The Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Luau

My Mother of the Groom Luau Muu-Muu

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Brodie and Mackenzie

Request The Pleasure Of Your Company At Their Luau Rehearsal Dinner in Waikiki

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Starting at 5:00 p.m. and Ending at 8:00 p.m.

(I’m Ready To Go!)

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The Hale Koa Hotel

2055 Kalia Road

Honolulu, Hawaii 96815

1-800-367-6027

1-800-955-0555

https://www.halekoa.com/

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Leis for The Two VIP Wedding Party Tables

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Me, Getting Ready For The Luau

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During the planning of the Hawaiian Wedding, Gordon and I knew that it was our responsibility to host and pay for the Rehearsal Dinner. Because the wedding would take place in Hawaii Gordon and I suggested that the Rehearsal Dinner be held at a Luau. I think at first not many were interested in attending a Luau, they wanted some dinner at the estate they would all be staying in out in the North Shore, but we insisted. 🙂

Our goal was to get everyone out of the estate for one night, and get them into Waikiki for a professional Luau.

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Tickets For The Luau Guests, Around 45

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The Entrance To The Luau Gardens

Looking Up To The Hale Koa Hotel

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Whann Way Hawaiian Luau

An Oldie But A Goodie

Click Here For: Whann Way Hawaiian Luau

The Above Link Is To Our Luau On A Budget That We Did For Veronica’s 16th. Birthday In Maryland,

We Also Have Many Luau Recipes

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During our 13 years of living in Hawaii we had been to several Luau’s. The Hale Koa Hotel has one of the best Luau’s on the island. We knew this, which is why we wanted the Luau at The Hale Koa. Yes, we were staying there. And yes, it was convenient to us, but we would have booked the best Luau no matter where it was because we wanted the best for the bride and groom. I do believe that we did deliver!

Brodie and Mackenzie, The Bride and Groom

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Buying The Luau Leis In Chinatown

Prior to the Luau, the day before, Gordon and I went into Chinatown to buy the Leis.

Chinatown has the best leis and the best prices.

Before we left Hawaii in 1999, my girlfriends and I would drive into Chinatown for the afternoon, have lunch and do some shopping. Everything was so open back then. Not now. Everything was very closed off, as in you had to enter into stores along streets, nothing was open. That was very sad to see. I miss the open markets. It was just streets lined with stores.

We Bought Leis For Two VIP Tables Of Ten, And Four Additional Leis For Some Special Guests That Were Going Through Some Sadness

We Brought the Pretty Asian Bags Along To Place The Leis Into

(We also bought two Styrofoam Coolers for the Lies as well. The leis must be kept cool so that they don’t wilt and die.)

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Back To Our Hotel Room With All The Leis

Into the Styrofoam Coolers All The Leis Go, Along With A Few Bags Of Ice To Keep Them Cool And Fresh

This Was Mine!

When I saw It I Fell In Love!

It Matched My Muu-Muu Perfectly!

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E Komo Mai To The Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Luau

Click Here For: E Komo Mai to the Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Luau

This was our Rehearsal Dinner Luau Invitations we sent out to all the guests.

We worked with the brides mother on the guest list and their special diet needs.

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The Luau Guests Gifts From Us

I am really into gift giving so I am always there when it comes to coming up with gifts for any occasion.

I knew that I wanted something very bride and groom souvenirish, that is when I found these coasters online that could be personalized. They are a lovely Palm Leaf.

The coasters have Brodie and Mackenzie’s name on them along with the wedding date. We bought many of them!

I also purchased many of the Ohana bags you see above. Probably a good 50 of them. They are for the women and girls. Cosmetic Bags, etc. They have many uses. For women they can be for cosmetics. For the girls they can be for hair accessories, or pencils cases, etc.

I Also bought About 50 Bamboo Writing Pens

(These are for everyone, men and women.)

The Kukui Nut Leis For The VIP Tables As Well

The Hawaiian Host Macadamia Nuts As Gifts Also

For The Keiki’s: (Kids)

There were a few children attending the Luau. I bought for them as well.

The Luau Guest Gifts Are Ready

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The Hale Koa Hotel, Waikiki

Click Here For: The Hale Koa Hotel, Waikiki

(You can read about our stay at The Hale Koa Hotel by clicking on the link above.)

