IN HAWAII: Renewal of Vows in Oahu and 2nd Honeymoon on the Big Island

The practice of couples renewing their vows has been popular in the US starting from the 70s. Last April, my eldest daughter had hers on her 25^th wedding anniversary. Because I never thought I could really be a good wife for any length of time, I had a “cause celebre” and also did so last Aug. 8.

My marriage to Bill is my third. And they say three times is a charm. It was our 15th wedding anniversary, and to renew our vows, we chose to have a romantic garden setting. We had wanted it for our wedding but instead had a private cruise ship on Lake Union in Washington. So we chose the island of Oahu in Hawaii. To complete the celebration, we had a second honeymoon the following week at the Big Island. 

The Renewal of Vows

Our families came to join us, and it became a bigger event than we had initially planned. Here’s a recap of the venue, the ceremony, the reception, and the tour.

The Venue

We decided to hold it at the Point at Paradise Cove, a beachfront venue in Ko’Olina less than an hour by car from Honolulu. The choice allowed us to conveniently make its popular luau as our treat for guests who were in Hawaii for the first time. “I Want to Marry You in Hawaii” coordinated the Hawaiian theme ceremony, including the Officiant, a decorated arch, lorals, and a ukelele player.

My eldest daughter, an interior design aficionado, took care of sprucing it all up with lovely details: a tall vase of Hawaiian flowers, banana leaves, a framed menu, themed napkins and plates, and Hawaiian hibiscus cupcakes on a three-tiered cake stand for the table under the tent. She also wisely thought of white paper umbrellas with ribbons and heart-shaped palm fans decorated with the program. They were great for the high temperatures on a Hawaii afternoon. Bill’s First Grandson who lives in Honolulu was instrumental in receiving, storing, and delivering all these items to the venue.

The Ceremony

The processional was started by the blowing of the conch and the entry of my three youngest grandkids who scattered petals to the tune of the “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” As soon as Bill and I stood in front of the decorated arch, the officiant gave his benediction and invited my eldest daughter and Bill’s daughter to speak on behalf of each family. The Hawaiian rituals included: the vows, the lei exchange, the rubbing of the noses, and the kiss. Then Bill and I danced to our favorite song “In This Life” (by Iz) sung by my youngest daughter. Finally, all the grandkids came together to dedicate the song “Stand By Me” for their doting grandparents. Everyone joyously threw petals at us during our recessional.

The Receptions

The tent provided a great reprieve from the heat. That’s where we served snacks of wedding cupcakes, champagne, and apple cider. My middle daughter conducted two games, one for adults and another for kids. The winners won $50 and $20, respectively.

When the time came, we were escorted to our long table at the Luau. The kids enjoyed a few booths for 

face painting, bead-making, etc. while the adults enjoyed the ceremony around the roasting of the pig underground (Kalua). The grandkids also had a great time learning how to dance the hula and rejoiced at getting the certificates for the fun.

Before the long array of traditional Hawaiian dances and songs, the  sumptuous dinner consisted of: Kalua pork, beer-battered island fish, island-style baked chicken, macaroni salad, salad bar, breads, and traditional desserts like purple yam. There was a bar for those who wanted more than the cocktail served with the buffet.

The Tour

The next day we took the family on a rented minibus to tour Oahu’s famous North Shore. Our first stop was a 7-11 store that had cheap breakfast items like spam musubi for $4.

Then we shopped at the Tropical Farms Macadamia Store. Very close to it is the Kualoa Regional Park where we had a great view of Mokoli’i or Chinaman’s Hat Island. The Kualoa Ranch, the Jurassic Valley, had not yet fully opened but we found a store of shell and macrame décor items that we loved. The elderly ladies manning the store were a joy, giving away so many flower brooches to the ladies!

Then you will come upon the area popular for its shrimp trucks. That’s where you can have a great lunch with plates of gooey good shrimp (Giovanni). But there were also other trucks for things like Korean barbeque, Filipino food, etc. At the Turtle Bay Resort, we trekked to a stretch of sand and water for a swimming break. And right after that, we proceeded to Shark’s Cove which is where you can have the best snorkeling in Oahu. It was summer though, so it wasn’t surfing season.

