1-Please use sunscreen from the moment you get here! Our Hawaiian sun is more powerful than you realize especially with the cool breezes. For your own comfort and safety use it often and liberally, cover ears, tops of your feet, all exposed areas. Brides, try to avoid tan lines with strapless bridal dresses. You both tend to be  flushed enough from nerves,  red  sunburnt  faces,  sunglass tan lines, strap marks,  ankles and feet not tanned  (because cuz, you wore socks and shoes the whole time here with your shorts)  are not attractive in your photographs. You will still tan through the sunscreen and this is way better than red, peeling and hurting from sunburn.  If you are outdoors alot, reapply the sunscreen every few hours and after extensive time in the water.

2-FAMILY PORTRAITS! -- Most folks ask for suggestions on what to wear. I suggest "create a theme" either a color family (like white , or white and another color, beiges and greens, blues and greens and beiges, or each family in a harmonious color, or I've seen either white top/or bottom or mixtures of both paired with a Hawaiian print in a same color family (yellows, oranges, reds)…you get the picture here. I'm usually coaxing some subject matters on their knees or sitting in the sand. Please heed my above suggestions about sunburn, this also applies to portraits and well as the comments in the next paragraph.

2-BRIDES AND LADIES -- please be careful of facial shine. Be sure to clean the face thoroughly before applying makeup. Do not apply moisturizers or anything before the makeup to minimize shine. Makeup should be matte, and dusted with a fixing powder. Please be careful to match makeup colors for your Hawaiian tanned skin if you are doing your own. Your usual color might not match if you have acquired a tan while here. Please "wind proof" your hairstyle. Sometimes our tropical breezes can be strong winds. If you want to wear your hair long and loose, a Hawaiian Haku lei is a lovely way to "anchor" your hair down and it adds a beautiful ornamental touch. Some prefer a small flower cluster on the side, or pin small orchids in the hair. If the groom has "flyaway" hair, some styling gel or hairspray can be a good thing to hold his do in place. If he has shaving nicks or an acne stress outbreak, cover them with some concealer.

4-Gentlemen -- dress slacks look much better than shorts, no matter how casual your wedding is, it's still a wedding and you want it to look like one. That's my biased opinion and I'm sticking with it.  However, I've amended my stance a bit for what I call the "surfer chic" look, barefoot on the beach with shorts and a nice (preferably) white shirt, leis add a very Hawaiian touch (there are "masculine" options here- the maile, the kukui nut, if you prefer not to wear a floral lei).  Take your dressing cues from your bride, her input in "matching" your dressing style  will go along way towards starting off the marriage right! If you wear shorts, please wear sandals/or rubber slippahs! as we call them here (one strap between the big toe  and the second piggie  type), please NOT the  strappy foot hugger ugly  4WD types),  Don't forget to put sunscreen on  top of your feet from the day you arrive, please avoid ankle tan or sunglass lines on your faces  and plan to be barefoot on the beach!  A nice white shirt or aloha style shirt with dress slacks looks great, it's comfortable, and will hide sandals if you choose to wear them instead of going barefoot. Beach sand also trashes dress shoes. If your bride wants to go barefoot, you should too.  If summer clothes aren't in season where you live, we have lots of shops here, Macy's, Ross, Tommy Bahama, Hilo Hattie's, and resort shops where you can find what you need. We also have tuxedo and bridal gown rentals  available with advance reservations from our local bridal shop.

One more for the men, if you are normally clean shaven, give yourself a nice shave just before the wedding to avoid that 5 o'clock shadow. Do not decide to shave a beard or moustache off the day before the wedding! (your skin colors won't match!)

3-August, September and October are our hottest months. Consider the climate and the time of day for your wedding when deciding what to wear and the comfort of your guests. Consider your location for choice of shoes (stiletto heels don't cut it in the sand! If the men are heavy sweaters, consider light colored, short sleeve,  loose shirts, and patterns.  Medium and darker, solid colors easily show sweat marks under the armpits and on the back. Being nervous before your wedding is OK, we just don't want to show it! Formal suits and tuxes still look really sharp on grooms, just weigh your fashion statement against your comfort levels for happiest results.

4 -St. Peter's church is what we call an oven, especially late afternoons in our hottest months. The sun heats the church through the makai (ocean facing window. It's a real sauna if you are getting married there in a hot and heavy wedding clothes.  At any location, it helps if the men carry a hanky to mop their brows, and if the bride has tissues on hand, as well as mints (for that dry mouth  pre wedding panic attack) hairpins, a couple safety pins in her purse a touchup lipstick and mirror. (I carry these in my camera bag and they frequently come in handy!)

6-Please carefully limit pre ceremony alchohol  consumption.  It dehydrates you and the effects are often compounded by nerves, the heat, and not having eaten.  Inebriated subjects are difficult to work with, do not photograph well, and usually embarrass those around them. Save the partying for the reception.

The ideal times for outdoor photography are early morning (before 9AM) and late afternoon, the hour before the sunset, especially during the summer months. Midday hours are usually too hot and too bright for photographs without squinting and sweating, the light is  harsh and contrasty. When shooting under these conditions, shady areas are mandatory, but whenever possible consider the best lighting for your event, that helps make the best pictures and it will also be the most comfortable for you and your guests. Feel free to consult me if you need help with a timeline for your photography!

Mahalo for considering the above tips to help me make the best photographs of your special day!