Amy and Mike had their very modern tropical wedding at a private estate on Kauai’s north shore. Inspired by the gorgeous stormy skies there, the reception had a palette of pale pinks and grays, mixed with bold zigzag chevron patterns and softer details like peonies and pompoms. Wearing a ruched wedding dress chosen for her by designer Angel Rivera himself, Amy made a beautiful bride!
Amy + Mike | April 18, 2014 | Kauai, Hawaii | Dress Listing: Angel Rivera, Maya
The Ceremony
Our ceremony was low-key, intimate and uniquely Hawaiian. We wanted our families and friends to feel included, since they’d traveled a long way to join us, so the chairs were set up close to us, with a sweeping view of the ocean. Both of my parents (my mom and my step-dad) walked me down the aisle and our good friend – my husband’s best friend of 30 years – married us. We absolutely love Kauai, and we wanted our wedding to incorporate the feeling of the island. There was a ukulele player for my walk down the aisle, and he played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” We got married on a bluff overlooking the ocean, and stood in a ring of plumerias. Kauai is the wettest place in the world, so I was prepared for rain. It sprinkled for a few minutes during the ceremony, but then cleared up, leaving us an amazingly beautiful sky and setting the stage for a gorgeous sunset.
The Reception
When we started planning our wedding we decided that we wanted an amazing party for our friends and family. Our reception was focused on them – we had amazing food (typical Hawaiian fare as well as vegan options,) fantastic music and an open bar! My color scheme was gray and pink to mimic a rainy Hawaiian sky, and we incorporated fresh flowers into our centerpieces. We had a lounge section in our tent so that our guests could relax and rest their feet between dances. At the end of the night, we prepared late night party favors for everyone: hot malasadas (a Hawaiian donut) – they were a huge hit!
Amy’s Dress Search
I probably tried on 10 – 12 dresses. I’m not a “bride-y” girl; I didn’t buy any bridal magazines and only [begrudgingly] used Pinterest at my wedding planner’s request. So, I had no idea what type of dress I wanted. I have a pretty athletic frame, and I wanted something that went with the low-key vibe of our wedding. I knew I didn’t want anything too princess-y, too poufy or too long.
I ended up liking a lace dress with a low back and another strapless dress that gathered on the side. As I was standing in the studio with the lace dress on, a man came over and said, “hang on, I have the perfect dress for you.” Quickly, my associate whispered, “that’s Angel Rivera, he’s a designer, and he’s brilliant.” He brought the Maya dress over and I tried it on and he was right… it was perfect. But I didn’t buy the dress immediately – I wanted my mom, dad and two sisters to weigh in on the choice. When we came back the following week, my mom looked at the dress, looked at me, and started crying. At that point, I really was certain, it was the perfect dress.
How Amy Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Beautiful, comfortable and like me!
Why Amy Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
I’m not a sentimental person, and I’m pretty realistic (meaning, I’m fairly certain I’m not going to be wearing the dress any time soon!) I absolutely loved my dress and how I felt in it, and if I can give that experience to someone else (with my dress!) then I’m happy!
