Following my sister’s Hawaiian-style wedding on the grounds of the Ko’olau Golf Club, we went to the Club’s main ballroom for the Hawaiian-style reception. I say “Hawaiian-style” because we include facets from the many different ethnicities that make up Hawaii, yet in a uniquely Hawaiian way. Case in point is the framed 1001 cranes artwork that was commissioned for her wedding:

1001 Cranes Artwork by Cathy Lancaster of Classic Cranes

The design is made up entirely of 1001 hand-folded, gold foil origami cranes. Ancient Japanese tradition was that a bride-to-be would fold 1000 cranes in order for a wish (such as long life or good fortune) to be granted. Japanese in Hawaii do it one better for extra luck!

Getting in the Mood

The pre-reception live music was presented by 2 Big Hawaiians (Charge By Da Pound), Gavin Kaina & Geoff Kahapea. They play and sing so smooth. Here they are singing “Pua Hone” by Rev. Dennis Kamakahi:

Following the live music came the nod to our Chinese heritage, the Chinese southern lion dance by the Yeung Dak Physical Culture Association. The two lions dance to the beat of a large drum, gong and cymbals, and bring good luck to the gathering of people. After leaving a message of blessing on scrolls to the wedding couple, the lions turn their attention to getting “fed” money by the guests.

Chinese Lion Dance

Getting into the Food

Another nod to the Japanese relatives and guests was this handmade sushi bar. The chef was busy making shrimp, tuna, and salmon nigiri sushi, plus handmade spicy tuna rolls. The guests were really lining up for the fresh sushi!

Handmade Sushi Bar

Some of the main dishes for lunch included somen salad with Chinese charsiu and Japanese fishcake, ahi shoyu poke (no seaweed in it so it’s not ahi limu poke), grilled Korean kalbi, fried mahimahi, and macadamia nut cream pie. (If I’m not mistaken, there was Chinese dim sum and Filipino fried lumpia as well.)

And of course, don’t forget the wedding cake. I tried not to eat too much, but it was hard!

I got a chance to see my Dad, who I haven’t seen in almost 9 years. His hair wasn’t as white as that the last time I saw him! He’s had some health problems recently, but he’s looking good.

Annie and I didn’t want to eat too much at lunch, because we had a dinner date in the evening at Alan Wong’s Restaurant. This Saturday was a double celebration, both for my sister’s wedding, and for Annie’s birthday!

I’ll post about our amazing dinner at Alan Wong’s in another post, so stay tuned! Subscribe now and get all our latest posts sent to your Inbox or your RSS reader.

Aloha, Nate