Wedding in Red – Perfect Marriage

Okay everyone, so here’s the deal: We are having a wedding in about a month. Hawaii is a large part in our lives as that’s where he proposed when I visited him there when he was in the Navy. I also have been doing Polynesian dancing since I was 7 and I am 25 now.

So what we are doing is a mostly casual thing. Everyone is asked to be casual and comfortable. No gifts either. There will be approx 200 guests including kids. It will all take place in the evening, starting at 5:00pm and it will be dark around 8:00pm that night. It’s all at his parents house in the country on acres and acres.

As guests arrive, the dancers will be greeting them with a lei and kiss on the cheek! The ceremony is by a fountain and pond. Very pretty. I am wearing a beach wedding dress and he is wearing khaki short and a white button up shirt. The wedding party is in matching fabric dresses for the ladies and shirts for the men. We are all going to wear flip flops. We also decided on no bouquets or anything, instead the ladies are going to hold a glass of champagne and the guys a beer.

After the ceremony, we will start the BBQ buffet immediately since we are taking photos before the event. There will be LOTS of awesome home made food prepared by our awesome families! During this time, there will be Hawaiian/beach themed music playing in the background. About 45min later we will do the speeches and then we will cut the cake. Once that is over, the live band will play for about 15min or so as they cake is passed out before an Authentic Luau is performed! They will be doing dances from Hawaii to Tahiti, including a fire dancer! So it will be very exciting! They also pull some of the guests up for audience participation in the end. That is about a 45min show all together.

We will also have a $1 Tiki Bar. Basically, we are taking care of most the expenses for the bar, all but $1 each. So we are still forking out $2-3 each drink that people buy… There will be things like Jungle Juice, Beer, Mai-Tais, Hurricanes & Coke w/ Rum. Which the Tiki Bar will be open before the ceremony.

After the Luau, we will do the garter and bouquet. This will be around 8pm. I figure most will leave at this time. The band will play during this “transition” time for about an hour as people say bye and all and then we are having an “after party”. Just a few hours with no schedule, program or anything. Just so we can actually enjoy the evening, it not go by so fast and really get to visit with some guests. We have quite a few flying in or driving a long ways, and a wedding is not the greatest place for catch up and hang out. I don’t care if only 15 people are there for the “after party” We will have a DJ, the bar and all as well during this time.

Anyway, so I think that’s it. So what I am looking for is some ideas to make sure this is a blast for everyone! I want people to want to stay!

I am getting a piñata for the kids as well as something for them to do, not too sure yet. And someone also mentioned having a volley ball net set up or something…?

We already got all the tiki torches to put everywhere, as well as party lights to hang and there is already a built in fire pit that they have there too! So I was thinking maybe get some stuff to make Smores!

I basically just want a really fun, comfortable and memorable evening! I don’t care about tradition, being fancy or impressing anyone. This is a time to live it up for us before my fiancé gets deployed in a few months.

Thank you all in advance for any ideas!!!

P.S. Please don’t respond with lectures of spending money and all that matters is marrying the one I love and all that. Just so you know, not a lot is being spent. We have a very large family and everyone is pitching in a little to help with the food & drink. I have a very close friend who owns a party rental store, so those are nearly free except for the people to set things up. The band and dancers, I am part of the group and we are all like family… they wouldn’t let me pay a dime if I tried! Again, lots of people are traveling to get there, I want it to be worth it and fun! So please, spare the rudeness and just leave my question alone if that’s all you have to say. That is not what I am asking for. I am asking for ideas to make it more fun, unique or more pleasant!
Awww you all are so sweet. Yeah, sorry it was kinda long, lol. And great advice for the time taken to get through a line. It will be a double sided line of food. And 45min may be enough before speeches start. If not, no biggie. We will also have siblings (there are 14 total) pass out the cake during the Luau. If people arent ready for it, they can just wait. But still, I may add 15 min to each area of time. Thanks again!!!