BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN ADVENTURE HELICOPTER WEDDING

I’ve planned over 10,000 weddings in my life (honestly, I stopped counting after I hit that number 10 years ago) and zero of them, could be considered an adventure wedding.  Well, that changed this year, when I got a call from Mark and Jen, and they asked me if I could step outside the box, and plan an adventure wedding for them.   Of course, I couldn’t say no.  As soon as I talked on the phone with Mark and Jen, we hit it off.  Our chemistry was on point!  We were like-minded to the T!  And let me tell ya people, chemistry is the primary ingredient you need between you and your wedding planner!

Mark wanted to do something extraordinary.  His ambitions – to take a helicopter to the bottom of a waterfall, and to exchange vows there.   Now, I knew there were helicopter companies on the outer islands that did this, but on Oahu, where I do 99% of my weddings, we didn’t have any waterfalls that were helicopter accessible.   And the really cool waterfalls, such as Sacred Falls, were off-limits to hikers, primarily beacuse landslides had killed many tourists there. Waterfalls may sound cool, but they are extremely susceptible to rockfalls.  It’s best not to be at the bottom of them.   So, knowing this, I forwarded Jen the websites to the helicopter companies on the outer islands, and thought I wouldn’t hear from them again.

But the next day passed, Mark and Jen called, and said, “You’re our guy!”   They really wanted to work with me, and they were willing to compromise.  They told me they wanted.  A helicopter was at the top of their list.  They wanted to fly to their location, tie the knot, take some awesome photos, and have the best day of their lives.

I thought to myself, Oh great, no pressure there.  They just want me to plan the best day of their lives.  Haha – But I can do that.

Luckily, three months before Mark and Jen contacted me, I ran into Steve Kaplan, the owner of Trident Adventures, at an expo here on Oahu.   Steve is a Navy Seal, and he created an adventure company for tourists, that evolved around his special skillsets: scuba, skydiving, shooting, and helocasting (which is the skill practiced by special forces to insert themselves into a body of water, by jumping out of a helicopter)  His company is the only one in the world, that shares this SEAL experience with the public.  And they are the only company in the world that is certified to do so.   Steve and I hit off real quick (same first names), and we started to figure out ways our company could work together.

WANNA WATCH THEIR WEDDING VIDEO?
Password: jump

Before Mark and Jen had contacted me, Steve told me that he wanted to do something with weddings, but he wasn’t sure what it was.   Well, you know what happens when you put things out in the universe, right?  It happens.   Because of Steve, I had access to a helicopter, and something even more I didn’t know.  See, Steve wasn’t just a Navy Seal, and owner of Trident Adventures, he was also an ordained minister, and a real man of God.   That meant Steve could not only supply the helicopter to me, but he could also perform the ceremony as well!  I shared the news with Mark and Jen, and they were stoked.  They couldn’t believe that they were going to get married by a Navy Seal!

On the way to the choppa!

Steve had tons of cameras mounted on heli, and got great angles for the video edit

So, we had the chopper, we had the minister, and I knew what they wanted for their package.  But we couldn’t figure out where to land.   Steve and his pilot, Dave, suggested we land high on the Ko’olau mountains.  I forwarded Jen a picture of how high we would be, and as soon as she saw that we would be 3,000 feet up, and inches away from death, she said,”No way!”  Steve and his pilot searched for locations, then finally found a landowner who would allow us to set the chopper down on their property, and to do a wedding there.   It was still rather high above the ocean, about 500 feet or so, and it was on a cliff.   You would still die if you fell off, but this height passed the test for Jen.  It wasn’t dizzy heights.  We quickly got the green light from Mark and Jenn, booked the property, Steve filed the flight plan, and we were ready to rock-n-roll.

And the adventure began…

Right after landing!

