Congratulations to Robin and Johanna!!

Upon arrival to our hotel, we were given a tote full of goodies at check-in by the bride and groom. So clever and sneaky!

I love weddings but this one was extra special in so many ways. Not only were they friends of ours, but they bestowed the honor of creating their wedding invitations and day-of goods and plus the wedding was in HAWAII!

During the time preparing for their wedding date, I got to know them more as a couple. Their excitement excited us too so much that the anticipation was really starting to build up for a long weekend getaway trip to Oahu.

Robin and Johanna are such a fun and loving couple, and the easiest to work with for pulling off an amazing destination wedding! She wanted a bright and colorful wedding with a modern twist, and he wanted one thing- spam musubis! We captured both in their wedding suite and saw it all come together at their beachside wedding at a private villa in Laie, a city about an hour away from Waikiki Beach.

They wed on the sand just feet from the clear waters with their best friend officiating their nuptials and one of their groomsmen serenading the guests with a rendition of the Hawaiian Wedding song on his ukelele.

They served local Hawaiian food for dinner and even had a dessert table by Ted's Bakery with chocolate haupia pie, white chocolate macadamia cream pie, pumpkin haupia pie, and more. 

After dinner and dancing, we headed out the beach and set paper lanterns aglow and watched them sail away in the sky. It was a beautiful highlight to the evening and one of the most memorable moments of the entire wedding.

Handmade party favors by the bride

spam musubi snacks for cocktail hour

First "selfie" as a married man! 

Presshaus LA signs at the dessert table.

one of my favorite photos of me + my mister.

​My mister and I are were overdue for vacation. Sure. we spent all of 2011 in Germany but it wasn't vacation. Since we got married last February, we haven't boarded a plane and have spent all of our time in LA.

Our 1 year anniversary was creeping up and our loving moms generously gifted to us a vacation in Hawaii as our anniversary / belated honeymoon. We're so blessed and thankful.

After barely packing, we boarded the plane and we knew that was it. We were leaving LA to escape it all. No stress about prints, clients, work, traffic and the other daily ghosts that follow us in a normal day. ​

​Off the plane and in tropical landscapes the place grew on us quick. We ate, lounged, ate some more, lay lazy in hammocks on the beach. We even went horseback riding in North Shore, saw whales from a catamaran and earned our Hawaiian Tropic tans. Everyday, I started the day by eating a chocolate covered macadamia and thought in my head "it's vacation!" 

Hawaii never loses it's tropical charm. It's an easy escape and you can't help but fall into the island ways.