I had the pleasure of photographing Brittney’s sister’s wedding in 2016. It felt really special to be invited back to photograph Brittney’s beautiful wedding, and it was such a treat to see Jenae and Justin at the wedding with their new baby.
Brittney and Arie purposely limited their guest list to their immediate family, so it would be intimate and they could spend time with everyone.
They decided to keep things traditional and forgo a first look. Arie got ready at the Pioneer Inn, a historic hotel built in Lahaina in 1901. I captured his getting ready moments and then went to be with Brittney while she was getting ready with her girls at Westin Villas.
I loved seeing Arie’s face watching Brittney walk down the aisle. He just lit up. Whether or not to do a first look is such a personal decision, and for these two, waiting to see each other for the first time at their ceremony was definitely the right choice for them.
The most tear jerking part of the ceremony was when Arie called Brittney’s son up to join them. Arie got down on one knee and asked if he would take him to be part of the family. I think everyone was crying, including me!
After the ceremony, we did romantic portraits among the palm trees and the light was out of this world! Suddenly, a rainbow appeared so we rushed over and took as many photos as we could with the rainbow before the rain came.
There were so many touching moments in this wedding that hit me right in the feels. Arie’s dad passed away. For his dance with his mom, Arie chose his dad’s favorite song. I can’t even write that without tearing up.
That’s what I love about weddings. You don’t have to have an insane budget or a million details to make it unforgettable.
Credits:
Ceremony Venue: Punakea Palms
Reception Venue and Catering: Pioneer Inn
Photo: Amber Vision Photography
Video: Wes Larsen Media
Flowers: Sunya’s Flowers