Steve marrying Mark and Jenn, above the famous Waimea Beach

The ceremony for Mark and Jen was a Christian ceremony like I never heard before.  Steve took 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, and changed it into vows.   That’s a first.  Mark and Jen eloped.  And like all elopements, there weren’t any guests.   There were no arches to block the beautiful scenery.  Jenn just wanted a tropical bouquet, her hair and make-up done, and great pictures.  Lexi, my usual make-up artist was busy, so I booked Dorys Foltin, a professional make-up artist who I worked with for decades.  Lexi and Dorys are both at the top of their game, if you’re wondering.

And Mark’s ring goes on

A few hundred-plus feet above Waimea Bay

If you’re wondering, I didn’t ride in the helicopter with Mark and Jen.   In the chopper were Dave (the pilot), Steve, Mark, and Jen.   There was room for me, but I didn’t want to appear in all of the video footage.   So, I drove up to the wedding location.  Driving there was actually way more dangerous than taking the helicopter ride there.   I had to navigate along the cliff, off-road, in my cousin’s small Toyota Corolla.   I swear, I’m never doing that again in that car.

After the wedding, we roamed the property for photo opportunities, then took a handful of snaps around the helicopter.  We spent about an hour or so on the ridgeline taking pictures.  Then, Dave, Steve, Mark, and Jen took off.   Dave took them on a tour of the North and West Shores of Oahu before returning back to the landing pad.  In the meantime, I drove to Magic Island, in town, and planned to them there at sunset, to continue picture taking.

Yes, Jen’s got legs, and she knows how to use them!

Magic at Magic Island

Before Mark and Jen arrived at Magic Island, I had them dropped off back at their hotel to freshen up.  This was actually by design, as it allowed me time to fight the traffic to get back into town, and also it provided a moment for Jen to fix her make-up.    Once we reconvened at Magic Island, we were off to the races.   The first thing on the agenda was to cut the cake!   After that, we hit all the great locations around Magic Island to get great photos.   And of course, we had to get sunset photos.

After we took the last shot, I got Mark and Jen to Michele’s, the most romantic restaurant in Hawaii.    The day before, I called Michele’s to confirm the reservation I had made them.  I told the manager there that they were getting married, and asked, “Is there anything special you could do for them?”  They told me for $35, they could arrange flowers for them, put out some candles, and give them the best seat in the house to see the fireworks.   I said, “Deal.”  I actually paid for this out of my pocket, and didn’t charge Mark and Jen.  It was my tiny gift to them.

I actually ate at Michels before.   It’s not a cheap ticket to eat there.   You’ll drop a few hundred dollars, easily.   But, by far, it is the most romantic restaurant in Hawaii.  Book it for your wedding if possible.

So you’re probably thinking, their adventure wedding was over, right?  Nope.   Far from it.   The next day, they had a helocast jump planned with Trident Adventures.  And the plan was to jump into the ocean, and scuba dive, in their wedding attire.   And they basically did just that!

Do they look a little nervous? They’re about to jump out of a perfectly working helicopter

Steve actually gave Jen a little shove, a little help, to get her out of the chopper

Once you jump out of the helicopter, a team of trained divers pulls you to safety, and quickly takes you to their boat.  From there, you change into your scuba gear, and Navy Seal Steve takes you scuba diving, as though you’re in the special ops.   You get to use these underwater machines that propel you through the ocean at a nice clip.  It’s awesome.

How much did this all cost?  Well, I tried to save them money wherever I could. My father actually played uber-driver to Mark and Jen, on their wedding day, while they were in town.  After Magic Island, I was their driver.  At first, Mark and Jen wanted to hire a limo driver to do all of this, but I told them that they would spend thousands of dollars on a limo, that would just wait for hours while they were on the chopper, wait for hours while they were at Magic Island, and wait for hours while they were at Michels.  Because my father drove them around in our company van,  Mark and Jen saved a couple of thousand dollars, which made it possible for them to do a helocast the next day.   I’m not going to disclose how much they spent on their wedding, but it was a lot cheaper than if they had planned a gala wedding back home.  But, it was probably the most any of my couples spent on an elopement.  This was a lot more difficult than planning any gala wedding.  There were so many moving parts that had to be timed perfectly.  If you’re wondering, It was the helicopter that cost a lot, not the ceremony, or the pictures.

