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Here's What You Need To Know
before you jump in
If you listen to us about anything, listen to this: hire your wedding vendors from this list. All of our vendors are of the highest quality and work damn hard to be included here. There is no “pay-to-play” on this list, vendors cannot pay to be included. We know—without a doubt—they’ll make your wedding day special. If you choose to hire a vendor outside this list (which might be one we’ve purposely excluded), we cannot vouch for the level of their service or expertise.
And to go one step further, we have a list within a list—our Sunshower Selects!
To give you 100% peace of mind that you are working with a top-tier vendor. Our Selects for each category will be noted with this sticker so you know exactly who our favorites are (and soon they’ll become your favorites, too).
For Vendors To Become Sunshower Approved, They Must Show The Following Qualities:
- Wedding-planner-friendly and willing to collaborate so they make your lives easier—not more difficult.
- Appropriate response times for our couples.
- Fully insured and adequately staffed (with backup plans, just like us!).
- Proper contracts and clear expectations from the beginning.
- Timely and professional in both communication and appearance—your event is once-in-a-lifetime, and we expect them to treat it as such.
- Willing to be a full participant in your event (i.e. helps develop ideas, goes the extra mile, personable, friendly, and fun to be around).
- Doesn’t drink on the job.
- Has positive vibes only—there’s no place for negativity here!
- Works with couples of all types—we won’t work with bigots and we are careful to keep them off the list.
STOP & READ STOP & READ STOP & READ STOP & READ STOP & READ STOP & READ
Our Destination Wedding Disclaimer
If you’re planning your Big Island wedding from across the ocean, it’s time to get acquainted with “Hawai’i Time.” Essentially, it means that life on the island doesn’t follow the quick pace you might be used to—everything here is slowed down and more relaxed.
It’s important to note that communication and customer service may not be your potential vendors’ strongest suit, so if you don’t hear back quickly, please don’t get discouraged. We’re here to help! If you haven’t been able to communicate with a vendor you’d love to work with, just let your planner know and we will follow up.
(Pro tip: Mention that you’re working with us in your initial inquiry! It may speed up the process.)
We Steadfastly Support Local Businesses
Sometimes (well, a lot of times) “destination” vendors just don’t cut it. When you work with a Hawaii-based business, you’re much more likely to have an extraordinary experience.
Keep in mind: All of our vendors are on this list due to their merit. WE DO NOT TAKE COMMISSIONS. We believe in providing you with the best experience possible, so it’s our promise to you that everyone you see on the list below is worth your time and investment.
While we understand that you may be interested in booking a destination vendor (most often a photographer or videographer), we highly recommend choosing a local vendor from our list. We believe that you’re more likely to get top-notch service from a local team since they’re already in our network, and we can advocate for you as needed. They’re also incentivized to give you their best work because they want to earn our future business (via our clients) and it really shows! If you’re struggling to choose someone for a specific service from our list, look for our Sunshower Select sticker! Those are the vendors we know, love, and can’t wait to work with! And if you want to talk it out with your planner, we’re more than happy to assist you in finding the perfect A team for your wedding day.
Vendor Categories
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO JUMP TO THAT SECTION!
Rentals
Note from our team - we do not recommend that clients book this on their own even for the most simplistic wedding. Please use these as reference to look through their websites and Instagram to get a feel of their inventory but please work with your Planner to secure your rentals! We often find that when clients book these on their own they do not book the right amount of things (either too much or too litle!) or they often overspend by getting everything from one company rather than mixing and matching from a few companies. We are here to help!
This is a Hilo-based company that has tents and furniture rentals. We don’t work with them often because of their location but Mark the owner is great and if you are having an east side wedding, or the other rental companies are already booked, definitely consider working with them! Their tents are affordable, but with the delivery fees from Hilo side, they are really only a good option for Kona-side weddings if the other companies are already booked. They are a good option for Hilo-side weddings though.
Mango Tree Events
Cross posted from DJ/sound section. They have sound, lighting and dance floor rentals in addition to their DJ services!
Hawaii Sound and Vision
Justin has worked alongside HSAV and operates a photobooth business, as well as his DJ/emcee packages. He also has a TON of specialty lighting like disco balls, up lights, lights on towers etc which are great for mood lighting or dance parties. He does not have string lights. Pricing for both services here.
240 Media
Tracey from Brio Photo Booth also does giant light letter rentals. We have had clients spell LOVE and ALOHA and their initials for their reception with her rentals.
Brio Photo Booth Co.
A very small-scale rental company (for events under 10 guests) but our clients have worked with them in the past specifically for peacock chairs. They have a double peacock chair. Their double peacock chair is a common rental for clients who want a tropical feel to their sweetheart table.
Pikake Clouds
This is the same owners as Luana Ranch which is in Holualoa that has event llamas but they also have various rental items like “ALOHA” lettering, custom marquee letters, statement boards, boxwood partitions, photo booth backdrops, large seating chart sign installs, table settings and more. They also do custom acrylic and vinyl-lettered wedding signs. Their 3’ tall, white ALOHA marquee lettering pricing starts at around $450 and includes delivery, set up, and pick up in the Holualoa and Kona area. You can view their furniture catalog here, as well as table settings and backdrop rentals. They have done many custom installs for us and will even do custom marquee letters! For custom builds, we recommend reaching out to Julie directly! They are literally always adding things so it is best to reach out to Julie directly if you want to know what is current. We try to keep up but it is hard!
Island Celebrations
They have various bouncy houses and inflatables (including water slide inflatables.)
Boombox Hawaii
Jarneski Rentals
This is linens rental company that ships to Hawaii for $145/ box each way. The number of boxes just depends on the type of linens and quantity of each. Let your planner know so they can help you with the order.
I DO LINENS
They are our go-to rental company because they are reasonably priced and the ease of working with them and we can always rely on them in a pinch. Their selection is somewhat limited to larger furniture pieces and lighting but their inventory is constantly expanding (and their website doesn’t show even close to their full inventory.) Their prices and delivery are about half of any other company. Check their instagram (tagged photos) for best examples of what they have.
Kona Event Rentals
This is the highest-end rental company on our island and pretty much your only option for truly custom decor, furniture rentals, custom installs like tent floors, a variety of lighting, chandeliers, etc. They book up FAR IN ADVANCE so if you would like to work with them, inquire right away! They require that they be the only rental company when you work with them, and they also are about double the price of any other company. So it is a “you get what you pay for” situation, but we do not work with them often because of the pricing and their exclusivity policies.
Hawaii Island Events
This used to be our go-to rec for a rental company that does it all - tents, lighting, furniture, place settings etc. Since covid, they have been a little hard to work with due to labor shortages. If you want to work with BI tents, make sure to inquire AND PAY right away so that your date and order is locked in on their calendar.
Big Island Tents
Kea & Loa is a new wedding furniture and decor rental company based in Waikoloa, HI. This stylish company has chic and vibrant furnishings and unique decorations. Kea & Loa has a user-friendly website where you can easily browse their rentals. They have everything from aesthetic tables, chairs, and lounges to stylish glassware, linens, backdrops, and more. We have worked with them a few times and we love mixing and matching their items with Kona Event Rentals. They currently do not offer tents or lighting but are great for everything else.
Kea & Loa
Meraki does not have a ton of stuff, but what they do have is really really nice. We often book their specialty arbor, their beautiful benches and their flatware. They are also always adding things. You can browse their lookbook here! (current as of Aug. 2023)
Meraki Events
This is a table and chairs only rental company that we have worked with only once. Their chairs and tables are plastic so when we work with them, it is with clients who know they want to have a linen, and also when we need to really save money! In general, we would not recommend these tables or chairs as your wedding rentals, but they are a great option for rehearsals, BBQs, etc. You can view their inventory and info here!
Ohana Tables and Chairs
This is a rental company based on the Hilo side. They have super cheap, basic tents and tent lighting.
Sunset Party Rentals
Cross Posted from DJ/Sound section. Kai Dimond is an independent DJ and has a lot of sound and PA system equipment for ceremony sound and reception, dance lights and fog machine and now this LED dance floor! The LED dance floor can do custom words, names and images or patterns! He can set it up on pretty much any flat surface. His promotional price is $700 for it for various sizes, which is comparable to a regular dance floor price. Most of his stuff is battery operated making it great for hard to reach sites and beach weddings. He’s also eager to make his services affordable and meet the needs of the clients.
Ceremony Officiants
She used to be the officiant for years at the Four Seasons so she is incredibly experienced. She's a local artist in Holualoa full time now and only takes weddings by referral but is still an excellent officiant. Her ceremonies are personal and somewhat "spiritual" without being religious. She brings in Hawaiian elements with appreciation, not appropriation. Inquire with her at blessingways@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Theriault
Elisabeth is an elopement photographer turned officiant who has worked with us for events. She is super professional and great! She’s really thoughtful and personalizes your ceremony to make it unique to you, interweaving your love story while incorporating fun and special rituals. She really takes the time to get to know her couples, so that she is able to share things about them as individuals throughout her ceremonies- which is a really special touch and not something most officiants do. She also has a ton of ceremony options and doesn’t charge a travel fee. Highly recommend her!
Big Island Elopement Officiant
Great officiant for traditional Hawaiian ceremonies. We have worked with a bunch of officiants who do this style, and she is one of the best. She is the officiant we work with the most often and couples consistently give her great reviews. She is a native Hawaiian. She can also masterfully blend her Hawaiian ceremony cultural elements with your own personal cultural and religious elements beautifully.
Michaela Lehuanani Larson
He is a local reverend who is our go-to referral for religious Christian ceremonies. He is super easy to work with and performs really lovely and personal non-denominational Christian ceremonies. He is a really warm, easy-going guy. He definitely ensures that your ceremony will be about you and your unique love story.
