple will have 75% less anniversaries than other couples, but this loving couple will surely make their first anniversary in 2016 as memorable as their wedding.

 

Traditional Korean ceremony

Just a few hours after their ceremony in the Coconut Grove, Jeong-in Kim and Geoffrey Jahnke celebrated a second wedding ceremony--a traditional Korean wedding.

Geoffrey was dressed in the traditional long robes and carried 2 wooden ducks, symbols of a long and happy marriage.  Jeong-in's face was adorned with 3 red dots to protect her from evil spirits.  Bowing to the parents and serving tea was followed by an interesting tradition.  The parents throw dates and chestnuts at the couple as they try to catch them in the bride's skirt.  The amount caught is an indication of the number children the couple will have.  The ceremony ended with Geoffrey carrying Jeong-in around the ballroom on his back as a demonstration of his strength.  

Jeong-in and Geoffrey's were married on February 27 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Platinum wedding in pink

You may think a chair is a chair and a cake is a cake.  For weddings, customizing all the elements makes all the difference.  It was clear that Tiffany Amemiya and Edwin Wong carefully selected everything for their special day, and when the pieces came together the result was visually spectacular.  

The abundant florals in white and shades of pink from Su-V Expressions were impressive without being overpowering.  Especially unique was the bride's bouquet made completely with peonies.  The flowers made a statement at the ceremony in the Garden Courtyard of Halekulani and again in the ballroom at the reception. 

In the ballroom custom linens and uplighting, silver chiavari chairs, and a personalized lighting gobo set the mood for an elegant celebration.   The silver chargers with pink napkins and gun-metal silver table cloths helped to complete the color scheme.

Tiffany and Edwin exchanged vows on January 28, 2012.  

Butterflies of blue & gold

Those attending the January 28th wedding of Jennie Subia and Jamesner Dumlao would agree it was a photogenic event.  The Italian marble altar of St. Theresa's Co-Cathedral and the Ko'olau mountain range at the Ko'olau Ballrooms were scenic backdrops.

If you asked guests to describe the theme of the wedding, perhaps it would be harder to come to an agreement.  Some may answer butterflies; others may answer blue and gold.  The newlyweds released monarch butterflies immediately after the ceremony, and for a brief moment, one clung to Jennie's finger before flying away.  The reception favors, floral centerpieces, and wedding cake were all decorated with butterflies of blue and gold.  

Blue and gold are attractive complimentary colors for a wedding as seen in the blue suits and gowns and gold flowers worn by the bridal party.  Those who know Jamesner well were aware that the weddings colors were a subtle tribute to his alma mater--The University of Notre Dame.

fr. Candace & Yuki

Dear Eugene and Joy,

Thank you for taking really nice photos of us on the wedding day.  Everybody loves your photos!  I will remember that we spent a good time with you.  We had a lot of fun.  And we've been enjoying watching our photos on your website.

Thank you for everything,

Candace and Yuki

Love & Cheers!

It was clear from their smiles, laughter and grand happy gestures that Zoe Tanaka and Russ Mosier were reveling in every part of their wedding day.  The couple was married on January 14 at the Halekulani.  The unique ceremony was filled with Hawaiian symbols of lei,  conch shell blowing, ti leaf, salt and coconut water.

To create special memories with their guests, Zoe and Russ posed for group pictures, and in each picture were the props "love" and "cheers"--appropriate words to sum up the warm and light-hearted feeling of the event.  

Gimme some DJ

Sarah Douma and Keisuke Hosoi were surrounded by blessings at their wedding on January 7, 2012. Their beautiful ceremony in the Garden Courtyard of the Halekulani was ended by a laying on of hands during which the many ministers among the guests showered the newlyweds with encouragement and support.  One of the ministers was Sarah's father.

The highlight of the reception was the spirited dancing as the couple's friends crowded the dance floor.  Apparently everyone must get a lot of practice back home because the dancing seemed well-rehearsed and choreographed.  All the dancers needed from the DJ  was volume and a track that has been tearing up the clubs.

 

Ice cream man!

Scenic Kaneohe Bay was the perfect backdrop for an intimate wedding for spirited couple Julie Birum and Scott Hills.  Family and friends gathered at a private estate, home to Scott's relatives, for the pool-side ceremony with unobstructed views of the bay and mountains.

The festivities continued at the Kailua Beach Club where Scott could toss the frisbee around in the relaxed atmosphere of the cocktail hour.  The bride and groom met playing Ultimate Frisbee.

As a member of Team USA for the 2011 World Championships of Beach Ultimate Scott is used to having  frisbees everywhere, but he probably wasn't expecting one in the wedding cake.  Getting a slice of cake was proving difficult and when Julie lifted the layer of fondant, she uncovered the frisbee hidden underneath.  

Cake wasn't the only dessert that evening.  Right after dinner an ice cream truck backed up to the party so the guests could indulge their sweet tooth.  Banana splits, soft serve cones with sprinkles, chocolate fudge sauce with a cherry on top...now that's the way to celebrate a wedding.