Venue Choice #2 - Waialae Country Club

You might remember that I had laid out characteristics of our "ideal" location:

- On Oahu, Hawaii (preferably not in Waikiki)
- Getting Ready + Ceremony + Location at one venue
- Able to accommodate ~150 guests
- Beautiful Scenery (preferably with a beach)
- Good Food
- Affordable

Using this criteria, we narrowed it down to 2 choices: Hale Koa and Waialae Country Club.

How Waialae Country Club stacks up to the criteria:
- On Oahu, Away from Waikiki
- Ceremony and Reception at one location, Getting Ready can be right next door at the Kahala Resort
- Able to accommodate 200+ guests
- Beautiful Scenery with a semi-secluded beach
- Pretty good food (based on my prior experiences there)
- Affordable???  I haven't spoken to an event coordinator yet, so I'm not really sure

Additional Pros:
- Free parking
- My family feels comfortable here
- Convenient location

Cons:
- For a larger party, some guests may be placed in a somewhat segregated area
- My cousin just had his wedding there
- Cannot be paid for with credit card (want to rack up those miles!)

Photo Credits:
(1) H.Liu (2) kai-photo.com (3) H.Liu
(4)MissPug (5) eugenekam.com (6) MissPug

Venue Choice #1 - Hale Koa

You might remember that I had laid out characteristics of our "ideal" location:

- On Oahu, Hawaii (preferably not in Waikiki)
- Getting Ready + Ceremony + Location at one venue
- Able to accommodate ~150 guests
- Beautiful Scenery (preferably with a beach)
- Good Food
- Affordable

Using this criteria, we narrowed it down to 2 choices: Hale Koa and Waialae Country Club.

Here's how Hale Koa stacks up to the criteria:
- On Oahu, but in Waikiki (though towards the outskirts)
- Getting Ready + Ceremony + Reception in one location
- Able to accommodate 400+ guests
- Variety of scenery and beach access
- Pretty good food based on my prior experience
- Best priced hotel of those I was considering

Additional Pros:
- Several venues to choose from (Maile Garden, Luau Garden, Waikiki Ballroom, DeRussy Hall, Banyan Tree Showroom)
- No tax and only 15% service charge (lowest I've seen)

Cons:
- Parking a little inconvenient and not free
- Hotel rooms aren't the nicest for Getting Ready photos
- For plated meals, all meals must be the same (no options for guests)

Hale Koa - Maile Garden

The Maile Garden is the ceremony site used if you hold a reception in the Banyan Showroom, Waikiki Ballroom, or DeRusy Hall.  It is a rather large garden with a nice pathway leading to it.  However, the area at the end of the path when you enter is dirt, and if it rains, it may be muddy.  The gazebo is stuck in the middle of the garden and cannot be moved.  However, the garden is large enough that you could set-up your ceremony in another area if you choose not to use it.  The plastic chairs that the hotel provides are pretty cheapy looking (stackable white, plastic chairs like the ones we have in our garage for BBQs).  Below are more pictures of the Maile Garden from my site inspection.

Site fee is $475 for 2009, $550 for 2010

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Hale Koa - Waikiki Ballroom

It would be just my luck that the room I was most interested in was booked on the day of my site inspection.  I didn't get to see it in person, but here is a picture from knottie MrsNalukea's wedding.  From other pictures I have seen, Hale Koa has this ugly white lattice fence behind the head table.  I'd like to do what MrsNalukea did and cover it with a rented curtain.  Overall, it looks like a typical ballroom, so I'm not too concerned about not seeing it in person before booking it.  FI has attended a wedding there before, and it is his top pick.

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Hale Koa - Banyan Showroom

The Banyan Showroom is not a typical ballroom set-up.  There is a stage to the right with a dance floor in front of it (the tables are not usually on the dance floor).  The rest of the room is two-tiered and has various tables of 2, 4, 6, and 8-tops.  You may not move or change any of the tables.  I did not like this venue because of that -- I would feel bad sticking two of my guests at a table by themselves.  Also, the large number of tables and the variety of different tables would make centerpieces difficult.

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Hale Koa - Luau Garden

The Luau Garden is the ceremony site used if you are also having your reception in the adjoining outdoor reception area.  While the area is covered and on concrete/tile, we aren't really considering the venue because it has a 200-guest minimum and FI doesn't like the possibility of some unwanted guests (a.k.a. bugs) attending.  This area was built a few years ago, so it is in better shape than the Maile Garden.  The gazebo is on a small hill and looks like it is under construction in this photo (I hope!).  The reception area is situated under five "hales" (huts) that all point towards a grassy area and stage in the front.  The buffet is usually set up in hale 1 or 5 and the head table is in the middle in hale 3.  Because the venue is outdoors, you can't show a slideshow for a daytime event because it is too bright.  The white chairs used have metal legs that are rusting.  Spandex chair covers are available through the hotel for $5 each.  A dance floor can be set up on the grassy area for an additional charge.  Below are more pictures of the Luau Garden from my site inspection.

