2003

927. “This is paradise” – Roy and Aideen from Chicago, IL – 12/17/3 – Kikaua Point Park Kukio Nui

926. “Nice ceremony” – Gary and Rosanne form Reno, NV – 12/6/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Gazebo

925. “Thanks” – Shannon and Michell from St. Pauls, NC – 11/19/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

924. “Thank you” – Robert and Madeleine from Sunnydale, CA – 11/23/3 – 20 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Palace Lawn

923. “Terrific job – the tone was just right” – Don and Sue from Banff, AB, Canada – 11/5/3 – 10 guests at Kiholo Bay (This was my first wedding at Kiholo Bay. It is a gorgeous spot.)

922. “You did good. Thank you” – Todd and Cynthia from Scottsdale, AZ – 10/25/3 – 20 guests at the Fairmont Orchid Turtle Point (What a great reception by the waterfalls at the Orchid. Cynthia is originally from Kuala Lumpur. I had visited Kuala Lumpur in 2002. The people had treated me so well, it seemed like God let me return the favor by doing something special in return)

921. “Thank you” – Jeff and Nicole from Leesburg, VA – 10/23/3 – 12 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel. (This was my first opportunity to work with Walter. Walter is a gifted guitarist who plays a Hawaiian style called slack key. If you are looking for a more Hawaiian flavor for your ceremony, this is a great choice)

920. “Very nice” – Brooks and Sandra from Jackson, TN – 10/17/3 – 6 guests at the Palace Lawn at the Hilton Waikoloa Village

919. “Thank you” – Joe and Marzena from South River, NJ – 10/21/3 – 10 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

918. “Thank you very much, it was a lovely ceremony” – Bob and Sharon from Robesonia, PA – 10/10/3 – 20 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

917. “Our guests have all commented about how much they enjoyed your ceremony. Thank you so much” – Tim and Michele from Chicago, IL – 10/5/3 – 40 guests at 49 Black Sand Beach (This was my first wedding at this beach. It is a spectacular spot and the reception at the clubhouse was truly one of those evenings in paradise that sets Hawaii apart)

916. “We liked what you said” – Paul and Nina from La Jolla, CA – 10/3/3 – The Four Seasons Hualalai Palm Grove (This was my first wedding with Kelly, who is one of the new coordinators at the Four Seasons. This spot is very pretty, orchid petals covered the ground and we had lots of good laughs)

915. “Thank you. We really enjoyed the ceremony” – Darryn and Ashley from Chalmette, LA – 9/15/3 – 10 guests at the Palace Lawn at the Hilton Waikoloa Village (I love meeting people. The bride has danced for two different NFL teams. What a handsome couple, what a great family)

914. “We will never forget this” – Hans and Kathryn from Riverside, CA – 9/15/3 – Honokohau children’s beach (I hadn’t done a sunrise ceremony in a long time. I don’t know why more weddings aren’t done at sunrise. It was incredibly beautiful. They had the entire beach to themselves. After the ceremony we took the couple to our favorite snorkeling spot for an aloha kiss wedding adventure)

913. “Thank you” – Ale and Carola from San Diego, CA – 9/14/3 – Coconut Grove at the Fairmont Orchid (A few raindrops before the ceremony had everyone worried, but it stopped and we had a lovely sunset. This was my first wedding with Lauren, the new wedding coordinator at the Orchid)

912. “We’re glad you did the ceremony. It was lovely” – Tony and Catherine from Inverness, IL – 9/5/3 – 7 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (We were invited to the reception at the Imari Chinese restaurant. I ate jellyfish for the first time! Great wedding, great family, great reception)

911. “Thank you” – John and Julia from Lexington, KY – 8/31/3 – The Four Seasons Hualalai Wedding Tree (The hotel staff were concerned because a hurricane was passing to the south of the island during this ceremony. Even with a hurricane in the neighborhood, the weather and sunset were perfect for this ceremony.)