Reverend Patrick Thompson
Kahu Tom is a licensed minister and specialist in Hawaiian ceremonies. We have worked with him many times, and his ceremonies are excellent. He is probably the most referred wedding officiant on our island! He speaks fluent Hawaiian and is a student of Polynesian culture and infuses that into all of his ceremonies. Tom is a native Hawaiian.
KAHU TOM
We have not worked with Keoni in an officiant capacity yet, but he is a well-known wedding singer who is now doing non-denominational ceremonies!
Keoni Thompson
Local non-denominational minister. Rick is super easy to work with and affordable. We have only worked with him once but he was great!
Reverend Rick Kleit
Mike is a great officiant who performs thoughtful ceremonies. He also does the ceremonies from the side of the alter which is unique and really great for photos. Something to know, though is that he has leis included as part of his standard package and while the lei exchange is a really lovely part of the ceremony, sometimes our clients do not love the aesthetics of the leis and they can clash with the other florals in your wedding. If this is something you are concerned about, and you are working with Mike, we recommend asking to remove the leis from your package and we will order ones that match your other wedding florals from your florist.
Michael Eicher
DJ & Sound
DJ Roman is the best DJ our team has ever worked with. He is extremely professional and stands out as a DJ all around. He has great versatility regarding types and styles of music and also is skilled as an MC. We've asked how he is so great at MC services/being a wedding DJ and he told us he studies! Hours and hours of youtube videos to get better at his craft and it really shows. He typically will create a mix based off of 20-40 songs that you select. Here’s a wedding party mix he’s shared with us so you can get a feel. DJ Roman is located on Oahu, but he does not charge for a flight or hotel. Just his rental car on Island. He does not have DJ equipment on this island, so we hire both him, and a sound system rental when we work with DJ roman. Cost-wise, this is more expensive than hiring a Big Island DJ, but not by much (usually around $500 more) and he is really a case of you get what you pay for and he's the best!
DJ Roman Candles
We’ve been really impressed with DJ Merav’s professionalism and ability to deliver a great dance party and is able to really connect with and read the energy of the crowd and respond. She is super versatile in her range and stands out as one of the best DJs for making announcements and being on top of her MC-ing, which can be more of a challenge for other DJs. She does require a ceiling or tent coverage for her equipment, so make sure to book that for her if you hire her.
DJ Merav
DJ Tiger mainly works with hotels, so his pricing can be on the higher end. We have worked one wedding with him and he was really good and very professional.
Tiger Jones Productions
A fun DJ who works a lot at our only gay club in Kona. He is talented and fun! More of an EDM DJ and not really someone we often book for our couples but for the right people he would be perfect!
Vibes by Hybrid Vigor
They are a sound and lighting company that is super easy to work with. Great option if you just want them to set up a system/lights/mics and you want to put on your own playlist.
Ka'u productions
HSaV is the company we work with most often. We have done a bunch of events with us and are a very reputable company that is great to work with. They have a bunch of DJs on staff, but we can request a specific DJ depending on what you are looking for. But they are the main audio-visual and DJ company for Kona. We love working with them and you cannot go wrong with them. They also have dance floor rentals and tons of custom lighting!
Hawaii Sound and Vision
We have heard great things about him from other planners and have worked one wedding with him! He was super professional, played top hits and was open to requests! He also does do dancefloor rentals.
(808) 989-7976
Ed Geer
We originally worked with this DJ through Hawaii Sound and Vision. He has now expanded his DJ services beyond HSAV and we worked with him recently and he was awesome! He also has sound support and lapel mics, so he is able to do ceremonies and receptions!
DJ Syf
The owner/ DJ Jase worked in the radio industry for 14 years before transitioning to owning his own entertainment company. His team is filled with local born DJs and they are a highly recommended vendor! We love working with Jase - especially for clients who want a DJ who is also a great emcee. He does have some rentals like lapel mics and some lighting. He also has cold spark machines. You can see info about his packages here (updated August 2024).
Eclipse Effect Events
Kai’s strength is in his passion, quality equipment, affordability and DJ skills. If you require an emcee or a DJ that can independently manage the timeline and special requests and elements or adds a bit of hype to the party, it’s better to look elsewhere. He has ALL the gear for sound and DJ, dance lights, fog machines etc. and recently acquired this LED dance floor! A lot of his equipment is battery operated making it great for hard to reach locations and beaches. He is eager to work with client’s budgets and needs.
Boombox Hawaii/Kai Dimond
A DJ is great, but for a tight budget, customizing your crossfade settings on a great Spotify playlist will do the trick!
Smooth transition feature on Spotify
We have only worked with him once. He was great, but he definitely is a specific vibe. True to his name, he is definitely very hyped up, and his style is a pumped-up dance party for the entirety of his set.
808 Hype mobile DJ
Musicians & Bands
Her values do not align with our company’s.
Sabrina Barron
He often goes by Kawohi or Kamaka. We do not work with him, because on more than one occasion he has not played the requested songs during the ceremony, and is a level of unprofessional that we have blacklisted him from our events.
Alfred “Kawohi” Kamaka
Musicians We Do Not Recommend
This is another really talented musician on the Big Island. He can do a variety of different music and has a great voice. He is also super affordable - starting around $300/hour (plus travel fee depending on your venue location. He has an amazing list of covers and originals in this super handy list, with links to listen to him performing. We love Scott!
Scott Buchholz
A duo of two women who play the banjo and ukulele. They are the most unique option as far as style and sound on our list. A GREAT option for clients who want something a little less typical Hawaiian sounding. They start at $200/hour. You can email them at HoneyJarKona@gmail.com.
Honey Jar
Offers guitar and ukulele with kind of a Hawaiian/folksy vibe. His full pricing, booking form and catalog is on this website. We have worked with him many times, and he can also offer a lot - including duos and trios. He can also provide ceremony sound.
Mikiala Yardley
A violinist who owns Magic Strings Hawai’i and has a whole range of string arrangements you can book. She's a professionally trained and experienced musician who works tons of weddings on the island. She also has the ability to amplify any of her string instruments.
Ursula Vietze
IKB is a band based on Oahu with a number of members that shift in and out of the band. They are a full time, professional cover band. We have worked with them twice, and both times were awesome. They are expensive, because you have to pay for travel in addition to their fee. Plan to spend at least $7000 on IKB should you want to book with them.
Island Kings Band
Charles Grace used to be lead in this band, but is now focusing on solo or duo gigs (guitar/ukulele w/ keyboard). A super talented, versatile and fun musician, he won’t dissappoint!
Nessian Soul
A top 40 cover band based in Kona! They are great, but we have not personally worked with them yet. They get booked often for corporate groups - that is who we see them working with most - but we do think they would be great for a wedding.
Beyond Paradise
Bonnie is a professional Harpist on Big Island, and is one of the few harpists available on island. She is great!
Bonnie Mitchell Harpist
A local guitar player and singer with a HUGE list of covers. Kate saw him play at a local restaurant and approached him right away to ask for his rate for private events. A great choice for ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner music. Starts at $250/hour for the first hour and then is $200/hour after that. He can also add ceremony sound for $150/sound with an optional: $80/wireless lapel mic or handheld mic (prices as of 9/2023).
Dennis Garcia
Absolutely love her! She is a truly gifted, very professional female singer with a unique and beautiful sound. She’s a bit of a local star. She plays ukulele and guitar and can also play in duos or trios. You can see clips of her under the Kona Beach House highlight on the Sunshower Instagram.
Maka Gallinger
Another female singer that we LOVE! She recently played at a wedding of ours and all the guests (and our entire team!) loved her. She has a song list on SoundCloud so you can get a feel for her style.
Kristen Nicole
A well-known singer who has the capacity to do solo, duo, trio or full band, and guitar performances. He has a Jack Johnson vibe. His rates are a bit on the higher end at $400/hr.
Keoni Thompson
This is a Hilo-based singer who is really good! We love her! She is one of the few musicians on our list who has confirmed that she is fully vaccinated. She does have a travel fee and her rates are on the higher end but she has great energy and her talents are super diverse.
Jennie Kaneshiro
He is a singer/performer here in Kona who has done over 100 weddings. He currently plays at Lavalava, Huggos, and Willies Chicken, and tours with Anuhea as her drummer and sound man. He has all his own gear and can do ceremonies and receptions. He will gladly learn any of the songs and can provide a larger band if needed. His wife handles all of his bookings and you can email here.
George Wit
Drew is a local guitar player and singer who has originals. He is extremely talented and works with a ton of other great musicians as well. He can be booked for solo performances, or with accompaniment (trumpet, guitar, bass, percussion), small band (percussion, bass and lead), or a full band with drums, keyboards, etc. depending on their availability. When Kate first saw him perform, it was with a trumpet player, and he was excellent! He is really into playing his original music, so if you’re wanting covers of songs it is best to book someone else! His rates start at $300 and are custom, depending on the scope of the performance.
Drew Daniels
Ponchoman is a local staple who you’ll often see playing around town at the local markets, bars and restaurants. He does DJing in addition to music, but we would mostly recommend him for live music and emcee services. He is definitely a good time and lots of guests enjoy his energy. But he also loves to party along with the wedding guests which isn’t always the most ideal scenario! He is super affordable though and his music is great. Client’s love him but he is a bit of a ham.
Ponchoman Kuanoni
This is a local singer who we have not worked with before but Molly (a Sunshower bride and our previous VA) went to high school with him and he has always had a great voice!
Preston Lee
Anuhea, John Cruz, Henry Kapono, One Rhythm, Maoli, The Green, Inna Vision, Iration, Arise Roots, Steppas, Hirie, & Amy Hanai’ali’i
Internationally Acclaimed names For Larger Budgets:
Gwyn Griffiths & Lip Service Band. This is a vocals duo with guitarist. They are a high energy rock and roll band playing lots of oldies favorites. Gwyn has worked many events with Sunshower in other capacities and she’s an all around creative talent and we love seeing her onstage! They have a definite style that is rock and roll w/ a punk rock and eighties edge, a lot of fun if you have the same taste!
