We’re excited to share Jenn + Randy’s gorgeous Glamping engagement shoot with the readers of Style Me Pretty Canada today!
Jenn + Randy came up with the idea of merging their love of the outdoors with the finer things in life & the amazing Janine Sebastian from Fabloomosity & Christina Ignacio-Deines helped to make their glamping vision a reality.
Jenn + Randy, we had a blast being pioneers with you guys!
Words by Maureen Young
A 6am wake up call ensured we captured the morning light from the top of Honolulu. It was a thrill to introduce Philana + Gary to a new area of their favourite travel destination. The view was breathtaking; looking out over the city and ocean, it felt like being on top of the world.
A morning nap followed by lunch at ‘Pho One,’ Philana + Gary’s favourite Vietnamese meant we were all well rested and happily fed.  From lunch we headed to Rina’s dream location – the bamboo forest. The forest encouraged exploration and we meandered around through the mist chasing sunbeams and feeling water droplets on our fingers. Truly a location for all the senses. The bugs made sure we were kept fully alert though!
On our way out of the bamboo forest we came across a flock of wild chickens and roosters. A huge storm set them free from a farm a couple of years ago and now they roam wild. The thought of catching our dinner was appealing until we realised that, being wild, they’re not exactly edible.
A break at a local drive-in for giant sno-cones topped with 3 different flavours was delicious – sugar keeps us going!
The beach was ideal for a pseudo trash the dress as Philana opted to wear her white dress rather than wedding dress. Walking along the beach, we came across a big monk seal who was snoozing in the shade. Any noise we made while shooting nearby didn’t disturb his slumber, he was so cute Rina wanted to take him home!
The newlyweds laughed and played in the water, Gary even tried dragging his wife in! Philana took the opportunity to write ‘thank you’ in the sand to send to everyone who came for their wedding. (No sneak peak of the thank you card here!)
From beach shore to volcanic shore, we travelled to where people go fishing and you can see the different layers of volcanic ashes. The striated rock was a gorgeous backdrop, especially for Philana’s wedding dress – we loved framing the shots around the pools of water which reflected a more abstract sense of colour and beauty. During the shoot waves crashed onto the shore, splashing us with water and creating a movie set atmosphere.
Perfect lighting and a Hawaiian sunset – a stunning end to a Honolulu stay. We packed up our summer clothes and trekked back to a very, very cold Edmonton and Philana + Gary embarked on their Maui honeymoon.
Philana + Gary – thank you so much for inviting us to Hawaii to capture your incredible love story in such an amazing environment. We loved the introduction to Hawaiian food & indulged in pineapples, papayas and Poke Ahi tuna en route to the airport (what can we say, our stomachs demanded it!). Thank you for such a wonderful experience, the warmth and kindness of your family members and friends was incredible. We’re so pleased that we attended your Edmonton reception as guests and had the opportunity to see people again!
Good night and Mahalo!!
A + R
Words by Maureen Young
“There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart”
~ Better Together, Jack Johnson
With an hour for creatives, we made the most of the time by shooting at a nearby lagoon where the rocks and water added a sense of fun and calm. While it was too cloudy for a sunset shoot, the clouds were stunning. Â The newlyweds were happy to relax and enjoy some of their first moments as husband & wife (as long as the dress didn’t get dirty!)
Welcome Mr & Mrs Wong
Philana + Gary opened their reception with their first dance. To celebrate their travels (and make it just a lil bit harder for guests to request a kiss) Philana + Gary locked lips only when someone named a place they had traveled together. Finn, of camera lens mischief earlier in the day, was first to the podium, proudly declaring ‘France’ as an answer.
Always thoughtful, Philana + Gary had a photo booth, complete with costumes and props, to keep the kids entertained. And a candy bar to keep the kids going ;) Cameron, the flower girl, was so pleased with her photos she rushed over to show us – we loved the goofy shots! Thanks for sharing Cameron!
The wedding games were light-hearted and everyone had a laugh when Philana answered ‘July’ and Gary answered ‘August’ to the question ‘when did Gary propose?’Â Typical of Gary, responsible enough to know it was a summer month but not romantic enough to know exactly when.