Is an adventure wedding for you?  It could be.  Just know, it’s not cheap, but it’s still way cheaper than spending 12-75k, on catering.

Did I succeed?  Well, Mark and Jen did tell me before they left Hawaii, “It was the best day of our lives.”

More pictures and videos to come, by the way.  I’m still working on their stuff.

If you want an adventure wedding, just contact me through the form below.  After planning Mark and Jen’s wedding, as long as it’s legal, and my couple has the budget, I can plan anything.

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Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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GETTING MARRIED IN HAWAII IN 2022

Time really flies, doesn’t it?  Well, it didn’t fly during the pandemic, but now that we’re getting back to normal, this year sure is whizzing by.   My last article was in January, and I thought I’d better write something – so, everyone would know I’m still alive and kicking.  So, here’s a quick update on what’s been happening in Hawaii since the beginning of the year.

TOURISM IS RETURNING TO NORMAL LEVELS

Japan has opened up, somewhat, so we’re starting to see more Japanese tourists in Waikiki.  Not so much like before, but they are slowly trickling in.   We are getting tons of tourists from mainland USA, which is great.  We need tourism as that’s the way most locals, including myself, make our money.  There’s been some crap on the internet about locals not wanting tourists.  That’s all 1000% bullshit.  These memes were created by woke high schoolers, who by the way are unemployed, and then shared by idiotic anti-tourism activists, who are ironically employed by the tourism industry.  I promise you, that when you come to Hawaii, you will not experience any anti-tourism sentiment.   We are still the land of Aloha, which is our version of Southern Hospitality.

NO WEDDINGS OR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY ON WAIMANALO AND SHERWOODS BEACH

A rather large wedding company, which I will not name, but sounds like Clemmings Shove Hawaii, ruined it for all wedding companies.  Instead of performing small weddings on the beach that didn’t disturb the residents there, this greedy company decided to set up an archway with chairs, on Waimanalo Beach, every single day of the year.  They perform conveyor belt beach weddings from morning to sunset, and well that was just uncool.   Local residents didn’t like it and finally got their wish to ban weddings, after years of petitioning.  I don’t blame them.  Who would want limos clogging up their streets, and a semi-permanent archway and chairs on a public beach 24-7, right?  If this company, Schlemmings Dove Hawaii, would have just been respectful, this beach wouldn’t be closed to weddings.  Now they are trying to do the same thing at Sandy Beach, and I have a feeling beach weddings will soon be off-limits there as well.  Don’t get married at Sandy’s, by the way,  it’s just way too windy.

Don’t worry!  You can still get married at other beaches that look the same!   And to be quite honest, Sherwoods and Waimanalo were never great beaches to get married at.  It was away too windy, and way too crowded.  And the weather was “iffy.”  The only thing it had going for it was those turquoise blue waters, which as I mentioned, you can get at other beaches.

RESERVATIONS FOR RESTAURANTS AND ACTIVITIES ARE MUCH EASIER TO COME BY

I remember when we first opened, it took an act of god to get into a restaurant.  Now, not so much.  I would still reserve your restaurant on your wedding day, just to be on the safe side.  But it’s nothing like it was before.   At one time, Outback Steakhouse had a 1-month wait line.  Freaking Outback, are you kidding me!  Activities are also easier to reserve, except for Kualoa Ranch, for some reason.   And there are no longer, long lines to rent a car.  BUT, if you rent a car, I recommend doing it through TURO.  If you do go through TURO, pick your vendor wisely.  Many will drop off the car at your hotel!