Lip Service
Florals
This is a florist who works with a lot of hotels and businesses doing their floral arrangements but she also does weddings and owns a flower farm in Holualoa. Her work is super great!
Island Girl Plant Design
This is a really talented florist who just started her own business doing beautiful specialty leis but she can do anything - she is just really really great at leis. You can view her work and pricing here. Let us know if you’d like to get connected with her!
Shoots & Blooms
Based in the Kohala area, this is a good florist option for booking off of a list of choices. If you want something super easy and turn key, this is the florist we would recommend.
Ainahua Florals
An amazing florist who we love working with. Her work is creative and high end!
Flower Me Pretty
flower farmer turned florist, Daisy Dukes has so many insanely beautiful local flowers but she also sources from other local farms too. Works with a variety of budgets as well. She also offers U-pick and flower workshops.
Daisy Dukes Flower Farm
She is our go-to florist. Super reasonably priced and incredibly talented. All of the flowers ordered through us will come from her (which are customized but not fully custom as they are based on seasonality) but you can order completely custom work from her as well. She is a flower farmer as well as a native Hawaiian and 3rd generation lei maker!
Lalamilo Flower Girl
Probably the most "high end" florist we work with. Alison (the owner) can do all types of designs and can get almost anything you're looking for. This is our go-to for huge installations, complicated designs and any couples who want something super specific. She has a huge team who are super professional!
Grace Flowers
Florist Ki (pronounced Kai) specializes in Hakus (leis, flower crowns etc.) but does all types of flowers. If you want to do a special flower crown or lei, I can not recommend her more highly! Her work is BEAUTIFUL. She also specializes in floral nests.
Uhiuhi Flower House
Not a florist, but a flower preservation option. Erika does really beautiful, professional quality bouquet and floral preservation. You cannot travel off island with fresh flowers, so this is a really special way to cherish your beautiful flowers - forever! She used to live in Kona but now lives in San Diego and works with our friend and fellow Big Island Planner, Whitney, who will arrange picking up your flowers and drying them and sending them to Erika. Inquire on her website and check out her work here.
Betty Moon Studios
Photographers
Hayden and Danielle are a photographer team who have worked for Sunshower for a few years as event staff and assistants. They have been honing their craft, second-shooting for other great photographers, and building their business. Their business is definitely in its infancy, and their prices are reflective of that. As people, we give them our highest recommendation! As photographers, they are extremely talented, but a little green. For couples with a tighter budget, who still want great photography, Hayden and Danielle are an amazing value!
Hayden and Danielle Photo
Kate met Karlie years and years ago when she was still in high school interning for a photo booth company on the Hilo side. Even then, Kate knew she would be a successful entrepreneur - she is organized, driven, and professional. She’s in her late 20s now (lol makes us feel old!) and has turned into a great photographer and is getting better every time we see her work! She is also one of the few Native Hawaiians on our photographer list and her pricing is very reasonable! She is also a past Sunshower Bride so she is extremely familiar with our planning and the flow of our events.
Adventure by Karlie
Ashley is a newer photographer to the Big Island (moved here in 2022), but she has been a photographer in CA for many years before that. We would describe her style as editorial, art-forward, airy, and beautiful. She tends to be slightly on the higher-end as far as price point and most clients spend $5K+ with her.
Ashley Purple
Maici has shot now three weddings for us and her work is absolutely stunning. We LOVE working with Maici! She is great at dance party photos, and photo-journalistic photos and her galleries really make you feel like you are there in the moment! Here is her updated pricing guide (as of summer 2024).
Maici M Photography
Ranae is just the sweetest. She is an extremely experienced photographer and great person. Her work has an old-school "fine art" feel that really resonates with the clients she works with. We have worked one wedding with her and it POURED and the bride cried because they had (against our advice!) not ordered a tent. The photos Ranae took make this wedding look like the most fun ever - even though it was really a big mess. She was such a team player on that wedding and the photos all turned out beautifully. Her pricing is one of the most affordable of any photographers we work with.
EMotion Galleries - Ranae Keane
Jamie is a newer photographer to Kona so we have only worked with her once, but she was great. Jamie is the type of vendor who comes early, stays late, and just generally goes above and beyond for her clients. She specializes in small out-of-the box weddings and elopements but she can do all types of events. Her editing style is kinda undersaturated and moody.
Two-Tides Photography
Moriel’s style is very documentary and focused on candid moments as they happen authentically, with a big emphasis on emotion. Her editing style is warm and earth-toned with a hint of moodiness and vibrant color. She is now based in San Diego but goes between Hawaii and CA and we’ve had great experiences with our clients hiring her who live in CA and they do their engagement session with her at home before the wedding and then come out to Hawaii!
Moments by Moriel
Nevaeh is a very young but very talented, local photographer. Her prices are super competitive and her and her husband are a team (he is a videographer - Paradise Isle Films) and they have video/photo combo packages that are a great value for clients on a budget! Nevaeh and her husband, Kahiau are native Hawaiians.
Nevaeh Jean Photography
Shelly is a super sweet photographer. She and her husband work as a team, and they also offer videography services. She is super talented, has great energy, and is so kind! She has shot a bunch of weddings for us and they have all turned out great! You can view her 2024 price list here!
Shelly Lynn Photography
Cadence is a photographer that we recently worked with and the whole team loved! She is super sweet and very fun to work with! We have not yet received an entire gallery from her, but I am sure we will work with her as a lead soon! Her packages start at $6,000 for 6 hours of coverage and you can see more about her custom proposals and pricing here.
Cadencia Weddings
Rebecca recently moved to Big Island from Maui and we are pumped! Her work is light and airy and STUNNING. Her packages start around $5900. If you like her style, there is literally no one better for light and airy. She has shot for us several times and the photos are all amazing. We can’t wait to work with her again! More about her (2024) packages/ pricing here.
Rebecca Arthurs
Tracey is a Hilo-based photographer, so we do not work with her as much as we want to, but when we do it is awesome! She is a mother, cancer survivor, native Hawaiian, and an amazing photographer. She mentored Karlie (also on this list) and their work is similar but Tracey brings the experience! Her galleries are beautiful and she is just such a great person.
Tracey Lynn Photography
Angela is a Maui-based photographer who is currently waiving travel fees and has expanded to shooting on the outer islands, as her business has been deeply affected by the Maui fires. You can view her ‘services and pricing here! We have not worked with her personally but added her to our list after the fires based on the recommendation of Maui planners we trust.
Angela Nelson Photography
**Note -there are photographers who we have intentionally left off this list. If you are hiring a local photographer and we have not recommended them here, please reach out to your planner first!
A photographer is a really personal vendor! You guys want to get someone whose style you like, whose pricing can fit your budget and who you just personally like! Before you go through this section, please first read the portal resource about how to hire your photographer and videographer. It will really help you understand what to be looking for when you book. Below is a list of photographers we know and have worked with, and can personally recommend. Check out their websites and instagrams to narrow down to a list of favorites. From there, reach out to your planner if you need more advice or would like help booking!
Kayla is a newly kona based photographer who specializes in elopements and capturing adventures. She has a background in the outdoors and it seems safe to say that she will be up for any unique activity you have in mind. We have yet to work with her but feel she could be the perfect fit for anyone envisioning a photo shoot in a remote location, planning to embrace outdoor elements or who are wanting to experience an adventure and have it captured. You can view her pricing here.
Adventure Pact
Aly started as an adventure elopement photographer but she shoots all types of weddings all throughout Hawaii. Aly used to work as an associate coordinator with Sunshower, so she knows the flow of our events well :) She is passionate about helping her couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and will be your biggest hype-woman at your weddings. We absolutely love working with her and her galleries are stunning. Her pricing is a little on the higher-end but, with her, you absolutely get what you pay for. Aly also sends a ton of sneak peaks within the week of the wedding and gives you a bunch of polaroids on the wedding day.
Aly Dove PhotographY
Jamie is a photographer we have been working with since the beginning of Sunshower! Jamie used to be Kate’s neighbor and just happens to be an awesome wedding photographer. Her pricing is more dynamic and flexible than a lot of other photographers on this list and she will take weddings that just want an hour of coverage and go up from there (which is fairly rare!). Here is her current pricing (as of spring 2023). Jamie is a native Hawaiian.
Modern Milestones
Bre (pronounced Bri) is an elementary school teacher during the year and a photographer nights, weekends and all summer. She is really fun to be around and her work is excellent! We work with her all the time and absolutely love her photos. Her style is colorful, and vibrant. Her pricing is pretty middle of the road. We highly recommend Bre!
Bre Rae Photography
Karen is a lovely photographer we have worked with a few times over the years. Her style is a little more “old school” in how she uses flash and edits but many of our clients are drawn to that style! Karen is the sweetest and we love spending time with her on wedding days. She is calming and just a great person. Her pricing tends to be on the lower end of average.
Karen Loudon Photography
James is one of our favorite photographers on our island! When we see that our couples have booked him, we do a little cheer because we know their photos are going to be so so so good. His pricing is really versatile and you can book James for just a couple hours if you are doing a micro-wedding or just need less time which is great. He is a little slow on editing, but it is worth the wait!
James Rubio
Ann is a very talented local photographer who we have worked with many many times and recommend whole-heartedly. We absolutely LOVE her style. It's more photojournalistic than posed with an emphasis on bright colors and beautiful sunsets. She has shot multiple weddings for us and they all turned out awesome! She is definitely a favorite of ours to work with and sends sneak peeks right away, which we, and our clients, all love! Her pricing is average.
Ann Ferguson
Adriana is a great photographer! She is fun, kind and professional, and her prices tend to be affordable. She is one of those vendors who doesn’t focus much on building their business so it is hard to tell from her website how great of a photographer she really is. But if you want to consider her, ask to see a full gallery! She shoots a lot of our LGBT weddings because she is part of that community.