910. “Ted and I would like to thank you and your family so much for all your wonderful assistance and our Fabulous Wedding Ceremony and the surprise envelope we received from you after our Wedding. Not only that but your wonderful words were truly lovely and generous of you. It is really special knowing that it came from you. Your gift of merging Ted and I together, is highly appreciated and is a unique memory of our wedding. Also, just a note to let you know that the snorkeling trip we took during our honeymoon, was the highlight of our visit in Hawaii & provided both of us with memories we will cherish for a long time. Something else that has stayed with us is your reminder about righteousness, faithfulness, & love, keeps the sparkle of fire in our hearts. We were very happy that we exchanged leis. It made for a special moment in our ceremony.” – Ted and Alex from Carrollton, TX – 8/29/3 – 12 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (Ted proposed to Alex on his knee at the Sistine Chapel. Romantic couples with a flair for the dramatic get married on the Big Island!)

909. “That was the most perfect wedding ceremony ever” – RC and Shannon from San Clemente, CA – 8/20/3 – 60 guests at Living Stones Church

908. “This is the perfect day. Everything worked according to God’s plan. Coming to church this morning and being a part of your parent’s 50th anniversary made our wedding even more special. We loved your ceremony” – Jim and Shelley from Kent, WA – 8/17/3 – Anaeho’omalu Bay (I appreciated Jim and Shelley driving from Waikoloa to be with us in church the morning of their wedding. As I was performing the ceremony, it dawned on me; Shelley looks just like Princess Di!)

907. “I now understand why so many people chose you to perform their wedding” – Winston and Lucille from Kailua-Kona, HI – 50th anniversary ROV – 8/17/3 – 60 guests at the Kona Church of God (This was my parents’ 50th anniversary. Performing such a meaningful ceremony for my own parents was very special. I do so many weddings, yet I had never heard the story of my own parents’ wedding. My wife did a great job coordinating the wedding)

906. “Beautiful ceremony” – Damien and Laura from Redondo Beach, CA – 8/14/3 – 15 guests at Turtle Point at the Fairmont Orchid (Laura is a native of Uruguay. Because I speak Spanish, I switched to Spanish during the parts of the ceremony where she repeated after me)

905. “Thanks for a great ceremony” – Don and Rose from Balboa Island, CA – 8/3/3 – 160 guests at the Palace Lawn Hilton Waikoloa Village (I teamed up with Don’s good friend, Father Al, who is a Catholic priest, to perform this ceremony. What a wonderful reception at the Water’s Edge.)

904. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world” – Todd and Elizabeth from Columbia, MD – 8th anniversary surprise ROV – 8/2/3 – Holoholokai Beach Park (I am definitely noticing an increase in surprise renewal of vows ceremonies. The couple pulled up in a limo. As Elizabeth emerged from the limo, I greeted her and asked her if she knew what was going on. She replied, “I don’t have a clue.” The intensity of emotion and romance made this a very special ceremony.)

903. “Excellent ceremony” – Damon and Jennifer from Iowa City, Iowa – 8/2/3 – 15 guests at the Palace Lawn Hilton Waikoloa Village

902. “You did a great job, Gracias!” – John and Mixy from Naples, FL – 8/1/3 – Anaeho’omalu Bay

901. “Thank you” – Robert and Heather from Lafayette, CO – 7/30/3 – 11 guests at Turtle Point at The Fairmont Orchid (As Heather’s 8 year old daughter sang the “Wind Beneath My Wings” the wind picked up and began to gust. She was so cute; it was one of those classic wedding moments.)

900. “Thanks” – Robert and Tamala from Oil City, PN – 7/28/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (Robert and Tamala began dating exactly 5 years ago – an aloha kiss wedding an anniversary all in one!)

899. “Hi Mr. Elliott~ I have just recently run across our wedding paperwork and realized I have never emailed you to tell you what a wonderful job you did as our pastor on 7/27/3. All of our friends and family still talk about what a great job you did and how friendly you were. They said you were so comforting that it seemed like you had known Sean and I for years! I just wanted to say thank you and let you know you truly made our wedding much less stressful by being so calm and warm. Thank you.” – Sean and Andrea from Costa Mesa, CA – 7/27/3 – 50 guests at the Palace Lawn Hilton Waikoloa Village

898. “Thank you” – Ron and Mia from Valley Cottage, NY – 7/25/3 – 15 guests at the Palace Lawn Hilton Waikoloa Village