The speeches gave everyone insight into Philana + Gary’s personalities. Philana, patient, caring, globe-trotter and bargain hunter extraordinaire is a loving romantic. Gary was touted as the perfect guy; family-focused, responsible, career-orientated, handyman and an excellent cook. Careful not to oversell, Vic added that Gary is also a man of few words and little sense of humor before stating that love must be deaf as Philana was impressed by Gary’s sense of humor.
Philana’s parents ended their speech with a surprise – they had youtube’d traditional Hawaiian dances and got the guests dancing along with them while Philana, shocked by her parents technological adeptness and dance ability, laughed and joined in.
Grandpa Gary, as his friends call their sensible, responsible friend, was encouraged to enjoy his wedding day and ‘hang loose’. Taking his friend’s advice, Gary took part in the ‘who can dance better’ game and while he lost out on the Hershey’s Kisses with macadamia nuts and Kona coffee to Bobby and Fred, his bride was proud.
Part III :: A stunning couple, a stunning state = AWESOME.
Much love,
A+R
Words by Maureen Young
Hawaii was a fitting destination for 2 people who met through their love of travelling and for Philana, who had travelled to Hawaii with family many times before (her dad went to University there and took his family back for holidays), it was her dream location. 50 guests from around the globe joined them in paradise.
Hawaiian BBQ, seats and an iron
Gary stayed at a condo on Waikiki beach, an hour from JW Marriott where he and Philana were marrying. Over a dozen of Gary’s family and friends joined him for Hawaiian BBQ Plate Lunches and turned the balcony and bedroom into a sit down cafe, if you could sit on it, it was a seat!
“Do I have to iron this?”
Gary bought a crisp new shirt for the wedding and, as it came out of a box, he asked Anton if he needed to iron it. The answer? A smile and nod (accompanied by an ‘are you serious look’). The freshly ironed suit matched the European suit perfectly.
Gary’s nephews, Finn and Nico ran around the room with their favourite toy while Gary’s dad cuddled newborn grandson Milo on the balcony. Grandma Wong was there admiring her GQ posing grandson and also keeping a watchful eye on Finn and Nico, who had decided lenses might make quite cool toys.
Family, papayas and mochi
Philana was joined by her younger sisters, Felicia and Stephanie for hair and make up while their parents tidied the kitchen and brought out delicious food for the girls to enjoy. During breakfast, Philana wrote her vows and relaxed, the rain clouds were not going to put a damper on the day. Although it did move the planned outdoor wedding inside.
Philana had the shoes to suit the occassion; 2 pairs of Badgley Mischka heels bought at the amazing price of 80% off. A girl who knows how to shop, Philana appreciates the finer things in life (just not at full retail price!)
Felicia’s boyfriend, Roby, came by to see if anyone needed anything. Auntie Agnes was quick to request 3 cases of papayas, mochi (Japanese ice cream) for the girls and a pineapple for Rina (not to eat! Although it did taste amazing after it’s role as a prop was complete).
Family surrounded the bride-to-be as relatives came around to catch a glimpse before her walk down the aisle. Grandma Peggy felt the December 20 wedding was an early Christmas gift and she spoke with excitement. Flower girl Cameron was excited for her big debut and practiced throwing flowers.
“Are you sad to give Philana away?” Relatives asked Philana’s dad who chuckled and replied that he couldn’t wait for the other 2 girls to leave as well. For all his joking, Rina’s pretty sure there was a glimmer of a tear accompanying the proud grin when he saw his eldest daughter as a bride. Grandma Peggy also had tears in her eyes when she and Philana’s mom came to see the beautiful bride.
A Beijing boy and a Shanghai princess
The venue looked out over the ocean and even though rain was falling outside, inside it was a beautiful day. Before the ceremony Philana and her parents did a quick prayer.
Gary walked down the aisle with his parents, followed by Grandma Wong and brother Bobby. Felicia and Stephanie then walked down with Grandma Peggy. Philana was accomapnied by her parents down the aisle, Gary receiving a hug and kiss from his almost-in-laws.
Pastor Keith conducted the service, which included handwritten vows from bride and groom. Philana spoke about how falling in love started with accepting an offer to talk about travelling and being picked up in a Porsche. Gary spoke about finding a beautiful and patient girl, his Shanghai princess.
As the couple said their vows, Grandma Peggy had tears in her eyes, an emotional and special day for her
There is nothing quite as beautiful and heartwarming as a bride and groom walking down the aisle. Â See you at the reception in Part 2!
Much love,
A+R