Backtracking: Part 3 - Feeding & Entertaining This Crowd

Remember how I said that God was an integral part of my planning. Who knew that part of His plan for our special day started more than 2 years ago? Flashback to Halloween 2006... To when Chuck first met our awesome caterer, Kamalu.

Chuck was driving down the road and was actually on his phone at the time. If you've ever seen Chuck's truck, you'll know that it's pretty hard to miss. He drives a huge F-150 that has a lot of fire and island stickers on it and at this time, he had a huge Dakine sticker with the Hawaiian islands on the back of his truck gate.

So Chuck's on his phone and he just so happens to be at a stop light. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees 2 guys next to him in a big pickup truck, too trying to get his attention. He turns to see 2 Hawaiian guys smiling and giving him the shaka, to which he tells whoever he was talking to that he'll have to call them back.

So he rolls down his window and is greeted with: "Eh, brah! Pull over!" So the light turned green and both Chuck and the other two guys pull over into a nearby church parking lot.

Chuck was warmly greeted by Kamalu--like they had been friends for the longest and not just meeting. Apparently Kamalu saw all of Chuck's fire stickers and the big Dakine sticker on his truck and decided to say hello! Chuck thought that it was weird at first, but he thought that this would actually be normal had they been in Hawaii. It's just the embodiment of the Aloha spirit.

So they got to talking and Kamalu invited us to his house that night. He was having people over for a cookout. That night we went over and everyone there was just as nice as Kamalu. Warm and inviting, like we were family. Which, in any island culture--even Filipinos--is not uncommon.

Kamalu and Chuck have also bonded over their professions--he works for Orlando Fire Dept. So ever since this fateful Halloween, Chuck and Kamalu have kept in touch.

Fastforward to January of this year. We attended a fundraiser luau that Kamalu was a part of through a company called Island Vision Productions. It was awesome to see the spirit of Aloha alive and well here. That so many people cared enough for one lady's dying wish. It's the kind of stuff that just brings a tear to your eye... So ever since this fundraiser, I knew that I wanted a luau.

Fastforward to our planning days. Chuck decided to ask Kamalu to help us out with the catering and entertainment and boy, did he ever! He was so generous and accommodating to us! And our wedding was even better than I imagined!!

Take a look!

Yummy! Pic courtesy of my MOH, Minh-Thi.
Me stuffing my face. Captured by my lovely MOH, too.

These next four pics were taken by my new cousin, Lori.




Gotta love audience participation! Photo by BM Morgan.
Everyone has complimented us about how entertaining and fun our wedding was. I couldn't have done it without God... Because without Him, Chuck and Kamalu's paths wouldn't have crossed and we wouldn't have had the opportunity of having Kamalu as our friend.

Next up... Who's gonna marry us?