897. “We appreciate your ceremony. It was touching and meaningful.” – Stan and Roxanne from Hilo, HI – 7/20/3 – 30 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (I believe Stan was the happiest guy in the world at his wedding. And what a great reception with great music and great games! Us Big Island guys know how fo’ celebrate…)

896. “Thanks for a lovely ceremony” – Scott and Kristi from Philadelphia, PN – 7/19/3 – 150 guests at the Palace Lawn Hilton Waikoloa Village (Great rehearsal dinner at Roy’s, great wedding and a great reception at Water’s Edge ballroom. I gained at least 10 pounds at the rehearsal dinner and reception)

895. “Aloha! I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. Robert and I are finally settling down after our wedding. We both want to thank you for being a part of our wedding. The ceremony you performed was just beautiful. You touched on important areas that meant a lot to us – the importance of the marriage covenants and having God as our center force. Many of our family members were pleased with how the ceremony turned out. We have enclosed a few photographs from the wedding. We hope you enjoy them. Thank you again for a memorable ceremony. We hope to return to Hawaii next year” – Rob and Zenia from Daly City, CA – 7/19/3 – 30 guests at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (Prior to the ceremony, Zenia sent me the most wonderful e-mail explaining who they are as a couple, how they met etc. Her observations helped me to feel so much more connected with them and their guests)

894. “You saved our wedding by helping us get everything together. We had a beautiful spot and a fantastic ceremony. It was perfect.” – Ronnie and Sarah from Flower Mound, TX – 7/17/3 – Honokohau children’s beach (This was my first wedding at this location. It has been a favorite beach for our family since we moved to Hawaii. It is picturesque and intimate. I don’t know why more weddings aren’t done here)

893. “Thanks for a great ceremony. We feel this was our ceremony. The other one in the mainland was for the family.” – Matt and Kathryn from Plano, TX – 7/12/3 – Anaeho’omalu Bay (Matt and Kathryn were married 2 days earlier in Texas, but they wanted an intimate aloha kiss ceremony on the beach.)

892. “That was beautiful!” – Mike and Yolanda from Norwalk, CA – 7/2/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

891. “Thank you” – David and Kim from Indianapolis, IN – 6/30/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

890. “Thank you” – Junya and Yuka from Japan – 6/28/3 – Living Stones Church

889. “You did great! – Bryce and Trish from La Crescenta, CA – 6/21/3 – Coconut Grove at the Fairmont Orchid

888. “Extraordinary – that was the most amazing ceremony” – Ciaran and Sheena from Yarmouth, ME – 6/16/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (Ciaran’s childhood friend flew all the way from Dublin, Ireland to be the best man. His words for the toast were so moving)

887. “Everything was lovely” – Michael and Christine from Honolulu, HI – 6/14/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

886. “So much was going on at our wedding 10 years ago, it was all a blur. This was so meaningful” – Daniel and Angela from Vestavia, GA – 6/12/3 – 10th anniversary Renewal of Vows – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

885. “We wanted to say thank you so very much for making our wedding day so memorable. For not knowing us very well, it felt as though we had been friends for years. You personalized the service so incredibly and we will cherish the memories you helped to create. We will take your advice and do our best to uphold the covenant we swore to. We hope to see you next year, and possibly be the one to renew our vows!! Mahalo and Aloha” – Benner and Kacie from Richardson, TX – 6/9/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (Kacie’s dad gave the most wonderful speech I’ve ever heard a dad give while giving away the bride)