Portraits by Adriana
Josh Fletcher, owner of Fletch, is an excellent photographer and he is so kind and will make you feel at ease on your wedding day! He has shot multiple weddings with us and the galleries are always beautiful. His galleries are not quite as “artsy” as the photos on his site (some will be of course, but not every shot!) so take a look at a full gallery of his before officially booking to make sure you love the style throughout. Here is a link to his pricing (as of summer 2024).
Fletch Photography
Hannah has a really fun, bright and colorful style. She is a local photographer we enjoy working with - her personality is very relaxed and she will hype you up all day long. We have worked with her many times and we find her super great to work with on a wedding day.
Hannah C
Kris and Sandra, a married couple from Lithuania, are the people behind Couple Cups. They are friends of mine (Kate), wonderful people and wonderful photographers! Kris is the main photographer and his work is just beautiful. He has an artistic and moody style in a lot of his shoots but then for weddings, he captures light and colors beautifully as well. Couple Cups is really a pleasure to work with on both our ends as the planner and the couple’s end as well! You can see their (2025) packages/pricing here.
Couple Cups
We recently worked with Alex for the first time and were instantly in love. She travels between Hawai’i and Oregon, but grew up in Oahu, so she knows how to shoot into the bright the sun! Her work is stunning, capturing both candids and posed shots with lots of vibrancy and emotion. She is a pleasure to work with, efficient, familiar and positive and she offers really great packages with lots of great deals for add ons like rehearsal or engagement shots. You can check out her IG here.
Alex Elise
Masha is a photographer based on Oahu who will travel to any Hawaiian island (travel fees included in her pricing). We have worked with her on one wedding so far (Forest and Kenyon) and have her booked for a couple more soon! She has a documentary style to capture all sorts of candid moments throughout your day, and her posing and edits are very editorial. She offers 10% off to Sunshower couples. Here is a link to her pricing.
Masha Sakhno Photo
Pōmaikaʻi is a native Hawaiian photographer and such a creative talent! We’ve worked with her a few times as a second shooter and recently as a lead and she was amazing! She also offers a content creation package!
Pomaikai Photography
We haven’t worked with Amanda yet as a wedding photographer, but she has been on our radar for awhile! She works as an associate shooter for another photographer we love and she is currently in the process of building her business and brand, and her prices reflect that. So she is a great option for a couple with a tight budget. However, she is an experienced photographer, and we are optimistic that she would be an amazing value for a couple willing to take a chance on her!
Amanda Lani Photography
Content Creators
- Pomaikai Photography
- The Aloha Narrative
- The BTS Dulhan - Ruchi, the owner, is currently offering a special for Sunshower clients so inquire with her about that!
These photographer/videographer combos offer all the BTS and special moments of the day ready to post, immediately following the wedding. You can hire them to have tons of iPhone content that’s ready to post right after the wedding instead of waiting weeks/months for your gallery. Check out the different packages from all these great creators!
Videographers
Kahiau is the husband of Nevaeh of Nevaeh Jean Photography. He is a Big Island-born videographer who we have worked with multiple times and always love working with! They offer packages with photo and video.
Paradise Isle Films
Married couple team Nicole and Josiah. We have worked with them once before and it was a great experience. You can view their pricing here.
Lion Hearts Creative
We have worked with Renata once. Very professional and she offers both half and full day packages but her style of videography is not the most modern so make sure you like her style before hiring!
Walczuk Productions
Paul (and Jon below) is our go-to videographer rec! He is a GREAT videographer and a lovely person. Super responsive and great at editing. With his larger packages, he will have a mini trailer for you the very next day after your wedding and then a few months later you will get a really carefully crafted longer video. Paul is a true professional. He has shot multiple weddings for us and they all turned out so lovely! You can see his work here.
Moments of Love Co
Jon and the Sunshower Team have worked together a ton of times. He is probably the most well-regarded videographer on our island and his work is just lovely. He also offers photo/video package but he hires the photography out. As an aside, we usually recommend that clients book these two services independently unless they want to do a team that always offers both (like the spouse teams -Shelly Lynn, The Arroyos, or Nevaeh Jean/Paradise Isle). You can see his work here!
Jon Bodhi
Ben Rountree is really great videographer who works in CA and Hawai’i but he’d prefer to be here full time and is workins towards that! We’ve worked with him once and it was a good experience and the couple was really happy with the film. It had a lot of quick cuts and not as much audio as other wedding films we’ve seen - so his style should be reviewed to make sure it is what you are expecting! But if it alligns with what you want, Ben is great!
Bluespace Films
- The Arroyos - A husband and wife team who specialize in photo/video as a duo. They shoot a documentary artistic style that is really specialized, but for those looking for this style, they are amazing. They shoot super 8, film etc. We haven’t worked with them yet but are excited to!
- Greg Alip Creations
- Kahena Cinemas - comes super highly recommended by other planners, we just haven’t worked with him yet.
- Antonio Agosto
- Mike Frailey
- AMP Studios: Film & Media -They also have a photobooth available for rent and offer discounts if you book them for both. You can view their pricing/packaging here.
- Super 8 Love Stoned
These videographers we have never worked with so we cannot vouch for their work. We recommend them only if the other vendors we have recommended above are not available or if their styles are more what you are looking for!
Photo Booths
Super cute and a super fun idea for a photo booth option, this is a VW van that has been converted to a photo booth. They actually have two buses and they are owned by Fletch Photography. I would say this is probably the most “high end” photo booth we work with.
Aloha Splitty Photo Bus
Photo backdrop Monstera Leaf wall made by Sunshower’s very own planner Alison. This makes for a gorgeous backdrop for photos, behind neon lettering, etc.! We also have a Ring Light rental available for $25 which is the perfect addition to this backdrop!
Monstera Wall
This company is our go-to for any custom backdrops and installations. They do boxwood hedges, neon signs and more! They also have a photo booth they can add on to any backdrop that is super affordable ($500ish depending on length of time).
Island Celebrations
This is a new company in Kona that is offering some affordable photo booth options (starting under $300 going. up to $500). All packages come with backdrop and props. We haven’t haven’t worked with them yet so we can’t speak to the quality or user experience.
Photobooth Play
This company is owned by Kate’s friend Tracey and she is AWESOME. Her photo booth setup is not a “booth” but more of an open air photo station. She has tons of great backdrops and a really great lighting setup.
Brio Photo Booth Co.
By the same couple who owns Spirited Cocktail Co. (and they have a special rate if you book both!) This photo booth setup is really great. They have props, different backdrops and all sorts of options.
Exposed Photo Booth
This is a new photo booth company owned by Nevaeh Jean Photography! They are able to print photos at your event and their packages start at $550. Great option if you have also booked them for your photo/video.
Minoakas and Shakas
Another new photo booth company that we have not yet worked with! You can view their pricing here! They do not do printing but they can email and can instantly do air drops of the photos.
Shaka Snap!
Beauty
Note about vaccination status - this group of people are the only wedding vendors who will be in very close contact with you and your family. So, where we know it, we have included their vaccination status. If we have not listed it, it is because we do not know. We would appreciate your discretion about our inclusion of this in our vendor list because we do not want to cause friction with our colleagues! Post-covid, it is just a common question we get during planning and want all of our clients to be able to make educated decisions about who you hire.
Owned by Megan Ormando. We have worked with her a bunch when she was an employee of a local salon and she is great! She recently started her own company and it seems like she has other stylists on her team as well and offers both Hair and Makeup. She uses airbrush makeup which can be longer lasting in the more humid climate of Hawaii but it is definitely a full coverage look which is not always everyone’s style. Megan is vaccinated.
Big Island Hawaii Makeup
She is also a wedding coordinator for small beach weddings, but her H&MU skills are great too! We have worked with her in both capacities but mainly recommend her for H&MU. Not vaccinated.
Jeanette ClarK
She is a local wedding makeup artist. We haven’t worked with her but she comes highly recommended from a friend of ours who is a photographer.
Cosmo Kay
For many years, Grace was always our go-to referral for Hair and Makeup. She is AWESOME, clients love her and her work is beautiful. She also has a large team of stylists which is great for bigger wedding parties! Grace herself is not vaccinated but some of her team are.
Indigo Grace Artistry
They are a duo who we absolutely love! Maddie does hair and Malia does makeup (and is an amazing brow and lash artist as well). Kate goes to them both for her own hair and brows, and they have worked with a ton of our clients and always do an amazing job. They offer two different bridal packages, which can be found in the pricing tab on their website. They have a salon located in Pottery Terrace called Kuahine + Co and are able to accommodate bridal parties with up to 5 guests in their salon or of any size off-site. You can reach them via email or text.
Golden Hour Beauty
Tia is both a hair and makeup artist and is lovely! We have worked with her tons of times this past year and we love her and the clients love her! She did our team's makeup for our own website photos. She can also offer facials (for brightening and relaxation the morning of your wedding and brings a whole mobile setup!). Tia is vaccinated.
Beauty with Aloha
Jenna is new to the island but jumping into our wedding scene head first! We have already worked with her twice and she is lovely and her work is excellent! As of September 2022, she is unvaccinated.
Hawaii Wedding Hair by Jenna
Hair Styling & Makeup
Owner of Beauty Lux Salon in Kona. Our clients love working with her and her salon is air-conditioned! However, she can be hard to get in touch with and book and her stylists come and go. Because there is a lot of turnover with stylists for Mara, we cannot speak to their ability and only recommend booking Mara for your bridal makeup. It is important that you confirm that you will have her and not someone from her team (because they widely vary in skill!) Her team would be fine for bridal party makeup and is great for bigger groups. As of July 2021, her and all of her staff are vaccinated.
Mara McMichael
Richann is a HMUA we have worked with a bunch. Usually, she works in partnership with other HMUAs on this list (her and Tia work together a lot!) but not always. You can book with her directly! She is vaccinated.
Hair by Richann
We have not worked with her yet, but she lives across the street from Waiopai Gardens and would be a really convenient choice if you’re getting married there!