COVID IS OUT THERE, BUT THE PANIC IS OVER

I actually got covid in May of 2022.  It made me fairly lazy, and the major side-effect for me was watching way too much Netflix.  I’m not sure where I got it from, possibly a wedding.   Long story short, this Omicron variant is less than a common cold.  It’s really not sending anyone to the hospital.   This variant was so contagious, that most of my friends ended up getting it, probably from me.  And most of the contractors who are working from my house got it, also probably from me.  Now that I’m thinking, writing this paragraph, I’m probably a super spreader.   Everyone who got covid, suffered massively from Netflix overload.  And, when I saw them again, all they could talk about was Stranger Things.  It was the worst.  For one week, everyone I bumped into could only talk about Eleven, Hawkins, Steve’s hair, and the Upside-Down.

No vax passes are needed anywhere here.  You don’t need to take the shots to get to Hawaii.   No mask.  It’s back to normal.

INFLATION IS A BITCH

As I write this on June 14th, 2022, gas here is $5.50 a gallon.  You can get gas at Sam’s Club 50 cents cheaper.  So, if you have Sam’s membership, use it.   Inflation is driving up the price of everything from leis, limos, to even the cost of ministry services.  I’ve had to raise the price of my bouquets, lies, and flowers.  I have yet to raise the price of my other services, but I’m going to have to, soon.  And trust me, I’m not trying to be greedy, I’m just trying to survive.  Gas may actually go up to $9 a gallon.   At that point, I swear, I may have to ride my bicycle to weddings!

Let’s go, Brandon!  That’s all I have to say about that.

LAST THOUGHTS

All joking aside, Covid is over, but it seems as though hyper-inflation may throw another curveball into your wedding plans.   Many of my wedding clients are saying, “F*ck it, let’s do this!”  Life still has to go on right?  We can’t let this idiotic President control our lives with fear and stupid decisions.  If you still want to get married in Hawaii, contact me, I’ll make it happen.

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Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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HAWAII WEDDINGS ARE A GO AGAIN

Covid is really on its way out.  I don’t care what Fauci and the so-called “experts” say.  When I see filled football stadiums, with people without masks, elbow to elbow, screaming, high-fiving each other, AND NO SPIKE IN COVID CASES, it’s enough circumstantial evidence to convince me that we’re on the backend of this pandemic.  So, what does that mean for your Hawaii wedding?  Well, to be honest, I wish I could sprinkle you with good news, unicorns, and marshmallows.   But the truth is, it’s not as good as it should be.  And, you can blame our Hawaii government for it.

As of now, November 22, 2021, weddings in Hawaii can happen with the following Catch-22’s:

• Everyone attending must be vaccinated, including kids and babies.
• Everyone must be masked, including the bride and groom, during the ceremony
• On Oahu, if you have more than 50 people attending, a mitigation plan must be submitted to the City and County, in case your wedding results in a super-spreader event
• Mingling is allowed, as long as you maintain a distance of six feet from each other

If you’re shaking your head, screaming, “That’s bullshit!” Well, you’re not alone.   I am too.  These rules don’t make any sense.  For example, if I plan a wedding on the beach, I’ll have to abide by all of these rules.  And, I’ll have to ask for your medical records, something which by law, I’m not entitled to.  Now, if I plan a barbecue, with the same guest, I don’t have to follow any of these mandates, and neither do you.  Apparently, according to the scientific nerds in our government, if two people say they love each other, wear fancy clothes, and do this in front of a minister, covid can spread more easily.  But if I throw a few hot dogs on the grill, covid suddenly disappears.

Where do I stand on these mandates?  Which are not laws, by the way.   Let’s just say that I’ll be planning more barbecues in the near future, I wanna be safe.  Covid spreads at weddings, not at barbecues.  And if people just show up at my bbq, maybe one dressed up in white, with a loved one who has rings, who wants to fall in love, I’ll just roll with it.

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Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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AIRBNB CRACKDOWN and SMACKDOWN

The State of Hawaii began cracking down on “illegal” vacation rentals this past week and many OWNERS are canceling their reservations.   There have been several clients of mine who had their reservations canceled and are scrambling to find places to stay.   But, they are not exactly in panic mode.