884. “We still talk daily with each other and friends about our wonderful wedding aboard the Maile. I still reflect on all the worry and stress I needlessly suffered as the minister, photographer, boat crew, flowers, decorations, wedding clothes, and rental house plans I so carefully crafted were changed beyond my control at the last minute. Looking back, I can now clearly see God’s loving hand making those changes in order to provide Sheila and I the most perfect wedding day we could ever imagine. Sheila and I are most thankful that God led us to you. You were by far the single most important part of God’s plan for our wedding. Coming from the mainland, we certainly had some apprehension about marrying among strangers. We cannot fully express our gratitude for the way in which you bonded with us in such a short time. Although we had only just met, you developed a friendship with Sheila and I that made our wedding special. Your ceremony was so much more than just words. It seemed as though you wrote it just for the two of us. And you calmly handled all the little changes without any sign of irritation or complaint. The fact that you didn’t fall overboard was good too. Sheila and I will always remember you and your family with fondness and hope to see you again when we visit the island. We will definitely send anyone getting married there directly to you. May God continue to bless you and your wonderful family.  Aloha.” – Tyler and Sheila from University Place, WA – 6/1/3 – The sailboat Maile (I’ve only done one other sailboat wedding. They are truly something special. The water was like glass. The crew really went the extra mile to make everything perfect.)

883. “We’ll be back” – Mike and Noy from Middleton, NJ – 5/30/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village – The Point

882. “The ceremony was absolutely delightful” – Mark and Peggy from Signal Hill, CA – 5/29/3 – Turtle Point at the Fairmont Orchid (Mark and Peggy visited church on Sunday morning. Peggy is a recording artist. She performed an original composition for the congregation. Thanks Peggy!)

881. “Thank you so much” – Jeff and Aimee from Dallas, TX – 5/28/3 – Anaeho’omalu Bay (Aimee emailed with the news that she is pregnant with twins! She is due December 2003)

880. “Thank you for being part of our wedding and doing such a great job on our service, much aloha” – Max and Melissa from Kailua-Kona, HI – 5/24/3 – Living Stones Church

879. “Thank God we found you” – Judd and Chris from Anthem, AZ – 5/23/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (This couple said their own vows. He had written an amazing poem, then she just spoke from her heart going all the way back to when they met at church camp when they were 10 years old and held hands. Of course, everyone cried.)

878. “You did a good job. Thank you.” – Elmer and Hermogina from Okemos, MI – 5/18/3 – 25th anniversary Renewal of Vows – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

877. “Bandel and I can’t express our thanks to you enough for making our ceremony so wonderfully romantic. We truly feel that you made a tremendous difference in the wedding experience for us and our guests. Aside from the problems I had with my veil, the Ceremony was absolutely perfect! You spoke in such a way that was delicate and soothing, yet bold at the same time. The content regarding the covenants and reading from Corinthians gave it the religious grounding we felt essential to symbolize the meaning of marriage. However, it was expressed in such a way that deeply touched us and our Guests. Further, your kindness in doing a second run with us that Tuesday was so unbelievably gracious. We couldn’t have asked for a more precious Ceremony or a nicer person to marry us. Thank you again for making our wedding magical” – Bandel and Paula from Los Altos, CA – 5/17/3 – Kikaua Point Park at Kukio (This was an exquisite celebration. The attention to detail, beauty, and scale of this wedding made it truly unique.)

876. Greg and Jill from Princeton, NJ – 5/15/3 – The Four Seasons Hualalai Wedding Tree

875. “It is incredible 2 weeks have already passed since our wedding at Kona, Hawaii. We are very much impressed by the nature of the Big Island: Waipio Valley camping, Mauna Kea stargazing, snorkeling, and all the rest. We would like to express our gratitude toward you and Maile for conducting such a wonderful wedding. Thank you so much.” – Kyosuke and Nozomi from Tokyo – 5/7/3 – Kona Church of God

874. “Very meaningful” – Derrik and Jessica from Anderson, SC – 4/30/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (Derrik and Jessica had a large mainland wedding just a few days before, they wanted to have an intimate ceremony just for the 2 of them. I got the feeling that they had more fun at their aloha kiss ceremony than the big one!)

