Prep: Me.

Once we got back to the hotel and stood awkwardly around for a bit, then ran around doing some last-minute errands, it was time to shower and begin the process of getting ready. Of course, being me, I allowed entirely too much time between returning from the Love Pond and my appointment with Mara. So I sat around for a while. I wrote a blog post, checked my FaceSpace, drank a warm beer and just kind of chilled. Kat showed up and started taking pics of the extraneous little things, and eventually Mara showed up to get the surprisingly long process of making me all purdyfied out of the way. Remember how I wanted my hair originally? Yeah, well, my hair doesn’t do that. But I dug the end result.

*P.S.: There’s some bra action, though minor, in this post. Divert your eyes/computer screen, if you must.*

Pretty sure I'm telling Shane to keep the beverages flowing.

Beginning of the braid dilemma.

Solution to the braid dilemma.

Mimosas ease frustration. It's a fact.

Another awesome thing about best friends? They actually force you to eat. Burgers.

The finger waves that never would.

My hair is, apparently, as stubborn as its bearer.

Let Round 2 commence!

Moar?

Airbrushing: Good for nixing forehead spots and tan lines.

Mara totally had the set up. Even if there was an obscene amount of pink.

I begged for this. And ran out of time to put it on.

More failure!!!

Damn you, follicles!

Shane likes to carry big black garbage bags around. Whatevs.

Mama Sooz.

Loves.

My favorites.

It takes a team.

Shaner trained for months for this.

Smells like team spirit.

Mama's job.

The whole process took about 3.5 to 4 hours, which was considerably longer than I’d thought. My hair refused to cooperate, which dragged the whole experience out. Mara was such a trooper, and finally after about the third try on the finger waves, she asked if she could just sweep my bangs to the side. At that point, I was totally for whatever she was suggesting. She did such a fantastic job and fully put up with all of our goofiness.

Hair and makeup: Mara at Lilikoi Hair Studio.
Venue: Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows
All photos by Persimmon Images.

Morning.

The morning of the wedding, we decided we wanted to do something with our friends. Just something low-key, hang out together and not feel rushed into the “Omigawd I’m getting married and must act like a crazy person trying to escape zombies, werewolves and unicorns” bit.* Especially since we’d decided long before that we weren’t going to stick with the whole “not seeing each other” tradition. Which would be tough anyway, since we were sharing a hotel room.

So, we did.

I’d read in one of my favorite guide books that there is a “secret love pond” on the grounds of the Mauna Lani that you can actually swim in.

It’s a natural salt pool filled by the tide. There are little shrimpies (redundant?) living in it, so you can’t wear any sunscreen/chemicals/etc. And it’s surprisingly chilly.

So, off we went at 10 on the morning of our wedding.

Meandering along the eel pond. Those suckers are eerie.

Nestled back among the fish ponds.

Oh, my 18-year-old tat on full display. Le sigh.

They're starting to catch on ...

Lurvely Laura.

Gresh couldn't get in because of some "beer bottle shattering" incident. So he said ...

Those steps were slippery as sh*t. We almost had a couple casualties.

Splish splash. Obvious necessity.

You got got!

Bemused.

Amused.

Well, that was fun.

Low tide.

Crikey! It's a whole herd of Australians!

It wasn’t an especially eventful morning, but it was relaxing.

All photos by Persimmon Images.

*It’s Halloween. Obv. This is how my brain is functioning.

Hens.

On the chickadee side, my bestest friend and Lunchbox Brigade Leader Shane planned some awesomeness, even if the Usual Suspects Leader Andrew did usurp it. She had originally booked the party bus, so we took it after the boys. We stopped at a bar in downtown Kona, which was really cool because I’d actually been there on my first and only other trip to the island, when I was 16. Then it was off to KBXtreme to join the boys for a little karaoke action. Kim and Shane teamed up to dress me in a pink sash, a Bride-to-Be ballcap with a veil attached and a bunch of balloons with a penis sucker (which was horrible) and straw attached. I’d mistakenly told Kim I hated these types of things … that’ll teach me.

Poor Alex decided to join us ... don't think he knew what he was getting in to.

Sooz is ALWAYS the life of the party.

Two of my new favorite people.

I'm even drinking pink! Ewwww.

Party Karate!

Shots!

Bottoms up ...

And down the hatch.

She's a wily one.

His face may be a foot, but I love him.

Bus: Koki Entertainment

All photos by Persimmon Images.

Stags.

From what I hear, it was a wild night. Obviously, what happens (for the most part) on a party bus in Hawaii stays on a party bus in Hawaii. But, since Kat and Justin, respectively, joined us for the hens and stags, it’s only right to showcase their work and highlight just how much fun can be found in Kona when you mix unwitting older Americans, some awesome Aussies and one rockin’ groom. Oh, and a little karaoke.

Three out of the four G-men.

For Gresh, it's all in the moves. For Rob? It's all in the laughs.

Dad and uncles along for the ride? Oh, the horror!

It's been said that a Moynihan singing is a crime against humanity.

But the show must go on.

"Can you feeeeel the love toniiiight ... "

Smooth criminal.

The club can't handle him.

Finish with flourish.

How refreshing! How Heineken!

Refreshing, indeed.

Sing for the laughter. Sing for the tears.

Can't stop rock and roll

Clean up, Aisle 3.

Bus: Koki Entertainment
Karaoke Bar: KBXtreme