As tradition goes, brides and grooms say their goodbyes before the wedding day, and don’t see one another before they meet at the alter. Whether it’s deemed “bad luck”, or not wanting to ruin the big bride reveal, we as wedding coordinators take this request very seriously, and plan our day accordingly. At a recent North Shore wedding, all the planning in the world couldn’t predict a close call we had!

For this wedding, a bit of traveling was involved. Our couple and their family were getting ready at a location about an hour away from the ceremony site in Laie on the North East side of Oahu. Our coordinator had planned for the gentlemen to leave 30 minutes before the ladies departure, in order to give us enough of a driving gap, as well as greet the incoming guests to the ceremony. On the brides end, they were running a little behind, and informed the gentlemen of our estimated arrival. Since the gentlemen had already left, they took their time driving around, grabbing a snack, etc.

As the ladies eventually neared the ceremony site, our lead coordinator had asked her assistant to tuck the groom away so the ladies could get situated and line up for the ceremony. Our coordinator was soon informed that the gentlemen took advantage of the extra time and we’re on the road also rushing back from their errands! Of course a moment of panic arose, as they claimed to be “a minute away”, were the ladies too were “a minute away”.

Just as the brides vehicle was pulling into the grassy entrance of the quaint Laie church, here comes an SUV rip roaring across the field to completely cut off the brides vehicle, with none other than the best man grinning and speeding in. Our lead coordinator immediately ducked the bride away and thankfully no glances were shared between the cars. The groomsmen had just about the guiltiest “we know we’re in big trouble” looks on their faces, all while the groom was joining the coordinator in the (mostly playful) glaring contest.

The gentlemen and ladies lined up, the ceremony began, and the moment of reveal the couple had been waiting for was even more enjoyable with the heightened anxiousness from the “almost” run in. Overall, that close call during the day was a joke to be shared for the remainder of the night, and will be a cherished memory for the couple as well as our team.

Photo Credit: Central Studios