873. “Great” – Doug and Michelle from Rogers, MN – 4/29/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

872. “I would like to say a big MAHALO for the sensational ceremony you performed for myself and Mark. Words can not express how we feel about you, Keith, we feel as if we have known you all our life! You are a very special man with very special qualities in making couples feel as special as you. Mahalo for a great letter you sent us, in Australia ministers would not think of sending us a letter, for us that was the icing on our cake. Also mahalo for our vows which will be included in our wedding album. Your kind words in your ceremony and letter will stay with us for ever. You have changed us Keith, into a more loving and understanding couple. You will always be in our thoughts and prayers. Blessings to you and your Family.” – Mark and Athina from Buderim, Queensland, Australia – 4/23/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

871. “It seems so hard to believe that our vacation in Hawaii has come and gone – yet we will always have and treasure the memories from our renewal of vows ceremony that you performed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Hotel. Thank you again for making this such a special occasion for all of us. It is not too often that children can experience a celebration as this and the way you included our three children was beautiful. We have just received our pictures from the ceremony and they came out wonderful.” – Paul and Michele from Andover, MA – 4/21/3 – 20th anniversary Renewal of Vows – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

870. Greg and Misty from Milwaukie, OR – 4/20/3 (Easter) – Kona Bali Kai

869. “I love the words you chose – not too Hawaiian, not too religious – it was just the right balance” – Dan and Suzy from Portland, Or – 4/18/3 – Anaeho’omalu Bay

868. “Great weather, relaxed atmosphere…” – James and Atsuko from Sicklerville, NJ – 4/13/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

867. “Thank you” – Iori and Reiko from Tokyo – 4/10/3 – Living Stones Church

866. “Thank you for taking such good care of us at our wedding.” – Masahiro and Shinobu from Naru, Japan – 4/10/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel (It was raining at 7:30 AM as this couple were preparing for their 10:00 AM wedding. Even though their wedding was indoors, they were still worried. By the time I arrived at 9:30 AM, it was the most beautiful spring day imaginable. Not a cloud in the sky!)

865. “We really had a great wedding – thank to you” – Hidenori and Kazuko from Tokyo – 4/4/3 – Living Stones Church

864. “Thank you so much, it was wonderful” – William and Lynn from Blaine, WA – 4/1/3 – 25th anniversary Renewal of Vows at the Living Stones Church

863. We like your ceremony” – Dan and Cheryl from South Amboy, NJ – 3/17/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

862. “We liked it very much” – Dave and Angie from Helena, MT – 3/13/3 – Hapuna Beach (Angie had been planning a big wedding at home such January, like most brides, it got so complicated, she decided to simplify and get married in Hawaii. This was the first wedding I performed at this spot. What a beautiful sunset!)

861. “Thank you very much for your wonderful ceremony. You did a fantastic job! May God be with you always.” – Kevin and Collette from Las Vegas – 3/11/3 – Renewal of Vows at the Four Seasons Hualalai Palm Grove (This was my first ceremony at this particular spot. I really like it. The guys were all dressed in tuxes, shorts and sandals – island style)

860. “Thanks for a great ceremony” – Monte and Kathy from Ocean Views, HI – 3/8/3 – Na’alehu Rodeo Arena (Monte and Kathy rose into the wedding on horseback. Monte dismounted, walked to Kathy and gave her a bouquet of roses. It was a great cowboy wedding.)

859. “We just returned from our honeymoon and wanted to express our appreciation for your and Maile’s efforts at our wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a truly wonderful experience. Thank you both for making our special day exceptional. Aloha.” – Bill and Sharyn from Kailua-Kona, HI – 3/7/3 – Living Stones Church

858. “It was wonderful.” – James and Laura from Stone Mountain, GA – 3/3/3 – The Four Seasons Hualalai Wedding Tree

857. “I just wanted to take a minute to say ‘Thank you’. We were both really happy to have a chance to talk to you before the wedding and to get to know you a little bit. And we absolutely loved the way the ceremony turned out. We couldn’t have asked for anything more. We feel truly blessed to have been able to get married in Hawaii and have it all turn out so well.” – Bryan and Vicki from Spokane, WA 3/1/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

856. Shinji and Tomomi form Saitama, Japan – 2/17/3 – Living Stones Church

855. “Thanks for a wonderful and different wedding ceremony.” – James and Sylvia from Dallas, TX – 2/8/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Palace Garden

854. “Thank you for such a nice wedding” – Hiroyuki and Yukiko – 2/8/3 – Living Stones Church – Hyogo Prefecture – (Yukiko was married on her birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to her)

853. “Arigato gozai mas” – Tsutomu and Shinobu from Gunman Prefecture, Japan – 2/7/3 – Hilton Waikoloa Village Wedding Chapel

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