“It was the best moment of my life!” Azizah Hodges says of the grand entrance she shared with Craig Rowen when they arrived at their wedding reception at the Mauna Lani Resort on Hawaii's Big Island. The resonating sounds of a taiko drummer announced their arrival, and the newlyweds received an exuberant welcome from their 110 wedding guests, who waited in the private Beach Club at the Mauna Lani Resort. “We walked together down a torchlit path, and as we entered our reception the drums became silent and we immediately began our first dance as husband and wife,” says Azizah. She attributes the impeccable timing to her mother Nikki Hodges, a professional event planner in Montecito, California. From the very beginning Nikki had a distinct vision for her only daughter’s wedding. Mauna Lani’s wedding coordinator, Pinkie Crowe, assisted the mother-of-the-bride by arranging the finest island talents to bring her vision to life.

In Azizah’s mind there was never any doubt where they would be married. “I practically grew up at Mauna Lani,” she says. The family’s interior design business provided most of the original artwork and fabrics for the resort’s opening, so they visited as often as six times a year. At a gathering of her bridesmaids, Azizah’s mother shared childhood footage of the bride running around the resort when she was just five years old. “I have always had wonderful memories of the Mauna Lani...the ancient fishing ponds and beautiful grounds are so spiritual,” Azizah says. She and her mother flew into the Big Island ahead of the other guests so they could savor quiet time together and relax after a whirlwind of planning the event. Azizah says, “Once I landed, Hawaii took over. My mom and I spent our days walking along the fishing ponds and soaking up the sun. By the time everyone showed up, I was so calm and ready for the day.”

Lauhala boxes filled with sarongs, shell earrings, Kona coffee and macadamia nut cookies awaited each guest upon arrival. Included in the box was a complete itinerary of events that allowed family and friends to get to know one another. The bride’s parents hosted a welcome barbecue at the Ocean Grill, where her father awarded trophies to the groomsmen who had participated in a private golf tournament held earlier. The next morning the ladies spent breakfast together at the Bay Terrace restaurant in excited anticipation of the festivities.

On the day of the wedding it was impossible for the guests not to feel the same spiritual connection that the bride held for the Big Island. Family and friends gathered on the beach at sunset as Azizah and her attendants walked down a lauhala aisle constructed especially for the occasion—the miniature pier met the bride’s request to wear high heels and still be married on the sand. The elegant bride wore a timeless silk gown designed by Monique Lhuillier. Danny Kaniela Akaka, Mauna Lani’s Hawaiian historian and cultural director, blessed the site and blew a conch shell to commence the ceremony and the couple exchanged vows and leis in the tradition of Hawaii. Afterward, six violinists played for guests who mingled and drank cocktails while the newlyweds stole away for a few moments of privacy.

Celebrants strolled through the resort grounds past the ancient Hawaiian fishponds to a reception at the Beach Club, an open-air restaurant on a beautiful crescent-shaped beach. Dining tables were designated by Hawaiian words with the English translations beneath. Letterpress place cards and menus with a pineapple motif were personalized in calligraphy and marked each place setting. To the guests’ delight an extravagant dinner was served with courses of sushi, dim sum, lobster fried rice, mahi mahi and filet mignon. A ten-piece band livened up the sophisticated celebration and brought family and friends onto the dance floor for the rest of the evening. It was a perfect night for both the bride and the groom. “It’s rare when your wedding day actually surpasses your expectations, and this definitely did,” Craig remarks. Azizah was happy that she could share the place that held her fondest childhood memories. She says, “I can’t imagine getting married anywhere else!”

Photos by Toby Hoogs