“…if you can’t fly by the seat of your pants under stress then a destanation wedding isn’t for you…”

–  one of my clients who got their reservations cancelled.

I have to agree with my client, but at the same time, the State of Hawaii is just stupid.  Like many governments, our politicians practice word magic.  I call it Sleight of Mouth, they literally say one thing, but they’re doing something else to fool you.

The state claimed that the move to make vacation rentals illegal was to improve the affordable rental market in Hawaii.   Let’s be clear here, living in Hawaii is expensive, and if you can’t land an average to good job here, you’re pretty much up the creek.   Just a quick search of craigslist, and you will find that there is no shortage of rentals in Hawaii.   In fact, in most subdivisions, where there are strict HOA’s and vacation rentals are already outlawed, you will find a plethora of rentals, some are very affordable.   NOT affordable is you only work at McDonald’s.

The crackdown happened because the hotel industry realized vacation rentals were cutting into their profits, and they lobbied out politicians to do something.

The question is if this measure will be upheld or challenged in the Supreme Court.   Right now, I’m not hearing anything.

So, what does this mean for you?   If you’re planning on coming to Hawaii, make sure to book a hotel, just to be on the safe side.  If you’re still booking in a vacation rental, make sure it’s a legal one.  How will you know if it’s legal?  That I can’t answer for you because the State has not figured that out either.  I also do not know how this will affect wedding venue sites.  As more information leaks out, I’ll make sure to keep you posted.   If you already are booked at a vacation rental, check with the owner to see what they will do.   Right now, property owners risk a daily fine of a couple of thousand dollars per day, if they are convicted of operating an “illegal” vacation rental.

By the way, I put “illegal” in quotes because most vacation rentals have been operating for decades without a problem.  They even paid a 12.5% hotel tax to the State, and were registered companies.  So our government knew about them for decades and did nothing.

Only now… only since the hotels started complaining and created a millennial victim trend that yelled “affordable housing!” in a crowded island did everything come crashing down.

UPDATE AUGUST 1, 2019

• It looks like lawsuits are already pouring in.  Vacation rentals in Waikiki are affected.
• the hotel industry said that it can handle around 8 million visitors a year.  Tourist estimates has the State bringing in 9 million a year.   Where that extra million will go now, nobody knows.
• Southwest Airlines who recently said they would advertise Hawaii as a destination is scratching their heads now.  If there are not enough places to stay in Hawaii, why advertise more routes?
• The argument that outlawing “illegal” vacation rentals would spur more affordable housing is not true.   Most homes that are vacation rentals are very expensive to rent out long term.  Most are multi-million dollar homes with big mortgages attached to them.
• Only 4000 of the 5000 listed vacation rentals in Hawaii still remain active on AirBnB
• It is rumored that neighbors are being encouraged to report “illegal” vacation rentals, but I can’t verify this.

UPDATE AUGUST 7, 2019

• The Vacation Rental law is having an unintended effect on hotel rentals that exist outside the designated resort areas of Oahu.   This means about half of the properties on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki are now considered illegal, possibly even a few hotels.   This also affects many condos on the Turtle Bay Resort property.
• Those who don’t own Vacation Rental Homes continue to get receive notices in the mail
• The Mayor has taken a hard-line stance against Vacation Rentals and has promised enforcement despite pending lawsuits
• This will drastically affect the housing market in Hawaii.  Many homes multi-million dollar beach homes have been vacation rentals for more than two decades. Now they will be empty.  Housekeepers, management companies, yard workers will soon be out of jobs on the North Shore as well.   This isn’t panning out too well.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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This is going to be a quick message!

I’m not going on vacation this summer.  I’ll be here.   So if you want to get married in Hawaii, on Oahu in particular, I can help you.

