Friday, January 29, 2010

Wedding Week!

Saturday, April 3rd
4pm Arrive at the Plantation House. Dinner at the house.

Sunday, April 4th
6pm Dinner at Cafe VIII 1/2, my uncle's restaurant in Honolulu.
1067 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813

Monday, April 5th to Thursday, April 8th
General Information
Rush Hour Traffic: tips to avoid it!
Beware of JELLYFISH!!! this is a tentative arrival schedule for April
Don't go into the water if you see them.
Water Safety

Some ideas for activities:
Fun in the Sun: North Shore beaches and Lanikai beach in Kailua
Hiking Maunawili Falls OR Manoa Falls, depending on the weather.
Valley of the Temples - there's a beautiful Buddhist temple
Horseback Riding at Kahuku Kai if they are operating
Ahupua‘a O Kahana State Park for some Hawaiian History
Snorkeling at Waikiki, North Shore or Hanauma Bay
Pearl Harbor
Shopping at Ala Moana

Food ideas:
(Cheap to Moderate)
Jong Ga - cheap Korean lunch near Ala Moana
Sweet Home Cafe - Taiwanese Hot Pot
Genki Sushi - cheap sushi!
Irifune - Japanese home cooking
Eggs 'N Things - get the Ahi and Eggs with pancakes - ask for the salsa
Ono Hawaiian Foods - Pork Lau Lau!
Zippy's - it's a local favorite, but getting pricier and pricier
Hukilau Cafe - in the movie 50 First Dates
Kaka'ako Kitchen - gourmet local food in take-out containers
Kua'Aina Burgers - Ward Center and North Shore
Waiola Shave Ice - if you're in Honolulu
Matsumoto Shave Ice - if you're in the North Shore
Bubbies Ice Cream - there are two locations, I prefer the one on University Ave.
City Cafe - Taiwanese Shave Ice (pick mochi, red bean, taro, and tapioca toppings!)

(Moderate to Expensive)
Legend Seafood - amazing dim sum
Indigo - located in Chinatown; great atmosphere
Alan Wong's - best food ever. Just ask Barry.
Hy's Steakhouse
Chef Mavro's
Sushi Sasabune - if you go, you must sit at the bar for the complete experience!
Sansei Sushi - crab ramen with truffle broth!

This is just a starting point. There's so much good food in Hawaii!!

Friday, April 9th
12pm Lunch at the Plantation House!
6pm Wedding Ceremony on the beach
6:30pm Reception

Saturday, April 10th
11am Check out of Plantation House
12pm Brunch at Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Wedding Dress

This is the green dress I returned. Not very beachy, but I love the color and it's flattering. It was not approved.










This is the dress I bought to replace it. Simple, white, virginal.





Flower schemes

Cocksomb






Bird of Paradise






Torch Ginger







All the flowers for the wedding/reception are going to be from my aunt's yard. She has the bird of paradise, already, and I gave her the cockscomb seeds to plant. Now, I just have to convince her to add the torch ginger into her repertoire.


Other flowers I wanted, like the Sarah Bernhardt peony, purple anemones, and various ranunculuses, aren't readily available in Hawaii.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Wedding Menu

Appetizers
  • LEMON WASABI EDAMAME PUREE WITH RICE CRACKERS
  • VIETNAMESE EGGPLANT DIP WITH TARO CHIPS
Entrees
  • PURPLE AND ORANGE SWEET POTATO VOLCANO
  • LAULAU WITH SEASONAL HAWAIIAN FISH ON A BED OF CARAMELIZED SHALLOT, SPINACH, LEMONGRASS, KAFIR LIME AND GINGER.
  • CUMIN AND CORIANDER GRILLED LAMB WITH GUAVA BBQ DRIZZLE
  • VEGETARIAN PUMPKIN, BREADFRUIT, AND BANANA GREEN CURRY
  • TOFU, CUCUMBER, WATERCRESS, TOMATO SALAD WITH THAI BASIL
  • SHRIMP AND WATERMELON SALAD WITH CHILE, LIME, AND CILANTRO
  • JICAMA PINEAPPLE MINT SALAD
  • INDIAN SPICED BASMATI WEDDING RICE
Dessert
  • SRI LANKAN LOVE CAKE WITH PASSION CURD

Plantation House




Ka'a'awa Plantation! Some photos of the house we're renting for the wedding...

There's 10 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. So, almost everyone will get their own bathrooms. Did I mention, if you RSVP yes, you HAVE TO stay here with everyone! It's just easier, since the house is located in an out-of-the-way town.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Back from vacation


Nothing on the Newburgh home repair front. But lots on the getting-married-in-April front. Eddie proposed in November with this beautiful Me&Ro ring. I love it!

I wear it every so often and when I do, I can't stop staring at it.

The wedding will be in Hawaii with only family and a few
friends attending. I returned the original green dress I had immediately purchased after the proposal and replaced it with a white beachy dress from Tamara Katz, a boutique in Pa'ia, Maui.

It's not a formal wedding dress, but I think it fits with our low-key approach. The ceremony will only be 10 minutes, on the beach, with everyone standing. Then the reception will be at the vacation rental we've secured for a week, where the out-of-town guests will be staying.

We're compiling our playlist by asking guests to suggest a song on their RSVP postcards (vintage Hawaii travel poster postcards). The RSVPs and invitations were hand-written, which isn't so hard when you're only inviting 20 people.

Some recommendations:
"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis
Hawaiian Wedding Song (various artists have performed it, including Elvis)
"No Ordinary Love" by Chris Botti
"Blues for Pablo" by Miles Davis
"Olomana" by Ku'u home o kahalu'u
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Braddah Iz