Judith Cunningham Makeup and Hair
We have not worked with her yet, but her portfolio seems great and the owner Virlly seems very sweet. You can see her portfolio here! Unsure of her vaccination status.
THE ALOHA MAKEUP
Cody is awesome and is my go-to referral for short hair cuts on island! He does men and women and will do beard trims, line-ups etc.
FOR MEN AND/OR SHORT HAIRCUTS:
Hair Medics
Nails
I personally have had my nails done there a bunch of times. They are extremely high quality. Only two pedi chairs and maybe two nail stations? Not great for groups.
High end options:
The best up north salon and they book out far in advance! Only two pedi chairs and two mani chairs so not great for groups.
KOR Salon (Waikoloa)
Posh Nails (Kona)
Group options
Mary's Spa Nails & Hair
I have had my nails done at both of these tons of times but they are just your everyday neighborhood nail place. Tons of chairs, tons of techs. Both are good for groups. If I really want my nails to last I go with the high end options (which are more expensive for sure and they take their time a bit more) but these two places do a fine job too.
Kona Spa Nails
Esthetician
This is the esthetician Kate has personally used for facials but the reason she is on this list is for acne! If you have a big zit before your wedding, you can schedule a quick at-home appointment with her and she will inject it and make it go away. Her cell is (808) 895-7399.
Our clients (especially men) get bad sunburns all the time before their weddings. We HIGHLY recommend using reef-safe sunscreen throughout your time on Big Island, as the Kona sun is no joke. But if you do get sunburnt, you can go to any urgent care (Urgent Care of Kona or Kaloko Urgent Care) and ask for an Rx for Biafine cream. It’s a prescription strength burn cream and will help you not blister and ideally be less red before your wedding.
Sunburns
Debra Crumby
Spray Tan
This is an organic (and mobile!) spray tanning business. We have had a few clients use them, and we’ve heard they’re easy to book and work with. The pricing is a bit steep since their ingredients are organic.
Formally known as Tiki Wellness Spa, this is a salon located in the Kona town area. They offer both spray tans and tanning beds. We do not have any experience working with them.
Kona Sun Spa
Hawaii Glow n' Go
Catering
Start Here!
- Buffet Catering - a buffet setup, manned, and cleaned up by the caterer. Sometimes the cooking for this buffet will be on-site and other times it will be off-site and brought to the venue in a food truck or in warmers. Most caterers who offer buffet catering fully set up and clean up the buffet area but they do not offer servers, table setup (or decor setup), and they leave as soon as dinner is complete. Clients who book this usually book staffing through Sunshower but we do not need as many staff as with party tray catering.
- Caterer - for purposes of this list, a caterer is any food service provider that will provide food for a group, not at the location of their kitchen. A caterer can be a restaurant, chef, food truck, or traditional catering company.
- Family style - a seated meal where the food is served in platters on the table for guests to serve themselves.
- Food truck - a food truck is not always actually a truck. Sometimes it is a trailer, and sometimes it is more of a tent setup where the caterer is cooking on-site. Hiring a “food truck” caterer does not necessarily mean a truck will pull up into your event. Food trucks can be nearby and then in the event space can offer buffets or a seated meal. Sometimes clients will choose to have a food truck and have guests order from the truck off a menu. We would call this an on-demand action station.
- Full Service - Full-service catering is when a caterer provides all food, staff, setup and cleanup. Many times these companies will also provide place settings, table setup, bussing and trash removal. Hotels are an example of full-service catering but that same model can be used for venues where you bring your own catering. When you book full-service catering, Sunshower will sometimes need additional staff for decor setup, but most staff for the event will be provided by the caterer.
- Passed Appetizers - appetizers that servers pass around to guests on trays rather than the appetizers being set up on a buffet or grazing table.
- Party-tray catering - is when couples hire a caterer to provide their food in “party trays” that will simply be delivered to your event and then you (or your staff) will set up and cleanup the buffet or family-style service at the event.
- Plated - this refers to a meal that is served to guests on their individual plates.
- Private Chef - this is a caterer who specializes in custom menus and intimate meals. They can sometimes do larger groups but usually do not have any staff to support them so we would work with them to provide servers, setup and cleanup help and they would do the cooking.
- Stations - either for a full meal, or for appetizers, stations are anything from a carving station on a buffet, to an “action-station” where guests can build their own dish. An example of an action station is an omelet bar.
Types of Catering and Glossary
This list is a lot. It can be very intimidating for clients to even know where to start with catering. For most of our couples, the choice between what caterer or catering type to go with comes down to budget, type of food you want, guest count and what style of service you want (buffet, stations, family-style, plated etc.). It is super easy and fast for your planner to recommend a caterer to you based on your budget, guest count, venue and type of food you want. Usually, this narrowing down will happen during your draft budget call with your planner. In which case you would use this list to get an idea of what is out there but not to do any sourcing or hiring.
If you are planning to tackle hiring a caterer on your own, we recommend only the list of vetted and professional caterers at the top of this list. Some of the others can be great, but they do not have the administrative part of their business dialed in enough to contract with catering clients professionally.
There are so many types of catering services: full service, food trucks, party tray drop off catering, buffet with cooking on-site, buffet without cooking on-site, and lots in between and caterers who offer different things within that! We used to separate this list by the type of catering a caterer, restaurant or chef will offer. But because of all of the variations, we now break this list into sections based on how professional and/or vetted the caterer is by our team. And then within vendor listed, we have provided what styles of catering they offer and the pricing if we know it.
With that in mind though, here’s a glossary of terms to know to understand catering:
Papa Kona is not only a great wedding or rehearsal dinner venue, they also do off site catering. They have a very professional team and can do a range of menus including Brazilian style carving stations, surf and turf or poke bars and can work with large and small parties alike.
Papa Kona
Alex is the chef at Kahua Ranch’s Paniolo Sunset Dinner in Kohala. He’s from Texas and specializes in BBQ. He’s very personable and we’ve eaten his delicious bbq at Kahua Ranch and we loved it, but we haven’t worked with him as a caterer yet. Reach out to him via email aagarcia23@live.com.
Alex Garcia
This company started as a local family-owned business that sold authentic Hawaiian-style dried fish and poke and pivoted to catering private events. Chef Bryan at Kona Grill House offers local Hawaiian style and Hawaiian fusion catering. KGH is especially known for their fish and poke and have many other dish selections you can choose from when creating your menu. They specialize in buffets and also do carving stations. Super fresh fish, great local food, but also able to accommodate vegan and vegetarian restrictions. They also have a pastry chef that can do cakes and specialty desserts. They don’t currently offer tastings. We love working with Chef Bryan and his team!
KGH Catering
Super affordable (under $40/guest) for pizza, salad, wings, garlic knots. We have worked with them once and they were amazing! Not a great web presence but the real deal for pizza. James Angelo the owner is Italian and it shows! You can reach out to James-james@undergroundpizzabi.com or 808-960-4292
Underground Pizza
This is a private chef who was the Head of Chefs for the Hilton Waikoloa. He is from Big Island originally and focuses on local-style dishes, many of them Filipino-inspired. But really, he can do any sort of custom menu! He is a fantastic chef, but his pricing is definitely on the higher end.
Chef Dyne
A wrap/bowl/taco place in Kona that has great “global” cuisine food. Their website does a good job of laying out what they offer, but they are ideal for a buffet of rice or tortillas, meats and veggies and sauces (in a ton of different combos) and they are really great for dietary restrictions and vegan options (their BBQ Jackfruit is great!). Their prices are very reasonable and the buffet options are very customizable. They deliver and you can expect to spend $20-$30ish/guest. You can reach out to them at lokowraps@gmail.com.
Loko Wraps
Food truck who does traditional Jamaican jerk style meats, rice and sides. Black owned business with extremely reasonable prices and large portions! Also a great catering option for rehearsal dinners
Cool Runnings
This is a South Indian food truck and restaurant owned by a husband and wife duo. We have used them in the past and their catering is really affordable and their food was delicious! All of their food is vegetarian and it is mostly vegan. They can do North Indian food as well but specialize in South. Highly recommend!
Swami’s Dosa Grill
Vetted Caterers We Can Confidently Recommend
This is a chef who specializes in local and local cuisine. Great option for plant-based options but she can do a whole range of food items and will fully customize your menu. We love working with her! Super responsive. Caters weddings of under 50 guests.
Green Living Chef
Chef Beth is the caterer who often works with 808 Picnics doing their custom menus, grazing boards, etc. She is super awesome! Her passion for food all started when her first born had some unique dietary needs and now she is a super awesome private chef. Her food is fresh and is farm-to-table style using local and organic ingredients where possible! She can create any customized menu. Her max is 200 guests. You can view her blog and Instagram to get a feel of her work. Reach out to us if you are interested in her!
Community Eats
The owner of this company used to be the head chef at Magics. He can do any sort of custom menu and all types of events, cuisine, and party sizes. They have recently catered a couple of event for us and were fantastic! Their service is top notch and their food is stellar. They are a husband/wife team that can be reached at katierobayo@gmail.com and danrobayo@gmail.com.
Pa’ina Pantry
Chef Justine is a farm-to-table caterer who specializes in local and organic ingredients and does farm to table dinners which are a culinary experience. She also does beautiful and delicious specialty grazing tables. She will cater at your event anywhere on the island, or you can rent out her farm event space on the Hilo side of the island in Keaau. You can see their offerings here. Chef Justin customizes every menu to her clients, but for a ballpark, prices for her off-site catering start at $75/PP for grazing table options and $$275-375/PP for chefs table options.