Last year, I traveled to parts of the mainland in early fall and I had no idea how humid it was!   Holy Cow!  I’m not sure how some of you people live in that type of humidity!   Missouri, Memphis, Oxford, my God, I was melting.   Here in Hawaii, we have high humidity, but our tradewinds really cool things down.   So that means, even though it may say it’s 85% humidity on the internet, it sure doesn’t feel like it.  Your 85% humidity is no joke!  It’s like walking in a cloud!  Here in Hawaii, it’s still nice and cool as long as the tradewinds are blowing, which is 99% of the time!

If you are getting married in Hawaii, I do still suggest a wedding that starts around 2 hours from sunset, and then ends with photography at sunset.  It’s cool, the pictures are better, and it’s cool… and it’s much cooler.  Oh did I mention it’s cooler?   Trust me on this, when you are wearing that wedding dress and it’s hot outside, it’s about 10 degrees hotter under your dress.

Travel may still be a bit expensive to get here.  So, if you want to get hitched in Hawaii during the summer, you better book fast. If not, there are the other times of the year.  If you want to book me just message me to make sure I’m on island.  I’m not sure if I’ll be traveling anywhere this year.   I may go down to Florida to check out some Star Wars stuff and watch Nick Foles play, still not sure.   But anyway, I’m just rambling now.

Okay peeps!  That’s the end of this post!

Here’s a quick gallery from one of my latest couples.   They are from Canada and crossed an ocean to get to warmer weather.

[srizonfbalbum id=101]

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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I guess you’ve heard in the news we have an active volcano in Hawaii and residents are running for their lives!  Well, that’s partially true, but most of it is just sensationalism brought to you by the mainstream media.

The raw full truth is that an active rift zone opened up in a high-risk volcanic zone, Lava Zone One, on The Big Island.  Around the 1990’s, developers were allowed to sell inexpensive properties in active volcanic sites, and residents from all over the world began building their lives there.   The new buyers were well aware that they were building on land that could erupt one day, but they truly never expected it would happen in their lifetime.  As luck would have it, a rift zone opened up in their backyard, literally.   Consequently, there were people who had to pack up and run for their lives at a moments notice.   There’s a huge government failure that is not being reported.  One, that residents were allowed to build their lives on an active volcanic side.  Two, why a residential area was built so close to a geothermal plant.  Lastly, three, if taxpayer dollars will be given to residents to rebuild back on an active lava zone (I hope not).

No one has died.  I believe around 37 homes have been destroyed.   The lava is not as much of a threat as the sulfur-dioxide that has reached toxic levels in that area.

The rest of the islands are 100% safe.   The only effects that we are getting from the volcano here on Oahu are slightly smoggy looking days and awesome blood-red sunsets!

99% of the Big Island is safe to travel too.

There is absolutely no danger to travel to the State of Hawaii.  That is, unless you want to jump hot a pit of lava.  And doing that would take some extreme effort because there are police barriers to cross.

What’s the moral of this blog?

That if you’re planning to vacation in Hawaii or to get married in Hawaii, you don’t have to fear the volcano.   If the Volcano National Park is closed, I wouldn’t think about island hopping to the Big Island.  But if it’s open, I’d definitely recommend hopping over to see Mother Nature at its most awesome.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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If you google “size of Honolulu” you’ll find that this Hawaiian city has a footprint of 68.42 square miles and a population of 374, 658 people.   68 miles, I have to admit, isn’t that large.   But what’s missing is a little asterisk of an unknown fact that the City and County of Honolulu’s jurisdiction encompass the entire island of Oahu, not just Honolulu.   The Mayor and City Council are responsible for the maintenance and safety of the entire island of Oahu.    Each of our small towns on Oahu does not have their own mayor, police, or fire department.   We are all under one roof.

Technically, the City and County of Honolulu is 597 square miles.  Just for your information, it’s quite common for cities to be made up of more than one county.   New York City is, for example, is not limited to Manhattan, but also Long Island counties, and Staten Island.

So where does that put Oahu next to the other major cities in the United States?

• Los Angeles is 503 square miles
• San Diego is 372.4 square miles
• New York City is 304 square miles
• Dallas is 385 square miles
• Houston is 627 square miles
• Nashville is 526 square miles
• Atlanta is 134 square miles
• Seattle is 83 square miles

How about other cities in the world?

