Iolani Palace is a national historical landmark. Aside from being a living restoration of a proud Hawaiian identity, Iolani Palace is also a beautiful venue for events like weddings. For Healani and Lansen, Iolani Palace was the perfect match for their modern Royal Hawaiian-inspired wedding vision. Both Healani and Lansen live on Oahu. So, Iolani Palace was more than just a venue. It was a location where they could celebrate their marriage as well as the history of Hawaiian culture. This couple’s vision for their wedding day put a modern twist to Iolani Palace and it was an elegant bliss.

Their ceremony was held on the Coronation Lawn. It was intimate, and extremely heartfelt. With the Palace as the backdrop, Healani in her stunningly chic wedding gown, and Lansen in his dapper black tux, the entire event was simply captivating. Oahu Strings, a string quartet played “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers for the recessional of the new Mr. and Mrs. Lansen Leu.

Cocktail hour and reception took place on Barrack’s Lawn. And, while Healani and Lansen took couple photos around the area, their guests were able to explore Iolani Palace for an hour! It was such a cool, and educational experience that everyone loved. Healani and Lansen’s vision for their wedding was a modern Royal Hawaiian vibe and it turned out incredibly, so chic.

The reception featured a clear top tent that was illuminated with chandeliers which created a romantic ambiance for the evening. The newlyweds glowed brightly on that dance floor. Surrounded by their loved ones, they swayed together to a custom mix song of “Sea of Love” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” for their first dance . It was as if time stopped for this couple and it was just the two of them. A magical love.

Hula is a way of telling a story. King David Kalakaua said, “hula is the language of the heart and is the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” Most times, brides will surprise their new spouses with a bridal hula. The bridal hula is a gift and a way for them to show their love. When they started planning their wedding, Healani knew she wanted to prepare and surprise her husband with a hula performance. All of her secret dance practices paid off because she danced beautifully! During the hula, Lansen locked eyes on his bride in pure bliss, as she gracefully danced for him. Her hands told the story and her smile showed her love.

One of our favorite parts of this couple’s wedding was the lion dance performance. The Chinese lion dance is performed at weddings to bless the couple to have a long and happy marriage, and it is also said to help ward off evil spirits from being harmful to their new life together as husband and wife. Healani and Lansen wanted to incorporate the Chinese culture and decided that a lion dance performance would be the perfect way to do that. Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association performance was so good!

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