A Makapuu beach wedding in coral, mango and sunshine yellow, with a pre-wedding shoot at the Hilton and an underwater shoot the next day.
← See all Hilton Hawaiian Village weddings
Jill & James's Hawaii Wedding
Jill and James stayed in Waikiki at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, in the Rainbow Tower, and that is where we photographed and filmed their pre-wedding shoot. Jill got ready with her mom, her grandma and her bridesmaids, and their rings were photographed up close with a macro lens. The night before, the wedding rehearsal was held by the Hilton pool and lagoon. On the wedding day, a white stretch limo with chilled champagne carried Jill over to the east side of the island.
The wedding was on June 1st at 12:30 pm on the sand of Makapuu beach, below the lighthouse, with Rabbit Island out in the ocean. Their colors were coral, peachy cream roses and orchids, sunshine yellow, bright mango orange and natural Hawaiian greens. Their Beach Chapel Arch package had a bamboo arch with yellow and pink-eyed hibiscus, peach roses and cymbidium orchids, palms lining the aisle, and white chair covers with light and dark pink sashes for their 21 guests. A string quartet played, Rev. Kimo Taylor blew the conch shell as Jill walked down the aisle with her father, and the couple lit a fire torch as a symbol of their unity. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed appetizers and a strawberry passion fruit cake on the beach, and Jill cut a pineapple before the cake.
After romantic photos on the cliffs above the beach, the limo took them back to the Hilton to catch the shuttle to a sunset dinner cruise off Waikiki. The next day they returned to the Makapuu tide pools for a “trash the dress” underwater shoot, with Jill wearing a crown of pink plumeria. During the rest of their stay they went hiking, paddleboarded on the Hilton lagoon and floated a lantern on Memorial Day at Ala Moana. One of their wedding photos was even turned into a painting.
Jill & James's Wedding Videos
Gallery
Pre-Wedding Photos at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Getting ready with the bridesmaids, the rings and the limo. Click a photo to see it full size.
Gallery
The Makapuu Beach Ceremony
The bamboo arch, the conch shell, the fire torch and the flower shower.
Gallery
Trash the Dress at the Makapuu Tide Pools
The day after the wedding: plumeria crowns, turquoise water and lava rocks.
Jill & James's Wedding Day Timeline
Planning a beach wedding while staying in Waikiki? Here is how their day flowed.
- 8:30 am: Hair and makeup for the bride at the Hilton; the photographer arrives with the flowers
- 11:15 am: Shuttle picks up the guests in Waikiki
- 11:45 am: The limo picks up the bride
- 12:00 pm: Guests and the groom arrive at the beach
- 12:25 pm: The bride arrives in the limo
- 12:30 pm: Wedding ceremony at Makapuu
- 12:45 pm: Family photos, cake, drinks and appetizers on the beach
- 2:00 pm: Romantic photos of the bride and groom
- 4:00 pm: The limo brings the newlyweds back to the Hilton
- 5:00 pm: Boarding for the sunset dinner cruise (sunset at 7:10 pm)
Plan a Wedding Like Jill & James's
See our Beach Chapel Arch package, Oahu beach weddings, ministers, wedding music and Oahu hotel weddings, or read Lauren & Johnathan's story.
