Hosting a destination wedding at  Lanikuhonua on Oahu, felt like returning home to the young couple, who met while attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “We wanted to go back to the place where our love began,” Erin says. When it came time to plan the wedding from her office in Dallas, Erin turned to Sandra Williams of Finishing Touch Hawaii to handle all of the details of the alfresco event. Both Mat and Erin wanted to be married outdoors, and a guest list of 150 would require a venue that could accommodate a large group. Sandra recommended Lanikuhonua, a private estate tucked away on Oahu’s southwest shore. Lanikuhonua aptly means, “Where the heavens meet the earth”. The cinematic setting perfectly suited the bride’s vision of a modern event in a tropical locale. “I liked that we could build our wedding from scratch and really do what we wanted with the site,” she says. Clever invitations by Miemiko Atelier that read “Touch Down in Paradise” were sent to the couple’s families in Australia and the mainland.

The festivities kicked off early in the week so Erin and Mat could spend as much time as possible with their guests, many of them first time visitors to Hawaii. Erin’s bridesmaid, Nina Kell, and her mother hosted a bridal luncheon at the Halekulani Hotel followed by surf lessons on the North Shore. Erin’s maid of honor surprised all of the girls by booking the instructor, “Sunset Suzy”, one of the surfers in the movie Blue Crush. Mat and his friends also began their day early with a private sport fishing cruise followed by dinner at Dukes, the couple’s favorite restaurant while attending UH. On the evening before the wedding, family members gathered for island style dinner and entertainment at the Paradise Cove Luau.

The wedding day arrived and celebrants strolled the magnificent lawn lined with swaying palm trees. As guests took their seats, the couple’s dear friend played a lovely rendition of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Erin was an elegant bride in a timeless ivory dress by Monique Lhuillier. She carried a bouquet of her favorite flowers, white phalaenopsis orchids, while her bridesmaids held bouquets of yellow and orange cymbidium orchids and roses to match sunny yellow dresses by Thread Social. Mat was a handsome groom in a tan suit and maile lei. The altar was marked by two dramatic glass pillars sprinkled with crystals and topped with abundant orchid sprays. The couple exchanged vows in a touching ceremony at the ocean’s edge as the sun set in the distance. “Our timing was perfect,” the bride says. “Just as we kissed, the sun went down behind us!”

The celebration continued beneath a grand tent as guests mingled and sipped tropical cocktails. Elegant fabric drapery and soft ambient lighting transformed the outdoor dining area. Fong Tagawa of Floral Inspirations created graceful floral chandeliers of green cymbidium orchids that were hung dramatically above the tables. Erin’s love for bold fashion set the tone for her floral color scheme—a vibrant display of green, pink, yellow and orange. Fong arranged exotic bursts of yellow and orange orchids with roses for centerpieces that heightened the romance of the reception area. Silver chiavari chairs were placed at long tables covered in crisp white linens provided by Les Saisons. Wedding coordinator Sandra remarks, “The white linens set the base for the event décor and allowed for the colorful flowers and accents to really ‘pop’ on the tables.” The dance area was converted into a posh lounge to reflect the couple’s contemporary lifestyle. Katrina Nazareth of The Cake Gallery designed an elegant wedding cake adorned with cymbidium orchids and calla lilies, along with the groom’s cake, a playful nod to the couple’s pets!

An evening of continuous dancing and laughter followed dessert. After all of the excitement of the fun-filled week, the lovely couple looked forward to an exotic honeymoon in Bora Bora.