Site fee is $475 for 2009, $550 for 2010

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Hale Koa - Other

Here are some other pictures of the hotel grounds.  The last picture shows the available napkin colors available (no extra charge).  You need to make an appointment to take pictures by the Maile Terrace and "Gus" (the banyan tree), but there is no fee.

Location, Location, Location

Since there wasn't a particular date or time of the year we were looking at, Mr. Pug and I decided to focus on choosing a venue first and let the available dates guide us in setting a date. We actually did consider a destination wedding (most likely Las Vegas), but ultimately decided against it because our grandparents would not be able to travel. Once we decided to staying on Oahu, we started thinking about what kind of wedding we envisioned, how many guests we would have, and how much we were willing to spend. Here is what we came up with...

The Ideal Location

- On Oahu, Hawaii (preferably not in Waikiki)
- Getting Ready + Ceremony + Location at one venue
- Able to accommodate ~150 guests
- Beautiful Scenery (preferably with a beach)
- Good Food
- Affordable

There were two locations that met all the criteria except the last one -- Kahala Resort and Ihilani (the two places my "dream wedding" would be). Unfortunately, with our limited budget and huge family, those two are most likely out of the question.

The Kahala Resort
photo: Eugene Kam Photography

 

Ihilani
photo: Shawn Starr

 

I took a look at Luana Hills and Ko'olau Ballrooms -- both were nice, but I prefer having an ocean view and am a little worried about the higher chance of rain on the windward side of the island.

Luana Hills

 

Koolau Ballrooms

 

I considered having an outdoor wedding at Lanikohonua or the Hawaii State Art Museum (both gorgeous!), but I'm not really an outdoorsy person and I rather not go through the extra work of getting and setting up all the rentals ( although, let me tell you, reading all the Lani bios out there almost changed my mind!).

Lanikuhonua Ceremony
photo: Shawn Starr 

Lanikuhonua Reception
photo: Shawn Starr

 

Hawaii State Art Museum

So...after considering other hotels and venues throughout the island, FI and I have chosen our top two locations...Hale Koa and Waialae Country Club.

Hale Koa Maile Garden
photo: Kris Labang

 

Hale Koa Waikiki Ballroom
photo: Chrissy Lambert

 

Waialae Country Club
photo: H. Liu

 

Was there a must-have venue or date that you had in mind when you started planning?  Did you let one decide the other?

Wedding Planning is Hard Work!

When I first got engaged, I went to theknot, a website I had heard about a while back. I spent hours and hours each night learning things I never knew about weddings -- the lingo, etiquette, and traditions. I scrolled through pages upon pages of pictures of different dresses, hairstyles, flowers, cakes, decor, and on and on. I right-clicked and saved pictures here and there in hopes of getting some inspiration for our dream wedding. Once I thought I saw everything on theknot, I discovered the forums where you could discuss everything and anything wedding (or non-wedding) related) with other brides. I also discovered other website like weddingbee, wedding channel, and brides.com. There is no shortage of wedding resources out there, and my brain was on overload.

I decided that the key to it all was to stay organized. I couldn't find a wedding planner that met all my needs, and since most of my inspiration and research was from the Internet, I decided to create a Planning Bio as many of my fellow "knotties" have done. I hope it will help me organize my ideas and provide some inspiration to other brides-to-be!

Where are you getting your inspiration from and how are you organizing your ideas for your wedding?

Our First Wedding Expo

Mr. Pug and I attended our first wedding expo at the Neil Blaisdell Center. Being new to wedding planning, it was quite overwhelming! We kind of just took everything in and collected brochures from almost every vendor there! By the time we left, we had a lot of pamphlets and a lot to think about!

Here are 10 tips for attending a bridal show (from the Brides Club website):

* Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. You'll be glad you did.
* Be prepared to register at the door. Be patient! This is well worth it.
* Bring preprinted self-adhesive address labels if you have them. Remember your name, address, phone, email, and wedding date. This will save you time and allow you to sign up for anything you want very quickly.
* Bring a pen and print very clearly when registering for anything.
* Bring your checkbook in case you decide to book services or hold dates with a deposit. Be sure to check on refund policies before giving any money, and read the contract carefully before signing.
* Collect any information you are interested in - take it home to look over again when you have some quiet time.
* If you cannot attend, send someone in your place to register you for prizes and collect information on services you need.
* It is nice if your fiance attends with you IF he is interested. Many guys attend, so he won't be the only one there!
* Arrive at least one hour prior to the fashion show. Seating is usually first-come first-served and you can use this time to rest your feet.
* Relax and have fun -- this is your wedding.

In addition to these tips, I would also recommend opening a new e-mail account prior to the event that is dedicated to your wedding planning. Vendors will no doubt be sending you tons of emails and promotions...even after your wedding. Having a separate account will make it easy to ignore the emails or delete the account once your wedding is done.

Any other brides attend a wedding expo? Did you find it helpful or just a waste of time?

A Possible Ringbearer?

My Dress!