Our tour day was capped by dinner at Haleiwa Joe’s, the renowned seafood restaurant, at their original location in the northern town of Haleiwa. The next day, we celebrated my Second Apo’s birthday at Highway Inn, the most popular local cuisine restaurant.

THE SECOND HONEYMOON

For a few more days we also enjoyed Waikiki but when family members started to depart for home, Bill and I took a short flight from Honolulu to The Big Island for our second honeymoon. We flew over the islands of Kauai and Maui, saying a prayer when we were over the latter. The wildfire that was still raging then was later reported to have killed more than a hundred.

The Tour

It was my first time in the Big Island, the island I had not yet visited. A one-day circle tour was priority number one. Our first stop was Kona, the second biggest town, population 19,000. It is also where most of the resorts are located. And it is a gathering place for all locals because of Costco!

45 minutes south of Kona is the Bay View Farms, a premium coffee plantation on Painted Church Road in Captain Cook, Hawaii. Yes, there’s a pretty painted church before reaching the plantation and Captain Cook’s monument stands on the beach of Kealakekua Bay, viewable from the veranda of the farm’s gift shop.  

Going farther south and then turning east after reaching the southernmost point of the US, we reached Punalu'u Beach. It’s blessed with beautiful black basalt sand created by lava flowing into the ocean from the activity of the volcanoes nearby. If you're lucky, you’ll be treated to the sight of turtles resting on the sand. There we enjoyed a picnic with Hawaiian lunch boxes. 

Just 20 minutes away is the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The caldera of Kilauea, one of the two of the most active volcanoes in the world (the other one, Mauna Loa, is also inside the park), can be seen from two viewpoints. You can even witness eruptions as they happen when authorities deem it safe. We were also able to explore a short lava tube that is well-equipped with a boardwalk and lights.

Just 40 minutes north of the park is the town of Hilo (population 44,000). It is the county seat, best known for Rainbow Falls, just six minutes from the center of town. That’s where the Wailuku River plunges 80 ft. to the pool below with mists and rainbow effects in the morning. Although it is viewable from the parking lot, there is a very short walk that goes down to a much closer view.

Our last stop for the day was the Waipi’o Valley Lookout, considered the best on the island because of an elevated view of the ocean and its waves, with dramatic steep cliffs and a lush green river valley. If you have time and the right kind of vehicle, you can dare the steep dirt road going to the valley below.

Before reaching our resort just 30 minutes away, we passed by Waimea, the third-largest town with a population of 9,000 and home to reputedly the best restaurants on the island.

The Resort

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, 62 acres of Hawaiian paradise on the Kohala Coast at the island's northwestern corner. It’s a 40-minute drive along the coast north of the Kona International Airport.

Timeshare owners like us occupy three Ocean Towers. There is a  Grand Promenade connecting the towers to the Hale Ike Palace Tower and farther west, the upscale MAKAI experience. The walk is lovely with many large museum-worthy Asian art pieces. There are also villas around the plush golf course. It is so vast that, besides walking, you can go around riding a tram or a boat along the canals.

Three good restaurants at the Hilton gave us great dining experiences. Fine dining is at the Kamuela Provisions Company with a lovely terrace on a cliff that looks out to the sea.  Nui, the Italian restaurant is in a lush garden while the Lagoon Grill for American casual fare is beside the saltwater lagoon.

Besides dining, there are many activity centers in the Village. Boutique shopping is available. Sunset viewing is most spectacular at Buddha Point. Swimming is best at the saltwater lagoon but also good at different pool clusters. We even found a quaint white Wedding Chapel by the sea where we had a second renewal with a volunteer minister! Accessible via a 5-minute shuttle from our resort, the Queen’s Marketplace, and the King’s Shoppes are two places for additional shopping, more dining, and even a cinema. It is beside an area with petroglyphs.

 Yes, Hawaii was the ideal venue for our landmark event.

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