Sefa & Victoria with Eveni Pacific - Kona, Hawaii
The Basics:
Names: Victoria & Sefa Mikaele
Where are you from: Victoria is from Hawai’i and Sefa is from NZ.
Wedding location: Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i
The Love Story:
How did you meet? (as told by Sefa)
How did you meet? (as told by Sefa)
Victoria was traveling around NZ with a performance group and their last stop was at Kelston Intermediate where I work. She noticed me right away, and kept bothering her friend about me. Her friend reached out to my friend to get the down-low.. Eventually the connection was made.
I messaged Victoria and we talked for bout 2 months before I went to visit her in Hawai’i where I met her parents and her BIG family. My first day in Hawai’i I asked her parents to officially date Victoria, then the 2nd week I asked to marry her! Everything happened so fast, but it’s true when they say “when you know, you know”.
How did he propose (as told by Victoria):
I thought the proposal was going to happen in NZ when I went to visit. I’d always wanted it to happen at home in front of family and friends, but I knew things may not work out that way. Little did I know Sefa had been keeping a secret for months. With the help of my parents he had been planning to fly to Hawai’i and propose to me at work! I worked at the Island Breeze Lū’au as a vocalist. The plan was in place and just at the time of the show when they ask all the couples to dance, my dad, the emcee, began to introduce a young man who had come to ask an important question. Sefa appeared from the back of the audience singing a song he wrote for me. And in front of my family and 300+ strangers he proposed and I said YES! A fun fact is that this was the same place and time of the show that my dad proposed to my mom.
The Planning:
How did you decide on your Eveni shirts (as told by Sefa):
How did you decide on your Eveni shirts (as told by Sefa):
When I was young I always thought I’d wear a tuxedo when I got married. But when I thought about the weather in Hawai’i I knew something more cultural would be appropriate to wear. I thought about it more and felt this also represented me and my love for my culture. We decided to go with the ie faitaga and a shirt. We chose Eveni because we felt it was the best fit for me and my groomsmen and a great representation of our culture.
Most stressful part of planning:
The distance! Because we lived in different countries for most of the planning it was hard to plan certain parts of the wedding. But Victoria had a lot of help from her mom and family, so that relieved a lot of stress.
Any wedding prep advice:
Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to ask those around you to help because most of the time they want to help. And also, plan plan plan! Have a point person or someone you can bounce ideas off of and make time to meet with them to make sure you don’t miss big and small elements of your special day.
The Big Day:
Describe your Wedding look in 3 words:
Describe your Wedding look in 3 words:
- Winery
- Rustic
- Simple
- Rustic
- Simple
Funniest part of the day:
Our vows were pretty funny! We love to laugh so we couldn’t make it too serious.
Bride walked down the aisle to...
”Can’t help falling in love” Kina Granis cover
Any Tears?
Yes! From us and almost everyone there!
Any last advice or words of wisdom?
Take it all in! That’s advice we heard from almost everyone and it’s probably the best advice. It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of the day. But take time before you even start getting ready to just be alone and count your blessings, then let it all go! Don’t worry about anything going wrong just let the beauty of the day unfold.
Credits:
Groom Wore: Eveni Pacific - Classic White-on-White & Beige Ie Faitaga
Bride Wore: David’s Bridal
Groomsmen: Eveni Pacific
Photographer: Rebecca Lee Photography @rybeccaleephotography
Venue: Calvary Community Church Kona & Courtyard Marriot King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel
Hair: Brooke Akau @hairbybrookehawaii
Make-up: Nicole Adona