August 14, 2019

Luke and Lauren got married. And we celebrated! #Mauid

Luke and Lauren got married. And we celebrated! #Mauid

“…I will tell you all that spending the afternoon with these two and their parents was nothing short of amazing.

The swell, the heat, the INSANE morning glory sparklers that almost lit them on fire – it’s gonna go down as one of the most obstacle-filled intimate weddings I have done.

But it’s also going down as one of my favs.” –Angie, taker of stunning, breathtaking photos.

Instagram: @angelanelsonphoto

http://linktr.ee/angelanelsonphoto

The incredible, intimate wedding was in MAUI, but we celebrated the marriage a few weeks later with a Hawaiian-themed party at our house with sixty or so close friends and family. We have been asked for several of the recipes used for the party and we want to keep track of the recipes for ourselves, too. Seems the perfect use of our food blog. (And, since this is a food blog, I’ll go straight to the menu and the recipes, but you can read below for a few of my thoughts on the dreamy, Maui wedding.)

But first, Thanks. Bill and I had a ton o’ fun coming up with the menu and the recipes, but the party could not have happened without everyone (…Alex, Amber, Steve, Chrissie, Mandi, Robb, etc., etc.,) pitching in to help– especially my two older sisters. Debbie and Nancy are party-prepping all-stars that can, not only read my mind, but they give of their limited time and unlimited talents so beautifully, freely and generously. <3

THE MENU:

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread: (Mini Loaves) 1/2 c. soft butter, 1 t. vanilla, 3/4 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, 1 t. salt, 1 t. baking soda, 1 c. mashed ripe bananas, 6 oz. mini chocolate chips. Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and soda. Add dry mixture alternately with mashed bananas. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into mini paper loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkled with sugar. Sprinkle sugar on top of each loaf. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick tests clean.

Kona Coffee Punch: 1/2 c. instant Kona Coffee, 3 qts. hot water, 2 c. sugar, 2 qts. milk, 1 T. vanilla, 1/2 – 1 gallon coffee ice cream. Mix coffee, sugar, and hot water. Chill mixture. (Can be made the night before serving.) Add the milk and vanilla and stir. Right before you serve, pour into a punch bowl and top with scoops of ice cream.

Aloha Pineapple Slushes: 1 1/2 c. frozen pineapple chunks, 1 c. Vodka infused with pineapple, coconut and lime flavors (Aloha Kinky brand), 1 c. ice. Blend in high-speed blender until smooth. Freeze in airtight container until ready to serve. Scoop into punch cups.

Mai Tais: 4 c. orange juice, 4 c. pineapple juice, 1/2 c. lime juice, 1/2 c. almond simple syrup, 1/2 c. grenadine, 4 c. seltzer water, *3-4 c. rum if adult version. In large pitcher, mix together orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice and almond syrup. You can keep this punch base in fridge until party time. To serve (in punch bowl or beverage dispenser), mix grenadine, seltzer water, and rum if desired. Add ice and orange slices, lime slices, and pitted cherries.

the wedding. aloha.

Aloha (/ɑːˈloʊhɑː/; Hawaiian: [əˈloːˌha]) Often thought of as the Hawaiian word for either hello or goodbye. But for many Hawaiians, the meaning is deeper – a word describing love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy.

It’s a word that will forevermore have deeper meaning for me – more than a simple greeting of hello or goodbye.

LUKE&LAUREN Photo credit: @Angelanelsonphoto

…They floated the idea of an intimate (parents, siblings, and grandmothers), destination wedding MANY months before the engagement ring was actually purchased. Bill and I joked that we’d go anywhere as long as we could use our Southwest Airlines points to get there. Shortly after that conversation, Lauren texted us, “Boise?” LOL! Indeed a SWA destination, but perhaps not the loveliest wedding destination. Honestly, Bill and I didn’t care where they chose for their wedding to take place, we were just hoping and praying that the event would take place. Sooner rather than later.

Happily, they were officially engaged just before the calendar flipped from 2018 to 2019. YAY!! Let the wedding planning begin!!

Hey… What would you think about a wedding in Maui?

Tell us more!

I’m not quite sure why Hawaii had never been on our Bucket List. But now, post incredible wedding trip, we hope to have the opportunity to return someday. Sooner rather than later.

Our wildly positive impressions and feelings about all-things-Hawaiian are most likely completely linked to LUKE AND LAUREN GOT MARRIED there!! It was a beautiful way to celebrate their decision to spend the rest of their lives together. I love a traditional wedding with attention to every last detail, but I am here to shout out the benefits and joys of a wedding ceremony that focuses personally and solely on the UNION of the couple! It was dreamy.

I’m not sure there has been another time in my life that I have felt so present, so focused, as I did during the wedding ceremony. I felt so thankful for the many prayers I had prayed for Luke and Lauren that were being answered before my eyes. Bill and I were quick to love Lauren, respect her, and appreciate her. I felt so hopeful for Luke&Lauren and their love for each other and their future together as one unit. I was awed by God’s complete provision and His stunning creation. I squeezed Bill’s hand hard as I thanked God for bringing the two of us through the past year, stronger and more like-minded than ever before. I felt such a fondness for Lauren’s parents. What a remarkable woman they raised! They love Lauren well and I know that they also love Luke. I was filled with love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy. Aloha. Aloha, indeed.

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