A destination wedding in Hawaii fulfilled Lacey Yantis’ longtime dream of being married in an exotic locale “barefoot on the beach”. On a trip to Oahu with her fiancé, Aaron Blank, she found her perfect spot tucked away on Oahu’s southwest shore, a place Hawaiians aptly call Lanikuhonua, "where the heavens meet the earth”. Lacey recalls, “After visiting Lanikuhonua there was no question. The setting was magical, romantic, and wonderfully private.” The auspicious occasion would bring their two families together from opposite coasts—Aaron’s family would be traveling from Long Island, New York, and Lacey’s family would make the journey from Seattle, Washington.

The wedding week began on a Wednesday, so Lacey and Aaron could have as much time as possible with their guests, many of them first time visitors to the islands. “Our guests arrived from twelve different states. The pre-events built a sense of true community and family throughout the week,” recalls Lacey. Upon arrival at the Ko ‘Olina Resort, family and friends were presented with thoughtful welcome bags including items monogrammed with an apricot orchid design created especially for the event. The bag also contained a fabulous itinerary for a week of Hawaiian activities: a luau at the Paradise Cove; a catamaran snorkel sail aboard the Kai Oli Oli along the Waianae Coast; a spa day for the ladies; and a golf outing for the men, complete with monogrammed balls and tees. On Friday evening all 100 guests dined at Roy’s Ko ‘Olina Golf Club for the rehearsal dinner. The highlight of the evening was a big screen presentation created by cinematographer Angel De Armas in which cartoon characters of Lacey and Aaron depicted the tale of their love story for everyone’s enjoyment.

On April 9, 2005 Lacey and Aaron were married under the swaying palm trees of Lanikuhonua. A year of planning the event with wedding coordinator Beth Harbottle meant no detail was left to chance. Lacey was beautiful in a gown designed by Vera Wang appropriately called “Orange Blossom”. Her entourage of bridesmaids wore tea length dresses in champagne silk, in contrast to the groomsmen in Tommy Bahama black silk shirts. Aaron wore a debonair Paul Dion suit with a Brioni tone-on-tone necktie. The couple exchanged vows at the ocean’s edge under a bamboo canopy laden with brilliant apricot roses. Floral designer Yvonne Chapman created spectacular displays for the wedding and reception in keeping with the couple’s apricot orchid theme. The bride and her attendants carried bouquets of luxurious peach and apricot orchid bouquets. Tables were set with glorious arrangements in the same hues, complemented by menu cards, table cards, and tablecloth overlays continuing the theme.

Guests dined alfresco with unobstructed views of the starry sky under a clear-top tent. Silk lanterns cast a warm glow over the party as they enjoyed island fare followed by delicious individual wedding cakes. The bride selected Carmen Emerson-Bass of Cake Couture to design a stunning fondant wedding cake decorated with delicate gum paste flowers as a finishing touch to the grand event. As Maunalua played lively Hawaiian music, Lacey and Aaron danced along with their guests, trays of Blue Hawaiian cocktails and champagne circulating among the happy celebrants. That evening was the culmination of a week of laughter, love, and camaraderie that no one wanted to end. The next morning after a Sunday brunch in their honor, the newlyweds set off for a romantic honeymoon in Fiji, reveling in the memories of their wedding day.

Photography by Stefanie Reidel; Flowers by Yvonne Design; Cake by Cake Couture; Video by Angel de Armas

Text by Robyn I‘aea