4  •  2  •  2025

On April 2nd, 2025, we embarked on a journey of love and commitment. Our wedding day began with an early morning dinghy ride to shore, followed by a scenic drive to Waikoloa. There, we met our officiant and exchanged vows in a heartfelt ceremony, complete with a blessing of our rings and leis. The day was filled with joy as we celebrated with a picnic lunch at Hapuna Beach. The afternoon was spent in the ocean, body surfing and boogie boarding, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

As we geared up for our wedding day, we ventured into local shops around Hilo in search of Aloha shirts for Alex, Cash, and Logan. My dress, which I had picked up in Vancouver, had been carefully stowed away with us throughout our sailing journey. Just a few days before the ceremony, Logan and Cash expressed a desire for fresh haircuts, and soon everyone was looking sharp for the celebration, signaling that short hairstyles were the new trend. We also decided to reposition our boat closer to the shore from its anchored spot in Hilo Bay shortly before the big day, prompted by the recent wind and rain showers This wise choice allowed a few days to ensure a secure anchor hold and minimized the potential dinghy ride distance in the event of morning rain.

After our scenic drive and a not-so-healthy pit stop at McDonald’s for some morning grinds, we found ourselves in Waikoloa. With some time to spare before the wedding, we wandered the streets, taking selfies as we donned our wedding attire. At 11 am, we met with Michaela, our officiant, and with our family members joining online from home, we commenced our short and sweet ceremony celebrating our love and commitment to one another. We cleansed our rings in a salt bath and blessed the leis for the boys and each other, symbolizing the union of our two families into one. Alex and I are overjoyed to each have a stepson and to witness the boys becoming true stepbrothers. It was a magical and perfect moment.

To incorporate the beautiful essence of Hawaiian culture into our ceremony, we included a meaningful lei blessing. During this special moment, Alex and I presented leis to each other as symbols of our commitment. We also honored Logan and Cash by presenting them with their own special leis, embracing them as our beloved stepsons and uniting our families in a heartfelt way.

We opted for traditional wedding leis, with the bride adorned in a stunning three-strand lei while the groom wore a Maile lei, representing love and respect. Logan and Cash were also celebrated with their own exquisite leis, crafted with Song of India along with beautiful shells, nuts and beads that added a unique touch.

Each lei was wonderfully made and contributed to the overall beauty of our celebration.