Farm to Table Hawaii
Umekes is a local Hawaiian restaurant that wins awards year after year for having the best poke and the best fish options in general. They offer tray style drop off catering or full service buffet setup (and they can do stations like whole pig, build your own poke bowl etc.). They do not (as far as I know) offer any sort of plated options. I have worked with them at least 15 times and I love recommending them! One thing to know is that they do have a $250 delivery fee and 18% gratuity on all catering, even if it is just a quick tray drop-off. Becuase of that, for smaller events I usually recommend clients who want Hawaiian food pick another caterer on this list (Pine Tree, Kaoa Grill, Big Island Grill etc.) who have a much lower or no delivery fee. While not the least expensive Hawaiian food on this list, their customization options and quality at their price point make them a favorite of my clients with larger guest counts.
Umekes
Based on the North side of the island this food truck specializes in elevated latin-hawaiian fusion “street foods.” To see menus, look at their tagged photos on Instagram! We recently had an event with them and they are so good! The did a taco bar with homemade tortillas made on the spot. Chef Keahi is a classically trained Italian chef but he can create a menu of any sort! We really like working with him!
Treehouse Collective Cafe
This is a caterer who is hard to fit into a box of “buffet” because that is not quite right. HI Picnics and Provisions is a boutique catering company that specializes in edible art grazing stations. They make stylized grazing platters, boards and spreads of fruit, cheese, charcuterie etc. They are perfect for cocktail hour. You can see photos of their work and inquire with them on their website but also check out their Instagram to see their work! We love working with them!
Hawaii Picnics and Provisions
Chef Amelia owned the Strawberry Patch restaurant for years but they had to shut down during Covid. She is now available for wedding catering! She is LOVELY to work with and has a global eclectic feel to her menus. She uses styles from cuisine all over the world and focuses on local ingredients. Her menus are all custom (she does everything from yoga retreats to company picnics to 10 course weddings) so if you’d like to book her, we would recommend reaching out to her ahead of the two-month mark to give you time to decide on a menu. Inquire at (808) 896-8940 or by email fisherfamily@chefamelia.net
Chef Amelia
Based on Hilo side, this is a vendor we have worked with twice and she is great. They are a go-to for North Indian food and while they do offer meat, they specialize in vegetarian menus. For events located anywhere other than Hilo, they do require an airbnb for their team to prep and cook in.
Ginger Tumeric Kitchen
Great, affordable bbq with both vegan and non-vegan options! They bring their food truck so you can do food truck style or grazing or buffet style “stations” for service.
Da Bomb BBQ
This is a woman-owned full service catering company that comes highly recommended. I do have clients who have booked Mon Ami but their weddings haven’t happened yet so I can’t yet recommend them 100% but I feel confident that they are good based on recommendations from other local planners!
Mon Ami Catering
Chef Jasmine specializes in farm-to-table cuisine that is naturally gluten-free. She also specializes in food sensitivities and special requests. I have not worked with her personally (yet!) but she is very well regarded in the wedding and event industry here!
Heartbeet Catering
This is a private chef we have not worked with but his food looks really elegant and elevated!
Chef Rio Miceli
This is a holistic chef who we have not worked with but we have had her food and it is delicious. She also makes cakes that are incredibly beautiful and modern decorated with florals.
Wholistic Pantry by Nadine
Family business that started as a Hawaiian food popup bringing authentic Hawaiian grinds to the PNW, but now they are back in Kona taking comfort foods to the next level! An excellent option for a nacho/tot/fry bar or even full scale catering! Reach out to them for options!
From the Na'au
A Thai food caterer with very authentic and vibrant cuisine! They have an extremely broad menu and do everything from party tray drop-off to full-service catering. Their food is super popular and every time I see them at a food truck event, their line is one of the longest! If you want thai catering, this is the company!
Gallery Cuisine
A Waimea food truck specializing in incredibly decadent crepes and musubis. Their musubi is the best I have had on island (and they make tons of types!) and while I have not tried their crepes, they look amazing. Their mini musubi would be a great option for a fun cocktail hour appetizer or late night snack!
Pine Village Small Cafe
A food truck fully focused on hummus and things that go with hummus. Their food is great but they are based on the east side of the island so I haven’t worked with them before. I am sure they would travel for a fee to Kona side if you want some awesome veg and vegan middle eastern food!
Banzos
We have not yet worked with this food truck but this could be a great option for a taco bar or birria tacos!
Big Island Birria Boss
This chef works as the pastry chef at Holualoa Inn and also does private catering for 50 guests or less. She does not have a commercial kitchen to prepare or cook and has to cook and prepare all the food on any event site. Her pricing starts at $65/guest and goes upward from there. You can view her sample menus and work on her website. She also offers platters of food that can be order for bridal showers, food while getting ready for the wedding, or a post-wedding celebration.
Private Chef Julie
We have not worked with this chef but it looks like she does really beautiful grazing boards and other yummy looking food.
Big I Private Chef
This is a native Hawaiian, Big Island born private chef who we have yet to work with!
Chef Ippy
Kate had this private chef’s super delicious Caribbean food at a food truck event in Holualoa. The chef said she can do any type of food and was trained at the Four Seasons and that she worked there for decades (which means her service is probably phenomenal). Let us know if you are interested in her catering!
Chef Jillann
Gourmet Plant Based Catering! They are BY FAR the best 100% plant-based caterer on this list. You can find them on Instagram. Inquire at 808-999-0456 or bigislandgrindz@gmail.com.
Big Island Grindz
Japanese fusion, sushi and bentos. A GREAT option for a sushi station.
Oyatsu Hawaii
Local Mexican food truck based on the North side of the island.
Plates of Aloha
Fancy Waffle food truck based on the north side of the island but they will travel. Great for brunch weddings and beach day picnics!
Wifey’s Waffles
This is a private chef/catering company. We have not yet worked with him but one of our staff members had his food at another event and said it was amazing. You can get in contact with him via Instagram DMs.
Justin Gambing
This is a Middle Eastern caterer who is based on the East side of the island but is willing to do catering for events anywhere. Really delicious food and one of the only Middle Eastern options here!
Awafi Cuisine
Sourdough pizza restaurant on the north side of the island. Great for beach day pizza or pizza delivery for late night snack or pizza catering!
Pau Pizza
Caterers We Haven’t Worked With Yet
Note: the caterers on this list have descriptions that come from their websites, word of mouth, or from our experiences trying their food but not at an event. Some of these are likely amazing and will move up to the “vetted” list once we have worked with them. But for now, we just do not have experience with them in an event setting - good or bad.
We actually haven’t worked with this company on a wedding before but we have had their food and it is great. We think they will cater in any style - plated, family style dinner, full service, buffet etc. etc. Their food truck specializes in fancy/delicious sandwiches, burgers, baos, omelets and more. Here’s a link to their market menu for an idea!
Big Island Provisions and Sundries
Family-owned mom and pop Mexican food. A great option for a taco bar, burrito station or similar! Their horchata is also awesome! Although they are not the easiest to get ahold of!
Califas Mexican Food
A great option for BBQ. They will come with their giant smoker trailer and do a delicious BBQ spread! Waimea Butcher shop is also a great option for tray catering but as far as I know they do not deliver and you would need to pick up. If your location is nearby to Waimea, this is a great tray catering option!
Waimea Butcher Shop
This is the Kona version of whole foods. They do large catering orders out of their cafe. Great if you are looking for appetizers (like mini quiche or samosas) and also for vegan and vegetarian options. As far as I know, all of their catering is by the pound. Which can end up being a very good deal or a very bad deal depending on what you order. My clients have typically only ordered Island Naturals to supplement whatever other catering they have ordered. For example, if you have tray catering coming hot right before dinner from another company on this list, you may decide to order something cold (like summer rolls and dipping sauce) from Island Naturals to be put out for your appetizers.
Island Naturals
Classic old-school Hawaiian diner food in South Kona. Sandy’s has all of the regular Hawaiian staples (like kalbi short ribs, mac salad, chicken katsu, kalua pork etc.) but what sets Sandy’s apart are their fries (which they have with many toppings!) and their fresh made cake donuts. This is a perfect vendor for a fry-bar with different fries and toppings. I can personally vouch for the deliciousness of their beef bulgogi cheese fries and cinnamon sugar donuts. (808) 322-2161
Sandy’s Drive In
This is standard Hawaiian bbq. Lots of fried things, mac salad, rice etc. Definitely one of the lowest cost options on this list but also tasty. It is just like the local crowd-pleasing unhealthy food. My clients rarely choose it for their wedding but it is a popular choice for a beach pavilion rehearsal dinner!
L&L Hawaiian BBQ
A favorite among locals, Pine Tree specializes in local food - plate lunch style (which traditionally means a combo of rice, mac salad and a meat but can be a lot of other things too). Their menu has a huge variety and their catering rocks and is super affordable. A good option to spend around $20/guest and have TONS of great food! They also deliver in Kona area for only $30. Their specialty is their “spicy” garlic chicken (it isn’t really spicy) and their musubis. But they really have tons of stuff, including full prime rib. Highly recommend Pine Tree! Something to know though is that they have a truly “local style” booking experience. They will try to fax you things lol. So when you call, ask to speak to Suzette (their catering manager) and have her text you photos of your receipts. If you do order pine tree, make sure to give your coordinator a good tip for their delivery drivers because gratuity is not added to their invoices.
Pine Tree Cafe
A south Kona institution that is famous for their laulau. If you want to get their laulau for catering, you have to buy it frozen and steam it yourself. Which to be honest, is a huge pain in the butt and makes them not well-suited for events. However, if you are having a welcome dinner at a private home or somewhere where someone could be in charge of the laulau, theirs is some of the best (if not the best) on the island.
Super J’s
This is a local place right in the harbor that specializes in fresh fish and Hawaiian cuisine. If you want to do local food with a seafood focus, Keoni’s is great! They are also a great place just to buy fish for making at home!
Keoni’s Point of View
Great sushi and great large trays. Highly recommend them for a sushi station or sushi appetizer. This is my favorite Sushi in Kona (and I have tried a lot).
Shimaichi Sushi
Caterers Who Offer Party Tray Catering Only
Bakery & Desserts
Acai truck that offers mobile acai bowls and smoothies!