• Toronto is 243 square miles
• Tokyo is 845 square miles!
• Singapore is only 278 square miles
• Cairo is 203.9 square miles
• London is 607 square miles
• Madrid is 233 square miles
• Paris is 40.7 square miles
• Seoul is 233.7 square miles

The great news is that, while having one of the larger cities in America, we are not as populated as the others.   There are only 1 million people living on Oahu.  Cities such as NYC, have 8.5 million people living in a small footprint – vertically.

On another note:

Like all major cities, we have a mayor and city council that are a bunch of dumbos; certified idiots would be a compliment, in my opinion.  They have no idea how to manage our island; let alone, have the creativity to solve problems.  We have an unfinished rail transit system that threatens to bankrupt our city.  An island-wide sewer system that is under constant repair.   An electrical grid and generator that is severely outdated.  And talk about the homeless problem, it’s pretty bad.  There are some crazy dudes walking our streets now.  Don’t get me started on traffic – it’s bad here during rush hour, some say the worst in the nation.  Don’t we sound like your city?  The problem with Honolulu is that we have a government that can’t figure out that we are a big city with big problems.  We have small minded politicians, pea brains, ruining paradise.

So, here are some other cool facts that you need to know about Honolulu.  Even though we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this little island tends to make waves that are heard around our country, not to mention the world.

• America’s Entry into World War II was started right here.  Who can forget Pearl Harbor?
• The only Royal Palace in the United States, the Iolani Palace, is found here.  It’s really cool.  You should check it out.

Let’s fast-forward to modern times:

• NCAA Football – Are you a fan of college ball?  Well, local quarterbacks have been all the buzz as of late.
  • McKenzie Milton – the quarterback for UCF, blew out the Auburn Tigers in the Peach Bowl
  • Jordan Taamu – the quarterback for Ole Miss, is the starting QB and looks to be very promising
  • Tua Tagovailoa – the quarterback of Alabama.  I’m pretty sure he’ll be starting.  But who can forget his performance at the National Championships?
• NFL Football
  • Marcus Mariota – the quarterback of the Tennessee Titans, seems to have a promising future (if he gets the right coach).   There are a lot more players in the NFL from Hawaii, but he’s the most notable.
• President Barack Obama – I’m not a fan of his.  But he was born and raised here.  Next, to the Clintons, he’s the star of the Democrat party, make no mistake.
• VeriFone – Ever heard of it?  That’s the credit card swiping machine!  That was invented here.  I bet that guy is enjoying life.
• Cell Phone Wireless Data  – That tech as invented here at our University and was called “Alohanet”  Pretty insane, huh
• Countless Movies are still filmed here on Oahu, most recently, Jumanji and Jurassic World.
• The Rock – Went to school here.  His family also wrestled here.
• Bruno Mars – He’s from Waikiki.  He’s the next Michael Jackson, isn’t he?
• Nicole Kidman – was born in Honolulu… really?  Just googled that
• Jason Mamoa – Aquaman, born right here.  Talk about an alpha male.
• Bette Midler – from Hawaii.  Is she still popular?
• Tetris Owner, Henk Rogers, is here in Honolulu – does anyone stll play that?
• Pierre Omidyar founder of Ebay, lives in Honolulu – Isn’t he named after bottled water?
• Doug Chin – not a fan, but he’s the attorney general who put a stop to President Trump’s travel ban, which was completely out of his jurisdiction.  He was so busy doing that, he failed to recognize that our Honolulu Police Cheif was committing federal crimes, and stealing millions from his family to support a lavish lifestyle.
• Oh, our Police Chief and lead Prosector (his wife) – are extremely corrupt, idicted by the FBI, and are most likely headed to Federal Prison.   I think that’s a 1st in the nation!
• We are also recognized for the BIGGEST BONEHEADED PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES – The worker who thought a military exercise was a real nuclear missile threat and issued a false warning to residents and tourist that an ICBM was headed for Oahu.  For 20 minutes, over 1 million people thought they were going to roast.    It was uncovered that this wasn’t the first time this worker thought we were under attack.  There were two other times!  And why didn’t he get fired then?  Well….who knows.   Yes, he’s America’s greatest idiot and he’s from Honolulu.