Mr. Pug and I went to Gyu-kaku for dinner last night, which just so happens to be next to Princess Brides, a seller of Maggie Sottero gowns (really, I didn't plan this). I convinced Mr. Pug to make a quick stop at the store so that I could look at the dresses in person and get an idea of how much they cost. As I was browsing, they asked me if I wanted to try on some dresses, and I said okay. I never really thought about whether or not I wanted Mr. Pug to see me in a wedding dress before the big day, but I was so excited to try on a dress that I didn't think about it until I was in a gorgeous dress standing in front of him. He didn't seem to mind that the surprise was "ruined" and neither did I, so I tried on a few more dresses. My favorite was a mermaid-style dress from the Maggie Sottero line. It hugged my (non-existent) curves in all the right places and I didn't want to take it off. Since I wasn't really planning to look for wedding dresses yet, I hadn't thought much about what my budget was, but when I heard it was more than $1,400, that sounded like too much to spend on one dress. They asked me if I would consider renting a dress. I hadn't really thought of that before but decided I would be open to it...until she told me it would still cost about $1,000 to rent! Granted this price would include alterations, cleaning, shoes, and accessories, but I couldn't imagine spending that much to rent a dress.

We left the store, and I couldn't stop thinking about the dress and the way I felt in the dress the whole car ride home. I remember a friend had mentioned shopping for dresses on craigslist, so as soon as we got home, I jumped on the computer and searched for Maggie Sottero dresses. I don't really mind the fact that the dress had been worn before, and this option allowed me to keep the dress in case I ever wanted to put it on again (a la Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica in Friends). Several girls were selling their pre-owned dresses for less than $500, and they looked like what I was looking for. I emailed a couple of them, and one of them happened to live just across the street from my office. I made arrangements to go see the dress the next day. A co-worker and I went over to see the dress on our lunch break. It was a diamond white, satin gown with a chiffon overlay and beautiful beading along the top and along the hem. It had been professionally cleaned and preserved, and the owner had decided that it was just taking up too much space in her closet. I stepped into the gown but didn't even lace it up to see how it fit. She was about my size and height, so with the corset-back, I probably wouldn't even need to made any alterations to it. I contemplated for a minute and decided that I could always keep looking and re-sell this dress on craigslist if I found something I liked better. I handed over the cash, she handed over the dress, and that was it! I was so happy to get my dream dress for such a great price!

Here is a sneak-peek at the dress:


How many dresses did you try on before deciding on one?

Dress Inspiration

I'm early into my planning, but I know what I want -- strapless, side-gathering, and corset-back. I've browsed through websites and magazines and the first dress to catch my eye was a Maggie Sottero gown. I loved the elegance and simplicity of it. I went to her website and saw tons of gowns that met my short list of requirements. Here are a few of the ones I like.

An Extravagant, Budget Bride

I am the definition of "champagne taste on a beer budget." I love designer clothes, going to the spa, traveling to exotic places and staying in luxury hotels, eating at the top restaurants, and so on, but I hate the price tag associated with it. I will splurge occasionally, but I'll rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. I don't mind scouring the racks at Ross to find my $15 Juicy Sweats or driving 30 miles to buy $60 Sevens and Citizens jeans. Finding a $30 SEI scrapbook set on sale for $5 makes me feel accomplished. I live for good deals.

Ever since I was old enough to have an allowance, I have worked hard to manage my money responsibly. I've managed to afford some luxuries while keeping my spending in check. I've dutifully tracked every penny earned and spent. I've maintained a good credit score and paid off my student loan to be debt-free.

I am also a cost accountant by profession. I make my living by creating and managing budgets. I monitor performance to plan and compare actuals to budget. I am an Excel freak. It only seems fitting that all of this carry over to my wedding planning as well.

I want my wedding to be elegant -- a nice resort with chiavari chairs, lush flowers, and to-die-for food -- BUT, I absolutely refuse to go into debt for it. Once I started wedding planning, I was blown away by the prices and knew this would be difficult -- $8.50 to rent a chair (times 250-300 people)? $200 for a bouquet that is made out of flowers I could buy at Costco for $30? $80/head for dinner plus $7/drink and a 23% service fee? Eeeek! I'll have to make sacrifices along the way, but I'm still hoping to have my dream wedding at a reasonable price.

What are some of the best budget-saving tips you've come across in your wedding planning process?

The Bling

You know you want to see it. You know I want to show it off. Here is the beautiful ring Mr. Pug picked out (yes, he did it all by himself!). He studied up on diamonds and ultimately decided on this gorgeous three-stone ring from Pacific Diamond and Swiss Watch Exchange. He told me that he snuck over there several times whenever he got off of work early to find the perfect diamond. He was really nervous that I wouldn't like the ring, but I love it...it is exactly what I would have chosen.

Did your fiance choose your engagement ring himself or were you involved?

Engaged!

On Christmas Day, after we had opened all of our gifts, Mr. Pug told me he thought I had one more gift. I searched under the tree and even in the tree but didn't see anything. He hinted that it might be in my stocking (the one hanging from our cardboard fireplace), and when I looked, there was a small box with a HANDMADE purple bow on it (I was very impressed). I opened the box, and as I looked at the beautiful, sparkling ring, Mr. Pug told me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him. I, of course, said "Yes!" We can't wait to start planning not only our wedding, but the rest of our lives together!