Once Krista Hawley and Ron Bonaguidi's wedding date was set, their home seemed the natural place to be married. The two Kauai history buffs had worked together, lovingly restoring the famous Walter Sanborn House to its original beauty. The expansive seaside lawn was an ideal setting for an intimate, quiet union with only immediate family members in attendance. Krista wore an exquisite short lace dress and Ron was debonair in a sophisticated jacket perfectly suited to the casually elegant occasion. The groom’s good friend Ronnie Tongg officiated as Krista and Ron pledged their devotion with her beautiful daughter Devon as the maid of honor, and Ron’s lovely daughter Casey as the “best lady”. Deanna Schafer coordinated a lovely reception dinner following the vows. “You could feel the love and excitement in the air on the wedding day as guests gathered around the lanai of their home in Hanalei. Many smiles were shared and tears shed during the touching wedding ceremony,” says Deanna.

The family dining table was lovely, graced with candlelight and lavish floral arrangements designed by Bill Dodge and John Miguel. Spencer Santenello, a private chef on Kauai, served an extravagant menu of potato blinis with Beluga caviar and smoked Copper River salmon, followed by panzanella salad and roasted rack of lamb with rosemary mint honey. For dessert, pastry chef Andrea Quinn baked a divine chocolate cake filled with coconut ganache and topped with toasted coconut. Family members dined while a violinist and guitarist played softly in the background. Ron’s 88-year-old mother Helen, who flew in from Palm Desert, California, was jubilant that she could be there to celebrate the moment with her son. At the close of dinner the bride and groom presented engraved Montblanc pens to each of their guests as a remembrance of the occasion.

It was an unforgettable evening of intimacy in which each guest held a very special place in Ron and Krista’s hearts—even the photographers, Lexi Mackenzie and Christiaan Phleger were friends of the couple, acquainted through island polo. The newlyweds headed off to a dreamy honeymoon in Tortugas, Argentina which naturally included polo—Ron vied for the Silver Cup while Krista played in her own tournaments. From the beginning they were a perfect match.

Photos by Lexi Mackenzie and Christiaan Phleger