Emily & Darryl

Oct 9

From Emily and Darryl:

How did you two meet and how long have you been dating?

We’ve been dating since 2007, so around the time we got married, we had already been dating for 12 years (and living together for 4). We met in our first year of university in Canada – we had a large group of mutual friends and lived in the same dormitory.

Darryl, how did you know Emily was "The One?"

After having done long distance for almost 4 years while she was in Toronto and Hong Kong and I was in Japan and the UK, we finally settled in together in Hong Kong in 2015. I think it was fairly quickly after that I knew we could be happy in a single place together.

Emily, how did you know Darryl was "The One?"

We met in undergrad and went on our own adventures after graduation but knew that we wanted to be together. It was really tough to be long distance, but Darryl was always there for me through the good times and the bad, encouraging me to explore and do things that would help me get the most out of life. After being on different continents and pursuing our own adventures, we realized that it would mean so much more if we could adventure through life together instead!

Why did you decide to get married in Hawaii - and specifically why did you choose Sunshower for your Venue?

Hawaii was where we got engaged and a place we both fell in love with the times we’ve visited so we knew that we had to get married there. It also allowed us to have fewer and closer friends and family and hold a more intimate setting!

We choose Sunshower Farms specifically because we saw that it offered a farm to table menu for the reception. What a way to showcase Hawaii, a place that we both love; to our friends and family on this special occasion!

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

Emily: The moment where Elizabeth, our officiant, gave us her blessings after our vows. Darryl and I were standing across from each other, smiling and gazing – we were so happy that this finally happened! It felt like the whole world disappeared for that moment and it was just us!
Darryl: When Emily walked down the aisle to our song and I couldn’t believe that the moment had finally come.

What was your favorite wedding detail?

Emily: I don’t think I can choose just one! I loved everything about it – food, décor, photos, flowers, everything was amazing! But if I had to choose one, I’d say the flowers since I have zero experience with flowers. When Kate asked me what I wanted my bouquet to look like during our planning sessions, I responded with, “Uhh... I don’t know what they’re supposed to look like, I just want them to go with our colour scheme.”. Kate and Lyla were able to work with absolutely zero direction and took the entire thing to the next level. Our flowers were AMAZING!! I also love how we were able to re-purpose the flowers from the ceremony at the reception.
Darryl: All the décor was amazing – everything from the settings, the floral arrangements, and lighting. The food was also unbelievable - the ceremony refreshments from Sun Dog Bread, the reception dinner menu by Chef Kyle Bart, and of course the Sunshower coffee. I think everything done by Kate and her team was just outstanding. Everything that was done by us felt lackluster in comparison!

Any advice for future couples?

Emily: I would definitely bring a pair of flip-flops to the ceremony if I were to do it all over again! I mean, I would walk up and down the aisle in my pretty white shoes, but I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the pastries and refreshments at the ceremony as leftovers until the next morning because walking around in heels slows you down a lot! Always think about your footwear and don’t let this happen to you – our vendors did a fantastic job and I want to make a trip back to the Big Island for their pastries as I sit here typing this up!

Other than that – relax and enjoy your big day! You’re in the Aloha State, after all.
Darryl: For the wedding: I’m a big planner so try and map out all the tasks you need done before the ceremony and reception like buying alcohol or getting photos taken before you arrive. Have contingency plans for basic tasks and errands. For life itself, just relax and try to be there for each other.

Funniest memory from your wedding day?

Emily: My sister’s awful Instax photography.
Darryl: Bruce running around and greeting some of the guests!

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

Emily: No! It was perfect the way it was :)
Darryl: Probably not! Most of it went according to plan!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We would probably say… either the rest of our time in Hawaii on the Big Island, or I guess we just came back from Australia and Tasmania in September!