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Before The Guests Arrive

We decided to do a little photo session with me and the Lies before the guests started to arrive, and the Luau started.

The Hale Koa has so many little private nooks here and there where you can take photos.

How often will I have the opportunity to be holding so many beautiful Leis?

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We Set Up The Tripod For These Photos

Christmas Card, 2026

Isabelle, Our Little Wahine

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Before The Luau

When you are the Mother of the Groom, the Hostess for our Guests at the Luau, and when you are the Family’s Main Photographer, sometimes you miss out on the major happenings because I was playing 3 different rolls. Oh, and I was also a Guest of the Hale Koa Luau as well.

So, where was Gordon? Socializing, of course. 🙂

This Is An Imu, The Underground Oven Where The Pig Is Cooked

Before the Feast begins there are always demonstrations where the guys will climb the Coconut Trees to show how they retrieve them.

Sometimes they have Hula Lessons, or Lei Making, or even Basket Weaving

Some Of Our Wedding Party Watching The Pig Removal From The Ground

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This is a really nice ceremony.

I think it is important to see just how the Hawaiian people would cook.

Gordon and I both thought the same thing when we saw the Pig. ‘We’re gonna need a bigger Pig.’ 🙂

The Pig is then taken into the kitchen to prepare the Kalua Pig for the Luau.

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Luau Seating

Because we hosted the Wedding Party for the Luau, we did it months in advance, and made sure that we got the best tables. We gave the Bride’s Table the best spot in front of the stage, and then we took the Groom’s Table as the second best, and then the other tables flanked us.

It wasn’t until the Luau that we were able to meet so many of the guests. Most of them were on the bride’s side. Everyone we met was really wonderful and it was such a nice pleasure to meet them all.

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Our Luau Dinner

Kalua Pork
Panko Ginger Mahimahi
Soy Sauce Chicken
Teriyaki Steak
Rice
Sweet Potato with Toasted Coconut
Roasted Zucchini

I cannot say enough just how delicious the Luau food was! Everyone agreed!! Brodie’s Best Man Jason hates Fish and will not eat it, yet he gobbled down his Mahi-Mahi bragging about how good it was. You know the food is good when a picky eater enjoys it.

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I Loved How Isabelle Dove Right In Eating and Moving To The Luau Music As She Ate

(I took this photo from the Hale Koa website.)

FIRST COURSE

Cucumber Namasu 🙂
Lomilomi Salmon
Poi
Fresh Pineapple

And Cocktails, Of Course

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Brian, Isabelle, and Veronica

We All Loved The Namasu

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Mackenzie, The Bride

Mackenzie Making The Rounds At The Tables

Everyone Seemed To Be Having A Wonderful Time

Jason, The Best Man, With Gordon Passing Out Kukui Nut Leis To The VIP Table Guys

Isabelle With Her Tu-Tu Papa

The Food, The Chef’s, The Company, The Guests, The Atmosphere, The Luau….

The ‘Ohana 🙂

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The Dessert

DESSERT
Haupia Guava Cake

This Was So Good!

With the delicious foods out of the way, it’s time for the show to begin!

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I would like to say that the male dancers and entertainers, were just the best! They just seemed to enjoy themselves and had the best time up there on stage and in the spotlight. It’s as if they were just having lots of fun. That’s actually how it should be.

Here, they called for a volunteer to crack open a coconut. We all screamed for Brodie to be that volunteer. He did. They chose him. And he was wonderful! He cracked that coconut open just fine.

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His Prize? The Great Woven Headdress He Is Wearing.

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Hawaii

Now We Have The Dancers Depicting The Different Polynesian Cultures

New Zealand

I Can Do The Poi Balls. Perhaps Not As Well As These Ladies. But, I Can Do Them. 🙂

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Tahitian Dancing

Tahitian Dancing Is Very Fast, Lots Of Drums Beating, Hips Moving…

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The Fire Starter

He Started This Fire In About 1 Minute

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The Fire Starter Ceremony Was Beautiful

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The Hale Koa Luau Was Representative Of All The Polynesian Cultures

The Traditional Dances, And The Dancers Were Just Amazing

The MC Was Great! You Always Need A Good MC To Narrate

Tahitian

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Maori, New Zealand

(My old friend Trish was the Grand-daughter of a Maori Chief. She adored her culture that she came from. I also adore her culture and was very proud to call her my friend.)

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During The Luau…