Cindi & Jon Wed at Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii

When asked to describe her June 24, 2001 wedding, Cindi repeatedly referred to the event as �festive.� �How could you not have a great time in Hawaii?� she asks. From the check-in at the luxurious resort to the ceremony and reception, Jon Elsom and Cindi Newell were immersed in island culture, indulged in the amenities of the Hilton Waikoloa Village, and enjoyed the scenery. All of those things made their wedding unforgettable for themselves, as well as their guests.

A mutual friend played the role of fate by introducing the two: Cindi, a 32-year-old account manager at an advertising agency, and Jon, a 30-year-old operations manager. The pair soon discovered just how much they had in common, including many of the same friends. They even owned homes less than a mile apart in the same Portland, Oregon neighborhood. It took the couple less than two years to figure out they were meant to be together forever.

For Jon and Cindi, having a getaway wedding was an easy choice. They knew it would be the perfect way to share their ceremony with their closest friends and family members. �We wanted to be able to get away and spend time with our friends and family in a fun place and make a vacation out of it,� Cindi says. The two had been to several destination weddings before and loved being able to get to know the bride and groom, as well as the other guests, while at these events. They also decided that this type of wedding would result in a smaller guest count than if they selected a location in Portland. And, that was exactly what they were looking for.

The couple wanted their wedding to be �somewhere warm and tropical.� Since Hawaii had been a previous vacation spot for them both, they jumped at the chance to go back in the company of their close friends and family.

The Web Comes to the Rescue
Surfing the web played a big role in the selection of the resort. �We searched on the Internet and fell in love with the pictures of the chapel and the grounds of the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii,� Cindi recalls. The resort has an extensive web site featuring a 360-degree photo of the chapel, and details about the resort, and specific information about its wedding packages.

Jon and Cindi were so impressed with the site, they decided to call the resort. Upon phoning, they were introduced to Heather Sousa, the resort�s wedding coordinator. �She was fantastic!� Cindi confides. �She made me feel at ease about their ability to orchestrate the wedding, since Jon and I were planning it all via e-mail and phone.�

With less than four months to the big event, Cindi and Jon were grateful to have the help of Heather and the entire Hilton staff. With their assistance, specific plans � such as the menu, entertainment, venues, photography, videography, and the minister � were made much easier. That meant the couple actually relaxed and enjoyed their engagement with few worries leading up to the big day. �We loved being able to plan the wedding so quickly and with so little legwork and hassle,� Cindi admits.

The duo soon informed guests of their Hawaiian wedding by sending out �save-the-date� letters, packed with resort and destination information. They also sent out friendly e-mail reminders to their 50 guests to keep them updated. The couple�s friends and family told Jon and Cindi they were very excited to be attending the wedding in Hawaii.

The Gang�s All Here
Once the group arrived in Hawaii, the fun began. There were several group events which included group dinners, a golf outing, and deep-sea fishing. Cindi and Jon�s mothers joined Cindi and her bridesmaids at the resort�s spa in preparation for the wedding. However, Cindi says most of her time was spent by the pool at the resort, enjoying tropical drinks and sharing quiet conversation with her closest friends.

The wedding was a special event for the couple, with a traditional Hawaiian ceremony consisting of leis and flowers, as well as Hawaiian prayers spoken by the minister. Cindi and Jon purchased leis for each of their guests to make them look and feel more authentic and festive. One minor drawback of the wedding was the size of the chapel. Since Cindi and Jon had a relatively large number of guests, they were not all able to fit into the chapel. However, the chapel has very large windows and huge open doors, which allowed remaining guests to sit right outside and still feel a part of the group.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds were whisked away in a romantic boat ride through the canals at the resort. Afterwards, the couple joined the rest of the wedding party and headed to the reception to enjoy fantastic cuisine, drinks, and, of course, dancing.

Let the Festivities Begin
The Hilton Lanai Lagoon was host to the reception, which was decorated with tower oil lamps, beautiful flowers, and tiki torches. The three-layer cake with passion-fruit buttercream icing was decorated with flowers. During the cocktail hour, tropical drinks and exotic appetizers were a big hit. The main course was chicken with a macadamia nut crust, grilled jumbo prawns in citrus butter, and fresh asparagus.

A local Hawaiian band performed for the guests during cocktail hour, followed by some �great dance music� during the reception itself. A special touch the performance of Frank Sinatra�s �All the Way� sung by two friends as the newlyweds took their first dance. The only complaint about the reception was the 10:00 p.m. noise curfew. This made the party end a little too early for the guests, but they thoroughly enjoyed the time they had.

Memories That Last a Lifetime
Cindi tells anyone considering having a getaway wedding, �Don�t sweat the details. We were nervous that it might seem like a �canned� wedding since it was a resort but Heather and her staff took care of every detail to make it beautiful and elegant.� The couple agreed that with a wedding coordinator that�s willing to help you from start to finish, it�s easy to enjoy everything without getting stressed out.

After all is said and done, the couple looks back on the wedding and would not change a thing. They carry many fond memories of that day and enjoyed every minute of their time spent in Hawaii. Cindi says it best: �Getting married in a tropical place with our closest friends and family was the greatest.�

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