All couples scramble the last couple days to make sure all the details of their  months of planning are in place.  Some weddings are even threatened by inclement  weather.  But this could be the only couple whose wedding was threatened by 2 hurricanes and an earthquake.  Hurricane Iselle, and hurricane Julio were headed directly towards the Hawaiian islands.  Their wedding location was in the direct path.

As if things couldn’t get worse, a 4.5  magnitude earthquake struck Hawaii’s Big Island as residents braced for the arrival of Hurricane Iselle.

Chris and Tracy remained unphased.  There was never any intention to cancel.  They were steadfast in their decision to marry on August 9th, 2014.  Hurricane or no hurricane.  They applied for their marriage license and the Associated Press took notice.  They were asked to do interviews for newspapers, radio, and even a Skype video for their hometown Seattle news.   Chris and Tracy still remained unphased.  They would be married as they planned and they remained incredibly calm as their wedding day approached.

To everyone’s surprise, the morning of August 9th greeted Hawaii with a beautiful sunrise, birds chirping, and a calm breeze.  Here is their wedding day story :

While Tracy had her bridal makeup and hair done in the hotel spa, her stepdaughters and good friend kept themselves nicely occupied.

Solid proof the morning skies were beautiful.

After leaving the salon we drove to the  Kahua Ranch which was the location for the ceremony and reception.

The always emotional first look:

The vibrant tropical florals were AMAZING!




Once all the guests arrived and were given a beautiful lei, everyone walked as a group down to the ceremony site.

The start of the ceremony was announced  by the traditional blowing of the conch shell.

A ti leaf, which represents prosperity and health, is dipped into sea water and then sprinkled over the rings three times while a traditional chant is recited.

After the ceremony, we had a little extra time for some Bride and Groom portraits.  

As the sun was setting, the party was just getting started.

The s’more bar was a big hit with all the wedding guests!

As a wedding favor, each guest got to try their hand at branding!