Can’t Be Apart – Donald & Akina’s Oahu Venue Wedding

Some love stories stretch across continents but still find their way home. Donald and Akina’s Oahu venue wedding at Kailana Chapel was exactly that: a celebration that brought two families together from opposite sides of the Pacific, wrapped in sunlight and ocean breeze.

Donald, a quality assurance manager for a California-based company, now works in Japan, where Akina also lives and works in project finance for a Japanese bank. They first met through Tinder, a modern beginning that led to a first date over Italian food in Tokyo. What followed was years of love, distance, and persistence. When Akina was assigned to London, they kept their connection strong until Donald flew to Europe to propose, in Florence, under a soft, rainy sky, with a rugby player’s personalized message tucked beside the ring. Romantic doesn’t even begin to cover it! So we are delighted to share moments of their special day below!

Under The Morning Sun

Their wedding day at Kailana Chapel felt like a full-circle moment, a perfect middle ground between their two worlds. The ceremony took place on the deck outside the chapel, where friends and family gathered under clear skies and a sweeping ocean view. Half of their loved ones traveled from Colorado and California, while the rest came from Japan, so meeting in the middle, in beautiful Hawaii, felt perfectly meant to be!

The Pacific stretched endlessly behind them, the light turning everything vibrant and colorful.

Akina looked radiant in the warm Hawaiian sun, her smile brighter than the ocean itself. Donald stood beside her, calm and overjoyed, the two of them framed by sea and sky. When they sealed it all with a kiss, their loved ones cheered right alongside the sound of the waves. There ceremony was intimate, heartfelt, and effortlessly beautifulm, a perfect reminder that love knows no borders, only connection.

After the “I do’s,” they wandered down to the beach for their newlywed portraits. The sunlight made the ocean a bright turquoise and glitter as the waves rolled in. And their Oahu venue wedding photos captured it all, easy affection, quiet joy, and that newly married glow that only Hawaii seems to create. Every photo glowed with that unmistakable joy, the kind that comes from knowing this is exactly where you’re meant to be.

Congratulations, Donald and Akina, your happiness was the brightest part of an already beautiful day! We wish you nothing but the best!

OAHU VENUE WEDDING – EVENT DETAILS

Time Of Day: Morning

Oahu Wedding Photographer: Lauren from Karma Hill Photography

Wedding Florals: Rustic Hawaiian Bouquet – Vibrant, Leis by Sweet Blossoms

Oahu Wedding Venue Location: Kailana Chapel

Onsite Coordinator: Sky of Simple Oahu Wedding

Oahu Wedding Packages: Kailana Chapel & Gardens Package by Simple Oahu Wedding

Oahu Officiant: Chris Cain