Acai Hawaii Co
This shave ice truck has old Hawaii written all over it. It was an old coffee delivery truck up in Kealakekua. It takes up a small space, and can easily get in and out of places, with everything in their truck for events. It runs on battery inverters, so no loud generators. The shave ice is made with the super fine Japanese ice machines. Pricing is $500 for 3 hours and includes unlimited shave ice. Can be mixed with adult beverages and or used for kids. Their pricing for smaller events is flexible. Texting or calling them works best! Their number is (808)443-4484.
Mauna Shave Ice
Based in Kamuela, this a great bakery option for Waimea, Kohala, and Hawi weddings!
Sandwich Isle Bread Company
This is an option for Groom’s cakes, fondant cakes and mini desserts.
LLR Cake Design
She is based in Hilo but will deliver cakes to the other side of the island and does cake tastings!
Crazy Cat Lady Cakes
Based in Honoka’a (but if you pre-order you can pick up from Tealicious in Kona) these cookies are super delicious and very popular!
Doughmo’s Cookies
This is a new cookie company that has a bunch of delicious options. Think Crumbl Cookie but made with local Big Island ingredients! Bonus, this company is owned by one of the Sunshower staff, so you can expect excellent service when using this vendor.
Kookies N’ Kream
This is the only local bakery that does intricate custom cakes. If you want a cake in the shape of something, or decorated to look like a cartoon or something, this is the bakery!
Kona Sweets Bake Shop
Donut vendor based on the east side of the island. I haven’t worked with them before but if your wedding is on the east side, their donuts look awesome!
I’m Happy Dough
Local baker who makes tons of different things (including specially decorated frosted cookies) and does custom orders. Check out her Insta for lots of photos!
Sally Jane Cooks
Interested in a pie bar for your wedding? State of Grace makes tons of different pies and they are awesome! All of their pies are in minis as well as full size! They also have hand pies!
State of Grace Pies
Beautiful (and delicious) hand-dipped caramel apples, chocolate dipped strawberries and chocolate covered pretzels. She customizes them to your colors and event theme - they are awesome!
808 Celebrate
This is a food truck that specializes in fried dough and all of the toppings you could put on it! For ideas, check out their insta.
Lava Scones
Amazing cheesecakes in a variety of flavors! I recommend getting an assortment of their personal size cheesecakes in many flavors. They also have big cheesecakes but they are hard to slice nicely unless we do it while the cheesecake is frozen.
808 Cheesecake
Great for doughnuts. Paradise specializes in local fruits and local flavors and taro donuts! Their doughnuts are super aesthetically pleasing, though! You can view their work here!
Paradise Bakery
They are our go-to for anything pastry (like danishes, donuts, croissants etc.). Great for a sweets table or for a brunch wedding.
Sundog Bread
They used to have a brick and mortar shop but unfortunately the overhead wasn't sustainable. But their cupcakes really are truly the BEST. They also have the most delicious flavors and varieties.
Bleu Cupcakery
Our local shortbread cookie company. Great addition to a sweets table, or favors. A lot of my clients have ordered from her and one of my clients ordered from her for their coffee/tea station table.
Mrs. Barry's Kona Cookies
Waimea-based baker who does Japanese-style cakes and pastries. You can view their menu and pricing here! They do not deliver their cakes, so that one thing to consider when ordering from them. Best suited for weddings near their bakery. Or for clients who have a family member who can pick up. Their cakes are light and airy with a lovely whip cream style frosting. The pastries are beautiful and delicious for a dessert station.
Patisserie Nanako
Hilo based baker, great option for Waimea weddings! We haven’t tried her cakes yet but they definitely look beautiful!
Kats and Lemons
Marty makes wonderful custom cakes and offers SO MANY different flavors and combinations. He is especially great when it comes to meeting dietary restrictions and needs. He has done dairy-free and gluten-free cakes for us and his presentation and flavors always deliver! He offers cake tastings when you arrive to Kona but it needs to be scheduled at least a week out for him to be able to accomodate a tasting. He does not have a bakery storefront. Tastings start at approx. $25.00 per tasting cake and he does deliveries for a fee.
Marty Cakes
We have recently started working with Loke, the owner of Leo’s Legacy, and we are so excited about how great she is! She has a really big repertoire of flavors and styles and will do custom requests. She’s super organized, efficient, easy to work with and affordable and most importantly, her cakes taste great! To work with her, you can email her at leoslegacy808@gmail.com for her availability and then fill out her order form for a super seamless process.
Leo’s Legacy
Luau Performance
This is the largest and longest running luau entertainment company in Hawaii. They do luaus on all the islands and we have not worked with them yet but they are likely a great company since they have been around for so long!
Tihati Productions
Olowalu Entertainment is Hawai’i Island’s premiere entertainment company offering a variety of talented musicians, dancers, drummers and cultural practitioners committed to perpetuating Polynesian culture with an element of thrilling showmanship. We have not worked with this vendor yet!
Olowalu Entertainment
Super professional and easy to work with and their performers do an amazing job! Email works best: info.tianaproductions@gmail.com
Tiana Productions
We have worked with this company once very briefly and they come very highly recommended! I think they can also do full luau catering as well if you want an all-in-one package. kaulananapua4@gmail.com is their contact info.
Kualana Na Pua
I have worked with this Halau a number of times and they are great. They are a school and practice company so they are a little less expensive than some of the full professional companies. They are a cultural education group as well so you can hire them for other services like Hawaiian games, coconut husking and weaving and lei making. They have a few different performance packages that fit best for weddings ranging from Hawaiian musical duo and 1 dancer for $650 (2 hours) to more of a luau performance with 4 dancers, drummer and MC, including fire knife dancers (30 min performance hours) for $1250. Because they are a non-profit, they can be a little harder to nail down for your event, but they are far more affordable than the other options on this list and your money is going towards their cultural education and sending their Halau to competition. Note - if you book this company please budget for gratuity for the dancers (most of whom are in high school and are not getting paid at all to perform for you!).
Te `E`a o Te Turama
PERFORMANCE COMPANIES WE DO NOT RECOMMEND
Unfortunately, we do not recommend this company as we had an extremely unprofessional event with them.
Oahi Entertainment
Unique Vendors
We have not worked with this vendor but she does live painting on all islands.
Hawaii Wedding Painter
Elise is a licensed massage therapist willing to travel! A wonderful option to relax in the days leading up to your wedding or your wedding day itself. She does individuals and couples massage and can be consulted for pricing and bundles. She can be contacted at 301-814-6772 OR elise.dugua@gmail.com
Alleviate Massage Therapy
Hamsa Henna is great and is owned by Didi Vondala. She does bridal henna as well as henna on guests (think like temporary tatoos as a fun guest activity). She's studied a lot of the traditional Indian patterns, is pretty fast and is clean with ornately intricate details. From her info he writes "I specialize in fusing traditional patterns, with floral realism, and sacred geometric designs to bless the bride." To get in contact with her, you can find her on instagram @didivondala or email her at Christine.von808@gmail.com. Her prices start at $100/hour.
Henna Artist
This is a really fun activity and starts at $30/guest! Our florist, Lyla (Lalamilo Flower Girl) sets up a wonderful table of flowers to select from and provides all supplies! A lovely way to connect to local Hawaiian culture and send guests home with a gift :) If Lyla is not booked as your florist, there is a $50 delivery fee for her to come to your venue to set up the station.
Make-Your-Own Lei Station
Super cute idea, offered by a local tattoo artist named Mehana. More info here!
Mobile Tiny Tattoos
Sarah is originally from the Big Island and can write custom songs. These songs are recorded and fully produced in either Pop, Reggae, or R&B, depending on the client's choice.
Sarah Fui Custom Songs
This is another event painter who is based in both Hawaii and California. We have not worked with her, but her work looks great!
Laura Jane Fine Art
This artist is based on Maui and we have not worked with her yet but she can do live paintings as your wedding is happening!
Live Wedding Artist
808 Celebrate does beautiful balloon arches and other installations. She also does specialty caramel apples, dipped pretzels and other themed party treats! Check out her Instagram.
Balloon Installations
one of my neighbors has two beautiful horses that she will bring over for pictures, for the bride or groom to ride in on, or any other (within reason) thing that you may want a horse for at your event! She also has two mini horses and a small carriage for little kids to ride. Great for kids parties or a wedding with a lot of kids. Depending on what you want, she charges between $200-400 for the horses. To enquire, call Sylvia - (808) 937-0308
Horse and Mini Horse Rental
We have not worked with this vendor but he looks awesome. You can DM on Instagram for inquiries.
Big Island Fire Knife
This is a really fun idea for a bachelorrette party or group activity for your friends and family! Pricing and contact info here.
Love Chains Permanent Jewelry
This is a fun alternative to a traditional guest book. Your guests will record their messages to you on a cool vintage phone and you’ll get a thumb drive with all of their well wishes for you to keep and listen to for years to come.
Audio Guestbook
This is a ranch that offers adorably groomed llamas for two hours at your event for $400. Luana Ranch will be there personally and dressed professionally for your event, to handle the llamas and assist your guests as they mingle with the animals. The llamas can be decorated in traditional llama pom poms and tassels in blush/white/green (provided by Luana Ranch) and/or artificial flowers (leis or blooms (you provide), upon request. Note that real plants/flowers are llama food and not recommended. The price includes llama transportation within Kailua-Kona. For locations outside of Kailua-Kona, you will need to inquire with Luana Ranch. Please reach out to us if you are interested in the llamas.
Luana Ranch (aka Island Celebrations Hawaii) also has various signage and rental items available- see rentals section!
Luana Ranch Event Llamas
Our local shortbread cookie company. Great addition to a sweets table, or favors. A lot of my clients have ordered from her and one of my clients ordered from her for their coffee/tea station table.
Malihini Keiki Care (Nanny and Babysitting Service)
We have not worked with this vendor yet but they are a fire troupe that creates productions with a fusion of contemporary fire arts and Polynesian Hawaiian culture.