I can, of course, keep going down the list of what makes Oahu, notable.  But I think I’ve written enough.   Of course, all of this doesn’t matter.  What makes Oahu notable for most of my clients is that this is where they chose to start the second chapter in their life.   Yes, I’m talking about marriage!  And that’s what makes Hawaii special for them!

Talk to you all again soon :)

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Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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Does it sound too good to be true?  Yup.

Those packages are scams!   If you can get all of what I just mentioned for under $1000 per person, that’s pretty much a miracle, pretty much – impossible.  More so, if any company offers anything similar or close, it’s impossible.   If you see them, run.  Air prices rise and drop like bitcoin, restaurants prices around Oahu are never set or uniformed, alcohol is expensive; how can one company every offer to pay for everything?  It’s impossible.

Cruise ships can offer packages that offer everything because they control the entire economy when you’re out to sea.

With that being said, there are a lot of other scams out there that you need to be aware of.  Such as the wedding company that doesn’t show up, to the wedding company that doesn’t deliver on the quality that they advertise on the net (boy there’s a lot of them out there!)  The best way to swim through all the crap is by looking at a wedding company’s reviews and portfolio.   What you’re looking for is consistency.  Consistent good reviews, consistent good photos, consistent good videos, etc..etc..  If they are active on social media, that also helps.   That way you know they are alive and kicking.

Customer service is a biggie, of course.   Phone calls, emails, should be returned promptly.   If they are slow, there could be one or two reasons.  One, they are just busy.  Two, this is not their fulltime job.   Oh wait, one more reason.  They’re a scam.

Be careful out there!

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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There’s no price increase this year – so far.  I say so far, because I have no idea what the future holds.  I only have to raise prices if my vendors raise prices on me.   And lately, it’s only been my florist who’s been getting hit with inflation.

As for new services offered?

Well, there is a wonderful little small beach rental property on Oahu that I’m hoping to do more weddings on.   I’m going to blog about that property soon.  And I’m not sure if I’m going to get into drone videography.  I fly drones now, just for fun.  Flying would be fun.   But I would need another hand to help me fly and that may make video services a bit more expensive.  I am planning on marketing quick weddings/vow renewals and photo shoots to couples or families who are already on the island.  Their prices won’t be cheaper or more expensive than what’s featured on my website.  But, I will design them a bit different to make logistics a lot easier.

If you have any new ideas, let me know.  I’m all – big ears

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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And oh, by the way, for 38 seconds, a lot of people on Oahu thought World War Three was starting and they were going to get nuked.

It’s funny to laugh at the entire situation in hindsight, but people were legitmately scared.  I had a wedding the next day and my bride was pretty upset about the entire thing.   I mean, who could blame her?

For me, I didn’t panic.  I couldn’t.  I was sleeping.   I stayed up late the night before writing (I’m an aspiring storyteller) and the entire nuke deal happened when I was fast asleep.  If I would have been awake, I wouldn’t panic either.

So, I got a call today from an inquring customer who asked me, “What would happen if our wedding was on the same day a nuke striked?  What were my backup plans?”

I told her, “In the case of a nuclear holocaust, I have no plans.  I think your wedding would be the last of our problems.”

The truth is the odds of a nuclear strike are very low.   We have an elaborate missile defense system here.   If a missile is on its way, it’ll be shot down.  And secondly, North Korea has not demonstrated it can hit a target yet.  Hawaii is small, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it’s hard to hit.   More than likely, if North Korea wants to go to war, it’ll go after South Korea or Japan.

This wedding was shot the day after the nuke scare.   Life goes on.

[srizonfbalbum id=92]

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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