This Movie Buff Couple Got Married on Location on Oahu
Kirsten and Dustin are two movie buffs that flew all the way from Texas to get married at one of the coolest places on earth - Kualoa Ranch on Oahu, which was also the picturesque location for movies and TV shows like Jurassic Park, Lost, and Jumanji just to name a few.
With such an epic location as their backdrop, their wedding turned out beautiful with personal details and tropical decor. They even featured gold dinosaurs as their place card holders, how cool is that?! Keep scrolling to see this gorgeous day unfold captured by Jayleigh Daniel, and when you’re ready for more heartfelt moments, enjoy the full gallery after.
wedding spot for movie buffs
From Love Letter Weddings: These two are huge movie lovers and wanted to get married at Kualoa Ranch, which is a private nature reserve that is home to a few event venues and many movie and television sets (Jurassic Park, Lost, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, 50 First Dates, etc). Leading up to the wedding, we had so many great phone meetings with the bride and her mother. The bride's mother was so helpful and actually made a lot of the decor herself, which helped cut down costs and make the wedding that much more personal.
location switch-a-roo
The day before the wedding, we held their rehearsal at the wedding venue. Upon showing up, we discovered that the recent rain had left the area a muddy mess, and it no longer matched the wedding location that the bride and groom had envisioned. Fortunately, we were very familiar with another venue at Kualoa Ranch that is a bit more elevated, and we were able to move the entire wedding to that location, which was even more beautiful than this couple could have imagined. While changing a wedding location 24 hours before the ceremony definitely presented it's own challenges, this was one of those "everything happens for a reason" situations. The bride and groom were absolutely blown away at the beauty of the new venue, which made the big reveal on their wedding day that much more fun.
So many happy tears
The day of their wedding brought.... surprise, more rain. And not just a little drizzle, it was a steady rain all afternoon. However, the clouds miraculously took a break right before the (outdoor) ceremony was supposed to begin. We like to joke that Mother Nature must have known how many tears were about to flow, so she let up for a bit. This wedding was EMOTIONAL, in the very best way. There were happy tears from the bride and groom, their families, their guests, and even our entire planning team! Their ceremony was incredibly beautiful- the officiant made the comment afterwards that, despite how many weddings he has done, this couple and their love for each other was something he would never forget.
making your day memorable and fun
Every part of the reception was thoughtful and impactful. There were so many adorable touches that really made the wedding memorable. Some of our favorite items were the gold dinosaur place card holders, the beautiful tropical napkins, the stunning rattan chargers, and the gold silverware. Combine all of that with the tropical centerpieces, boho lounge set, bar decor, and tropical menu and the day came together absolutely flawlessly. We even surprised the groom and bride with a longboard that the couple could incorporate into a few of their newlywed photos! It was these little touches that really made the day so special, memorable, and fun.
wedding budget
Venue- $2k
Photography- $4k
Catering- $6.5k
Rentals- $5k
Flowers- $2.5k
Other- $2-5k
Total Budget: $20-25k
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- Event Planning & Design: Love Letter Weddings
- Cakes & Catering: Ke Nui Kitchen
- Cakes & Catering: Caroline Carr
- Flowers: Love Letter Weddings Floral
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Reveal Hair and Makeup
- Officiants: John Fuchigami
- Photographers: Jayleigh Flood Photography
- Rentals: Aloha Artisans
- Rentals: Accel Rentals
- Venues: Kualoa Ranch