More wedding adventures... Part 2

The dress I chose had to be shipped from Japan. I was at the borderline to be in time for an August wedding. (Since both our birthdays are in winter we wanted to spread the “gift thing” to summer, so August was just the perfect time to get married!).

When they got it in, I was so excited. I was finally going to try on a dress my size that I could fit in and not only visualise how I’d looked in it.

I walked in the changing room and I saw this very wide, white thing hanging. I was thinking it must be the train… Nope! It was the dress, the bodice!!! They made a mistake and ordered a size 24!!! 24!!! It was huge! I put it on, crying, not out of joy but out of fear… was this to be a sign of things ahead? Was I not supposed to be married? They basically had to redo the whole bodice – they had to take more than 2 inches on each side.

I went back a few times, things started to look up, or so I thought. The dress was starting to look like it was meant for my body. After many fittings I was told I culd come for the final fitting and bring it home. The date they gave me was a day prior to our departure for Hawaii! I simply couldn’t believe it! We had talked about sending it with other things for the reception via Fedex, a few weeks prior to our arrival and had arranged everything with our local friends. There was nothing they could do, they were fully booked and their best date was earlier that day, that’s all.

My last day in town had been planned for a while, and I had chores to complete before getting on that plane and standing still with pins and needles being jabbed into my breasts wasn’t one of those! I made my way there for those final adjustments on the said date.

I got there for 10 in the morning and finally left the boutique well after 4 that afternoon. I was so stressed! I rushed all the way to the Fedex’s office to find it closed. I was about ready to break down… Hubby suggested to bring it with us since the rest of the goods had already been sent and received. So, I made my way home and called the airline we were traveling with, “Northworst”, and inquired about the possibility to have it as a carry on. They wouldn’t allow it; it was too big for their closets. Yet another thing! So I painfully made my way to the mall and started to shop for a suitcase that would fit my dress and all wedding attire for both of us. If something wedding related were to be lost, all of it would be, because everything was going to be in that one suitcase! I found one, on sale! Everything barely fit in it, but with a little elbow grease we managed.

It’s a good thing that we are organized people. We had managed to find, on-line, a non-denominational minister, a video and photographer, book our hotel & reception room and select all of our pupus and meals. The first few days after our arrival were to finalised the details, like finding a location, get our licence, meet with the non-denominational minister, see the room where our reception would be held, etc., etc. Thank God for our Hawaiian friend, B, she was (and still is) a gift sent from above!

She had managed to get all our flowers, the rental of equipment for the reception, booked a local singer for our ceremony - she sang the Hawaiian Wedding song and got my dress pressed. The day before Hubby talked with the bellman at our hotel that hooked us up with a limo driver. B was a most valuable contributor to the success of our wedding day. We will always be grateful to her, and the ohana for all that they did for us. It was truly a dream come true.

We selected Magic Island as the location, close to Waikiki and yet quieter. The haku lei she had gotten for me was gorgeous, so well made and so fragrant – simply love pikake! Same for all the leis; we had gorgeous flowers! On this shot you can see in the background, Diamond Head.

Before we started the ceremony, once I made it by the water, I threw a lei in the ocean, for my father. I had seen that being done in a documentary, by friends of a Hawaiian surfer who had drowned. I thought it was so touching. It was my way of having my dad with me on that special moment…

I ask you, is there anything more romantic than being on a beach at sunset? Well, yes there is! Getting married, on a beach, barefoot in the warm sand, while a beautiful sunset is occuring, simply is!


We had about 40 guests in Hawaii. What’s the first thing I did as a married woman? Showed my right cheek to all our guests!

When we had our rings done (Hubby designed mine BTW) we also had something engraved inside that the other didn’t know about. When Hubby told the jeweller what he wanted to be engraved in mine, the jeweller cracked up. I was worried a little.... What could it be? On the video you see us both after the ceremony reading the insides of our rings. When we got to the reception people were asking what was written. When I said “My wildcat forever”, they asked why. I have a tattoo of a wildcat with my name in Japanese, in a kanku (karate sign). Some wanted to see it, so… I obliged! This shot was taken during our reception... can you see the crinoline and the tan line?
What a good time we had!

Then when we got back to Montreal and threw another reception (early September) and re-did our vows, this time in French. About 100 guests and since people wanted to see my dress I wore it a second time! We had such a party. Friends from all over the world came, from Sweden, Germany, England, the States. A great time – we partied well past 3 am!

Oh yeah! I had decided to go with the less expensive of the two dresses (since the other one would have been too much for a beach wedding) and with the extra money I managed to get a “Honeymoon package” without Hubby knowing about it which included a bottle of champagne upon arrival in Maui, candle light dinner for two, a luau and breakfast in bed on our departure day. It was well worth it and I loved my dress! Felt like a bride and that’s what I really wanted!

The end!

Side note: Last year, a cousin of my husband was also getting married on a beach and as a wedding gift; I offered to give her my dress. She accepted. I felt so honoured that she would want it. After a few adjustments, it looked really good and deep down I knew that this dress was meant for wedding(s) on a beach…