Ethereal Flames Fire Troupe
- One fire performer for a 15-20min private show runs at ~$500. This option includes a sound system and music to a sequenced set. A fire safety team member will also be present. Additional performers may be added for $300 each.
- Ambient performances run ~$300 for the first hour and ~$150 for each consecutive hour per performer. No music is provided with this option. A fire safety team member will be present.
- On top of booking fees, travel & fuel expenses and taxes, you can anticipate spending at least $675 for their most basic one-hour ambient package and around $875 for their most basic choreographed 15-20 minute private show
A Kona based agency of Big Island talent with acts ranging from extraordinary contemporary fire dancers, aerialists, acrobats, mermaids, DJs and more. Here is a general outline their most popular act (they are also open to collaborating):
Lucent Entertainment Company
This is a great option for additional sleeping options (and also a unique way for the adventurous type to explore the island). Would be great for venues like Puakea Ranch, Big Island Last Resort, and Starseed Ranch.
Camper Van Hawaii
A really cute post-ceremony/recessional idea. This is a Hawaii company that sells live butterfly chrysalis.
Paradise Monarch Butterflies
Stationery
Local (to Hawaii) hand-made options
Here is a link to her brochure with information on the design process and options.
Lively House and Home
We usually do not recommend printed stationery to our clients. In fact, we have a whole blog post dedicated to all of the reasons we recommend evites! But we do of course have some options to give you for both!
Also, many of our clients send printed invitations to just some guests and then evites to the rest. Or send evites for Save the Dates but then send the actual invitation as printed. There are so many different ways to approach this!
Low to mid-range printed options
Canva
This is our go-to for when we have a design already created and you just want to print it for a low cost and with lots of paper choices. This is a great option if you’ve already designed your stationery through a digital download on Etsy or for our creative couples, just on your own in Canva or Adobe.
VISTAPRINT
There are so many wonderful artists on Etsy who make everything from digital files (that you can print yourself) all the way to hand drawn and lettered custom invites.
Etsy
A great option for couples who want to do a mix of evites and printed invites. Often our couples will send evites to their tech-savvy guests and printed invites to the others. Use code WEDVENSUNSHOWER for 35% off save the dates and 25% off all other wedding stationery.
MINTED
Joy
Pingg
Zola
Punchbowl
Minted
Greenvelope
this is our favorite for the aesthetics of the evite.
Paperless Post
Evite
Evite Companies
Arzberger Stationers
Checkerboard
Smythson
Dempsey & Carroll
Bella Figura
Dauphine Press
William Arthur
Vera Wang Invitations
Crane & Co.
Cheree Berry Paper
Ceci New York
Luxury design and printing companies
Canva is so easy to use to create custom designs! And they now offer printing and shipping to keep things easy!
Transportation
We get questions about the availability of Lyfts and Ubers a lot and the answer is that it really just depends! While they techincally are available on island, there are not many drivers and depending on the location of your event, the day of the week or the time you will need rides they can be hit or miss.
Lyft and Uber
Kona Taxi is a company with a bunch of minivans and sprinter vans. They are easy to work with and to schedule rides on your own and we do work with them a fair amount and we recommend them for our clients to put on their wedding website. But they are more expensive than Blue Sky and their drivers don’t always know where things are, so they are not on the top of our recs list.
KONA TAXI
More than just limos, this company has luxury sedans, SUVs, and coach buses. We have not worked with them yet.
Hawaii Island Limousine
Fun and unique to Kona, this is a pink luxurious limo that can transport up to 10 people. Their rate is $150 per hour and they are so fun!
Pink Limo Kona
This company rents this super sexy and fun classic Porsche Speedster. You can rent this classic car for either 6 or 12 hours and cruise the island in serious style. You may want to hire your photographer to follow behind you as you cruise :)
Kona Classics Porsche Speedster
They offer a variety of transport options. We have worked with them a few times when Blue Sky wasn’t available and they are professional and on time.
Big Island Transportation
We have worked with this company once very briefly and they come very highly recommended! I think they can also do full luau catering as well if you want an all-in-one package. kaulananapua4@gmail.com is their contact info.
Roberts Hawaii
Steven with blue sky is our go-to transportation rec for all of our weddings. He has 14 passenger sprinter vans and 24 passenger mini buses. He is great to work with, a lovely person and super affordable. The only downside to working with Steven is that he can be hard to communicate with before the wedding and it can be hard to get an invoice or pricing from him. For our events, Sarah, and your planner together, will schedule all transportation with Steven.
Blue Sky Transportation
This is a company that does airport shuttles, private charters, and rides for events. They have luxury cars, sprinter vans, and SUVs.
Gold Coast Town Cars
Calligraphy
Island Celebrations Hawaii
Katiana is a very talented letterer! Her lettering and work is more “artsy” than Fine Lines in that she will also illustrate her designs for you! She also will letter our chalkboard (included in our decor rentals).
KSCO Design
Amy, the artist at FLC has always been our go-to Calligrapher. Her work is beautiful and she will do lettering on all types of materials so her work is unique and custom! Amy is also a physical therapist as her day job and calligraphy is her hobby so she doesn't take that many bookings each month and can get completely booked far in advance. She can do any wedding calligraphy (place cards, seating charts, welcome signs etc.) but typically we most often work with her for signs and place cards. In the Sunshower Decor Items we have a chalkboard sandwich board and two mirrors that any of our couples can use. We arrange to drop off the item with Amy and then she will do the lettering and our team, or you, can pick it up from her a day or two before your wedding. She does not offer delivery.
Fine Lines Calligraphy
Beach Ceremonies
Another photographer who has expanded to beach ceremonies!
Aly Dove
Ann Ferguson who is a photographer that we love has recently branched out to small beach elopements.
Elope Big Island
Becky has been my friend and colleague for a few years! We love working together. She specializes in beach weddings, but coordinates and officiates ceremonies at other venues too. She has a variety of packages, from super simple to more in-depth event planning and coordination. She can be reached via phone call: 1-888-582-5775 or inquire via her website.
Becky Ringler
Simple Kona Beach Weddings
Dawn is first and foremost a professional photographer, and she is GREAT! But she recently added a beach ceremony package which is great. I love working with Dawn because she is a super on top of it professional, she’s a great photographer and her husband Mike is the officiant - truly a one-stop-shop.
Dawn Eicher
Elisabeth Stapleton is an officiant who also can help you with your elopement! Her email is bigislandelopementofficiant@gmail.com.
Big Island Elopement Officiant
Favors
Decorated cookies that reflect something special about you or are on-theme for your wedding
Lots of places sell this but I recommend reaching out to the same farm (above) that does the chocolate. They have tons of fruit on their farm and can even make you something custom if you reach out far enough before your wedding.
Dried local fruit (like banana strips or pickled mango)
This farm has a truly terrible website but their chocolate is awesome and Caroline (the owner) will make truffles or whatever you want if you special order.
Kona grown (and processed!) chocolate
There are lots of places to buy all of these things, but I just linked to one for each. Full disclosure, the Kona coffee link is to my farm!
Mochi
Hawaiian shortbread
Hawaiian sea salt
Mini bags of Kona Coffee
I actually rarely recommend favors for my clients. They are a thing that people think they need but they don’t actually need them. They are rarely a "valued" part of the guest experience - guests do not even notice when weddings do not have a favor. And most favors start around $5 pp and that money is better spent, in my opinion, on making your wedding more fun, the food more delicious, the drink options better, providing transportation for guests or just saving that money for yourself!
If you really want to do favors, try to refrain from monogrammed junk like koozies - people really do just throw them away. I recommend consumables with a local flair.
Pre-Wedding Resources
Wedding Protector Plan
Wedsure
The Event Helper
Wedsafe
There are many companies that offer policies like this. But here are the ones we recommend, please do not get insurance from companies not listed here! We recommend getting quotes from a bunch (the quote only takes about 5 min at most) and choosing the one with the best rate.
- Liability protects you, us and your other vendors, as well as your guests if anyone gets hurt at your event or causes bad damage (like falling through a window or something). Liability is what is required by your venue.
- Cancellation protects you in the case of having to cancel your wedding due to unforeseen circumstances like bad weather or a death in the family. Most cancellation coverage is unavailable right now due to Covid. I know some companies are offering limited cancellation coverage, but you will need to look around because what cancellation coverage is available is changing all the time!
There are two main types of event insurance: Liability and Cancellation.
Wedding insurance is so important and is required by most venues and all venues (and me!) for a BYOB event. Here’s a quick rundown on what it is and why you should get it.
This is a suit store (not a rental!). But they offer our clients a 10% discount with the discount code: SUNSHOWER37
Suit Shop
This is a tuxedo and suit rental company! You can also purchase suits through them if you choose. They offer our clients a 20% off discount and if the party has 5+ members renting, the groom/wedding couple can also qualify for a free rental! You must use our partner code though, it’s BPSUNSHOWER
Generation Tux
- Scarlet Thread: (808) 329-8681
- Attractions Bridal & Formal Wear: (808) 326-1113
- Originals by HITOMI-Donna Fear: (808)987-7547
For local clients or if you get to the island and realize you need a seamstress! Note, we do not recommend waiting until right before your wedding to schedule attire alterations.
Seamstress we have not yet worked with but could potentially be good if you need someone!
Wedding Alterations/ Seamstress
Kristy Nazara (808)217-4264
These vow books are the creation/labor of love from one of our awesome local photographers, Sarah Gehman. They are a beautiful place to write your vows AND they are full of fifteen fun, interactive prompts like, "I knew I wanted to marry you when...." They will look beautiful in your detail photos, at the alter or even during your first look! She has a special discount that is exclusive for our Sunshower couples. Use the coupon code SUNSHOWER at checkout for 10% off your set of vow books! If interested, visit their website linked above or email Sarah at hello@thekeeperco.com
