“I picked Courtney and her friends up from the airport when they were visiting New York,” says Noel of his first time meeting his future bride, “but I had a crush on her before that when I saw her picture on Gmail. A few days into the trip, she held my hand in a bowling alley. I kept thinking about her after that trip and things went from there.” Throughout the next year, the pair exchanged hundreds of emails, texts and phone calls, as they tried to get to know each other from afar.
After a year of dating from a distance and traveling on long flights for short weekend visits, Noel finally made the move to the West Coast, and the couple started to discuss wedding plans more seriously. “Everything was sort of backwards,” the groom recalls. “We picked a date and venue first. A few months later, I asked her father for her hand in marriage. A few months after that, I proposed to her in our living room before going out for dinner. I chose a ring that she saw and liked at a nearby jewelry store a few months before the proposal.”
From the start, Courtney and Noel agreed it was most important that the wedding “feel” like them. “For me, that meant taking on a lot of DIY projects and including many of our talented family and friends,” says Courtney. She admits getting swept up in the moment and making an impulsive wedding dress purchase early on. “A few months later, I saw a dress online by Dreamers and Lovers that couldn’t be more different from the first and knew that it was the one. I loved the silhouette and the comfort, but most of all, I loved the idea of supporting an independent designer and woman of color.”
Despite a cold, wintry day, the couple honored Noel’s desire to exchange vows in the fresh outdoors. “Our family and friends braved the cold with us, and together with our siblings by our sides, we exchanged vows in between loving glances and lots of giggles,” says the bride.
Thankfully, the reception was only a few steps away—and indoors—a beautiful barn with a wall of French doors and a heated floor. “It was magical entering the space hand-in-hand with all of the candles, long rows of tables, and DIY floral arrangements,” she recalls.
Courtney is part Native Hawaiian, so the hula is a huge part of her life and identity as an indigenous person. “In our culture, it’s customary for a bride to offer the groom a hula as a gift,” she says. “I chose the song, ‘Ho’onanea,’ which was a favorite of my grandmother’s and tells of trembling with anticipation to get lost in the arms of your lover. It was so surreal to dance for my husband on our wedding day, and for that moment everyone and everything else seemed to melt away.”
—Darren Elms
First Dance Song
"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star
Father/Daughter Dance Song
"Always and Forever" by Heatwave
Mother/Son Dance Song
"I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder
Last Dance Song
"Dancing In the Moonlight" by King Harvest
Details about the cake
Birthday Cake (in the style of Christina Tosi, Milk Bar)
Details about the flowers
Bouquets, boutonnieres, some décor: various types of fern, peony, wax flower, orchid, dusty miller, blue thistle
Lei for Parents, Bride, and Groom: Cigar flower, orchid, maile, crown flower
Lei for special guests and vendors: Ti leaf, orchid
Lei po’o (flower crown) for Bride: Anemone, olive leaf, wax flower, hellebore
Details about the favors
Kraft Notebooks from Dang Bat Industries, stamped with logo (design by Bride, stamp by Re:Marks), with guest names (calligraphy by Bride)
Anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
We are so blessed with a community of talented creatives, artists, and makers. So many of our family and friends offered their services in creating the wedding of our dreams, from all the beautiful flower design and our wedding cake to performances. The entire day, every detail, truly felt like a celebration of our love, our life together, and those that support us.
I’m part Native Hawaiian, and hula is a huge part of my life and identity as an indigenous person. In our culture, it’s customary for a bride to offer the groom a hula as a gift. I chose the song, “Ho’onanea,” which was a favorite of my grandmother. It tells of trembling with anticipation to get lost in the arms of your lover.
Hula by Bride, presented to Groom – “Ho’onanea” by Lena Machado, sung by Kawika Alfiche and Chadwick Pang (Friends of Bride), Halau o Keikiali’i, (415)531-7285, facebook.com/keikialiihiwahiwa
Also true to tradition, my hula sisters presented us with two hula that speak to an enduring love that matures over time until it is just enough to be in each other’s presence.
Hula by Friends, presented to Bride and Groom – “Ei Nei” by Lena Machado and “Ho’i Hou Mai by Kawika Alfiche, “Ho’onanea” by Lena Machado, sung by Kawika Alfiche and Chadwick Pang (Friends of Bride), Halau o Keikiali’i, (415)531-7285, facebook.com/keikialiihiwahiwa
Noel: Courtney is very connected with her ancestral cultures which is one of the many things I admire about her. For the wedding, I didn’t have too many culturally-specific additions except for Catholic customs. So it made me very happy and proud that my father and uncle wore Barong-Tagalogs (Filipino formal attire) which helped to represent my Filipino culture.
Our guests represented a wide-range of generations and backgrounds. They all seemed to enjoy the venue and various vendors that came together to create our celebration. Everyone had an especially great time on the dance floor. Dj Boogie Brown took little direction and nailed it!
Any tips you’d give brides and grooms planning their wedding today?
Court – No matter how many times you may hear otherwise, the wedding is not all about the bride. Encourage your partner to share their ideas and include them in the planning process. Noel is much more traditional than me and had specific ideas for the ceremony and reception. This gave us direction but still allowed me to share in his vision while adding touches of my own. Working together to make it happen made the day so much more special because every detail was a direct reflection of both of us. Although I took on a dominant role as primary planner, Noel always offered ideas and shared his opinion. He also helped by acting as the voice of reason, taking on more responsibility around the house, and facilitating all the work that comes after the wedding like the sorting of gifts and décor.
Noel – Do something wedding-related everyday, big or small. There were periods throughout the prep phase where we both didn’t do anything. Now I look back and think how useful that time would have been.