Aloha! I'm back and hitched!!

[Jazzman]

Well, the wedding (which I described here) was spectacular. I’ve been uploading pics all day, and we’ve only gotten back three or four out of about twenty roles, so there are lots more to come! I wanted to go ahead and post what is up so far though so that everyone can see. It was so beautiful. The wedding was on Saturday the twentieth, and the weather was perfect. We were a little worried on Friday because the coast was completely fogged in, but it lifted Saturday morning and the day was amazing. Not a cloud to be seen, bright and sunny, the temp never got too high to be uncomfortable and the wind never got stronger than a refreshing, cool breeze. Steph looked incredible, the most beautiful bride to ever walk down an aisle. Our friends and family all looked good, having fun out on the beach and eating Hawai’ian food and watching hula and fire dancers. The wedding party was decked out in full aloha wear, and we had a blast. Everyone keeps telling us that it was the most fun they’ve ever had at a wedding and I have to say, it was for me too, for obvious reasons. We stayed out at the beach a few days afterward, and now we’re beginning our adventure together as HUSBAND and WIFE!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!


Anyhow, here’s some pics to enjoy. They’re all candids, none of the official “have to’s” yet. I’m just linking to them to save load time here. Enjoy!



Here’s us. Isn’t she beautiful? This is my favorite pic. I love the pre-wedding preparation candidness, and how she’s even gorgeous while brushing her teeth and getting her hair done. Ahhh.... I’m so lucky.

Our totally awesome cake. I think it was good. All I got was the piece that Steph fed me during the cake cutting. It turned out that the pineapple and banana cake was so delicious that people wanted seconds and thirds (which I’ve never seen at a wedding before) and the entire thing was completely devoured!

Here’s us with our parents, and with our awesome minister Kevin. He’s a really down to Earth guy and loved the idea of our wedding and really played into it. My parents got outfits from the same place as we did. It’s the first new dress my Mom has bought in fifteen years, and I think she looked great. And my Dad cracked me up because he’s really a Montana farmer, but the aloha wear totally fit him perfectly and I thought he looked like he just stepped off of a postcard. Awesome. And seeing Steph’s stiffer-than-concrete parents decked out in bright red aloha shirts blew me away. Steph’s niece was also full of aloha and looked great, as did my now brother in law. I am truly blessed with wonderful Ohana.

Here’s a shot of the food being delivered to the luau. The kalua pork was to die for. It’s funny, we had food for ninety, about sixty or so showed up, and almost all of it was eaten. Everyone was having so much fun and enjoying the food so much that they just kept going back for more! We couldn’t have wished for better!

Here’s Steph and Jewel, her Matron of Honor. And here’s myself with Dan, my Best Man and one of my dearest friends. They’re married (I was Best Man for him too!) and live in Phoenix. Dan started law school two days before the wedding and flew up Friday night, got to the beach Saturday morning, and flew back home Sunday afternoon to get back to school. It meant the world to me that with so much going on he still came up to stand beside me, and Steph actually cried when she first saw Jewel. Well, okay... I did too, but when you have such wonderful friends you can’t help it, ya know?

I have to throw this in to illustrate the perfectness of the day. The sky, sun and surf were awesome! We had hoped to bring a little bit of Hawai’i to the Oregon coast, and it looks like we did!

Here’s us coming down to the aisle. The people who live in the house behind our luau saw what was going on and offered us the use of their stairway, and it really added to things. They even came out and enjoyed the show and had a lot of fun. We walked down the aisle to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Many people told us how much they love that song and how perfect it was for us. There was just so much love and joy in the air, we had plenty to share with everyone.

Here’s the ceremony, and of course, the kiss!!! I couldn’t stop smiling. It was the most amazing day I’ve ever lived. I love this pic of the party with out heads bowed. It just catches my eye.

Instead of a program, we put together a CD of all the Hawai’ian music from our wedding and made the CD cover a folding program. That way all of our guests could take home a bit of our wedding to always remember it by, and we’ve been delighted to hear that quite a few of our guests listened to it all the way home and loved it!

We’re still getting pics developed, so I’ll post more as they come. Our photobucket is JohnsonOhana, so feel free to browse if you like. I’m really looking forward to getting back the shots of the hula dancers, drummers and fire knife dance, and also the pics of our wedding party. Hope you all enjoy the pics for now though. Mahalo and Aloha!

[AllyOops!]

I'm about to click on all the pics you posted above, but before I do I wanted to be the very first to wish you a big, heartfelt..

CONGRATS!!

Best wishes and big hugs to both of you!!

Love,
~Ally~

[AllyOops!]

Okay, now I wish I had looked at the wedding pictures before I posted!! That's okay, I'll just keep postin'.

Let me begin by saying your pictures were absolutely breathtaking! I really, truly enjoyed them! You looked gorgeous, your wife looked gorgeous (I loved her dress & hair!), and I've never been so head-over-heels for a wedding cake as I was for yours!! The color, the decorations..sigh. I'm all dreamy now. That aqua icing with the shells! Who designed your cake? I'm dying to know!

Now I'm going to dream of a beach wedding! And I was planning on Vegas, baby. Little White Chapel ala Britney, a truckers cap, a ring constructed of tinfoil from that night's sirloin leftovers from the Golden Nugget's $1.00 buffet, a whiskey-infused kiss laced with hints of Marlboro Menthols and a wedding cake topped with flaming 7's & stars n' bars.

Okay, I'm just teasing about the Vegas part! I love the beach wedding, however.

Jeff, your pictures were so amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing them with us!!

[Jazzman]

Thanks Ally! I’m so glad you enjoyed looking over the pics. We had so much fun that day, I hope it comes across in the photos.

The cake we thought up ourselves, actually. We picked out colors from a paint store, then met with the lady at the local bakery and chose the final color. We wanted to mimic the beautiful blue waters around Hawai’i. We then ordered it without decorations, just smooth frosting, and when we were out at the beach in May we bought all of the shells from a little shop there. The hula boy and girl we ordered from Hilo Hattie’s in Honolulu. My Mom and Jewel, Steph’s Matron of Honor, added the decorations that morning and voila! Aloha cake! The cake itself was banana with pineapple frosting. Everyone loved it.

Thanks for the kind compliments. I still can’t get over how breathtaking Steph was and how perfect the whole day was. I get all misty eyed just remembering it. What a wonderful day. I definitely recommend luaus as weddings.

[Betty]

What a great wedding! Looks like everyone had a great time!

Congratulations.

[€uroMeinke]

Congratualtions! - Looks like you had a fabulous time. I love that you had your parents in matching Hawaiin prints. That certainly takes me back.

[blueerica]

Oh my goodness!! Your wedding was so beautiful! I'm so happy for you two, and again, congratulations! Thank you for sharing your pictures with us!

[wendybeth]

Wow! Are the stars ever in alignment for you, Jazz!
Beautiful wife, beautiful wedding, beautiful day! (On the Oregon Coast, no less!) I'm very happy for you- congrats!!!!

[Ghoulish Delight]

Congratulations! What beautiful pictures of two happy people. To your health and happiness.

[MickeyLumbo]

best wishes for a lifetime of good health and happiness together!