It was time to kick off the celebration! We invited all of our OOT guests and my Pop’s bruddahs to join us for our quasi-rehearsal dinner. Quasi, because the wedding rehearsal was scheduled for the following day, and our wedding the day after. Moving the rehearsal dinner up a day was a tactical move on our part. We wanted our friends to get loose and enjoy themselves without worrying about headaches, oversleeping, cravings for pho (best cure for hangovers), etc. on the day of the wedding. They had all day Friday for some R & R. Yup, our friends can definitely throw back a few. 
We hosted our dinner at Tiki’s Grill & Bar in Waikiki. Wanting something private, we chose the Coconut Club room. It’s on the top floor of the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel, and it has a lanai (Hawaiian for patio) big enough to seat our 60 or so guests. The room itself isn’t all that special, but the sunset view from the lanai was priceless. It was seriously postcard worthy.
We were running a bit late, but thanks to island time, our late was actually early. Our friend, Dan, was the last to arrive. He snapped this photo of us greeting him at the door, and apologized for being late. The waves kept calling to him. Late because of surfing, haha! I love Hawaii.
Everyone pretty much knew everyone (minus the families), so it was nice to catch up. Since we’re all college buddies, the conversations went beyond the typical ‘What’s your name’, ‘How do you know the Piglets’, etc. etc. It was nice. Comfortable. Effortless.
Eventually, people made their way to their seats. We used leftover luggage tags from our invitations to make name cards, and filled the bags with macadamia nut Hershey’s Kisses.
Once everyone was seated…
Mr Piglet welcomed everyone. That night, we wanted it to be about them. We wanted to show our appreciation and love to our friends and family for traveling the distance to celebrate with us. Even Mr Piglet’s 80+ year old grandmother flew from Georgia. In her words, our wedding was something to live for.
And then dinner was served! We went buffet style the entire weekend. The spread for that night included macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi, sliced paniolo steak, kalua pig, fresh fruit, and steamed rice.
Everyone ate while watching this sunset over Waikiki. It’s still etched in my memory.
After dinner, it was time to introduce our bridal party. First up, the ladies. One-by-one, they each came up to hug it out. And as a token of our love and appreciation, we gifted them with a pair of Rainbow sandals… very island appropriate.
Plus, matching clutches to go with their bridesmaid’s dresses.
Beautiful Bonnie w/ her new ‘bows; picture taken by her beau.
Then, the fellas. Surprise, no more. They knew what was in their boxes.
But also got something to go with their suits. A nice pair of argyle socks in yellow and teal. You’re welcomeeee!
Then, the entertainment began. We booked a band through Tiki’s, and they were the highlight of the night for Mr Piglet’s family from Korea. They loved the adorable hula girl.
The rest of the night was spent mingling with friends.
And catching up with the bridesmaids preparing for the day-of. So close… the nerves were starting to kick in.
Re-live the Piglets’ Wedding in Paradise: To Dos Before the I Dos, E Komo Mai (Welcome!), This Little Piggy Got Married
Thanks Ben and Erin! All images are copyright of Ben Chrisman and Erin Reed unless otherwise noted.