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riage. A chant to welcome ancestors and guests is uttered by traditional Hawaiian spiritual counselor and healer, Renee Pomaika'i, who officiates the wedding. Then a prayer is recited, using sacred ti leaves, blessing salts and holy waters from the sacred pools of Makapu'u. In the prayer, the land is blessed and cleansed from sea to mountain top, and the couple receives a pinch of the blessing salts for spiritual purification and cleansing. "This ritual aspect of the Hawaiian wedding releases the ties to all past relationships, allowing the couple to be bonded solely to one-another, going forward," Pomaika'i explains. The lei greeting is another traditional Hawaiian wedding ritual. Two open-ended lei are placed around the couple's necks and tied together, symbolizing two lives intertwined as one. Couples can also offer a lei greeting to their newly acquired family members, an exchange that shows honour and respect for the new relationships created by their union. The couple can elect to include a canoe paddle that symbolizes strength as they navigate through rough seas they may encounter on their journey as husband and wife. The wedding ceremony can also include elements of Hawaiian music and dance. "Anyone can have a beach wedding," says June Cappiello, marketing and communications manager at The Kahala. "But a traditional Hawaiian wedding infuses a different layer of meaning and spirituality into the ceremony." Top: Brides at the Waikiki Edition can choose to get married in the Sun Suite, which features a private terrace and a view of the marina and ocean. Above: Another option for wedding ceremonies at the Edition is the Sunrise Beach, a shallow pool surrounded by real sand and palm trees, but one with complete privacy from curious bystanders. 102 RW21_part 2.indd 102 Pure & Simple at the Edition One of Waikiki's newest wedding destination properties is the Waikiki Edition, a 353room property with a distinctly boutique ambience. Opened in September 2010, the hotel features minimalistic, clean décor with white, soap-washed walls and an unassuming, beachinspired tone. "Many of our wedding ceremonies take place beneath the If You Go: autograph trees," says Margaret Akinaka, special events manager. n Direct flights to Honolulu are offered Situated steps from the sunrise swimming pool, the trees line a by Air Canada from Vancouver and wooden deck and have green bottles hanging from their branches. Alaska Air from Bellingham. At night the bottles are illuminated, adding a romantic touch to a n For general information on Oahu gorgeous setting. visit www.visit-oahu.com or call (808) 524-0722. Another popular site for ceremonies is the infinity lagoon on n For information on wedding packthe second floor. Since it doesn't have direct beach access on its ages at the Ihilani Resort & Spa, doorstep, the Waikiki Edition decided to create a beach of its own. contact Raymond Donato, director The Sunrise Beach has an eight-inch pool surrounded by real sand, of weddings and special events. Email palm trees and a hammock. If you want a beach wedding without Raymond.donato@marriott.com or call (808) 679-3357. the spectatorship of other beachgoers, this one fits the tee. n The Kahala's Hawaiian wedding Smaller receptions at the Edition are accommodated in the programs are available in two Sun Suite, a space that combines indoor and outdoor facilities programs—one basic and the other for between 40 and 80 guests. A large private terrace with beautimore elaborate—ranging in price ful landscaping and pink bougainvillea spilling over the sides, from $6,300 to $9,800. For more overlooks the marina and the ocean. Couples with larger wedding information contact Charles Keegan at weddings@kahalaresort.com or call receptions of up to 500 guests tend to opt for the 9,200-square(808) 739-8715. foot ballroom, while those with a more intimate group of 20 or n The Waikiki Edition offers three less choose the penthouse suite on the 17th floor. Either way, the wedding packages that range in price Waikiki Edition feels casually elegant and wonderfully comfortfrom $12,000 to $40,000. The hotel able, offering a beach-like atmosphere without the logistical comis eager to create custom packages that include hotel rooms, spa treatplications of literally being wed on the beach. rw ments and some meals. For more information call Margaret Akinaka at (808) 943-5822 or email Margaret. akinaka@editionhotels.com. r ea l weddings 9/19/11 3:46:12 PM