The words of their favorite song blended magically with the rhythms of the waves lapping gently off shore. Surrounded by family and friends, Brooke Israel and Craig Watson exchanged vows overlooking a stunning seascape with both their hometowns of Kahala and Portlock in view. “Our friends have a beautiful home in Diamond Head and were gracious enough to allow us to be married there,” says Brooke. “We wanted to have the ceremony on the water, no matter what.” The handsome couple met nearly six years earlier on a blind date. “You can say that we were set up by many of our mutual friends. The crazy part was that the friends who set us up weren’t connected!” recalls Brooke. She had recently moved back to Honolulu from Boston to open her own home boutique, Soha, when several friends mentioned a “very handsome, very tall guy” whom they were convinced she should meet. Craig had also recently moved back to Hawaii from California, where he was playing on the National Olympic Water Polo team. He says, “What Brooke didn’t know at the time, was that I was getting the same pressure from these mutual friends to meet her.” One Saturday morning Brooke was waiting for a girlfriend to pick her up to go to the beach, when Craig showed up instead. That day marked the beginning of their romance.

Six years later, Craig proposed during a song by Kaukahi entitled, “There is No Way”, and the melody instantly became their official love song. Fortunately, the couple knew the musicians personally and requested their presence at the wedding and reception. The laid-back Hawaiian musicians provided an ideal ambience for a casually elegant affair. The bride called upon Avery Solmssen of Green Honolulu to tend to all the details of the event. Brooke says, “Avery made my dreams into reality. She just knew what to do!” A natural palette of brown and green punctuated by orange complemented the incredible beauty of the reception site, La Pietra. Once a private estate, La Pietra later became an all-girls academy where Brooke had attended high school. The stone mansion with its European archways and rustic courtyard was both familiar and intimate, the perfect setting for the understated celebration.

The lawn overlooking Diamond Head Crater was transformed with tents featuring dramatic floral chandeliers and hundreds of candles, amid floral and shell centerpieces. Guests were treated to a flavorful menu from the couple’s favorite restaurant, Indigo, who designed colorful food stations that blended seamlessly with the ambience. Brooke says, “Everything was in harmony, from the table decor to the food presentation.” A fun mix of live Hawaiian music, jazz and “a few throwbacks from the 80s” brought guests out on the dance floor to celebrate the auspicious occasion. Although no one wanted the evening to end, guests departed on a sweet note: an elaborate candy buffet of the bride’s favorite confections provided one last touch of aloha from the newlyweds.