Chasing rainbows, searching for sunshine on the Garden Isle
We spent the first week of our three-week vacation in Kaua’i chasing rainbows, searching for the whimsical pot of gold, aka, ‘sunshine.’

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A lot of couples dream of having a Hawaii beach wedding. And why not? The golden coasts, lush vegetation, and a populace known for its warmth and sense of jubilation all make for a vivid and stimulating destination wedding.

But like every great beach wedding idea, a Hawaii destination wedding needs careful thought and planning. Probably the best way to research your Hawaii beach wedding would be to use the internet. The beach theme wedding is so popular there are many websites devoted to Hawaiian ceremonies. You can also find info on a Caribbean beach wedding, Florida beach wedding, and other places that can offer you similarly stimulating venues for your ceremony.

The key word here is planning. The more you know what you want and the better you can visualize it, the more successful and memorable your big day will be.

The following steps will help you envision, plan, and organize a breathtaking Hawaii beach wedding.

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #1 – Create Your Invitations

Create invitations that reflect the theme of your ceremony. Traditional card invitations that come in light sandy colors are great; alternatively, how about non traditional invites like small bottles with sand and a rolled sheet of paper inside (with your ceremony details printed on it)?

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #2 – Book Your Destination Wedding

Be sure to settle your venue quick; remember, you’re not the only couple that wants to get married in Hawaii! Check places through travel agencies or online. Research the location, amenities, view, and other details of your Hawaii destination wedding. Also book your minister around this time as well as the all-important reception area.

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #3 – Make Travel Arrangements

If you’re not from Hawaii, book all plane tickets, island rides, and hotel accommodations well in advance so you don’t have to worry about them later. Make sure your hotel is near the venue. The success of a destination wedding hinges on this crucial plan element.

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #4 – Apply for a Marriage License

The application fee for a Hawaiian marriage license is $50. You have 30 days from the issuance of the license to get married in Hawaii. If it expires, your destination wedding will have to wait. It’s easy enough to reapply but you’ll have to spend $50 again!

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #5 – Choose Your Attire Well

The traditional garb is as follows: a white holoku (Hawaiian bridal dress) for the bride and a white shirt and pants with a colored sash for the groom. If it’s going to be a full outdoor wedding, your attire shouldn’t be too stifling. Arrange maile leis – woven garlands made out of fragrant green leaves – for the two of you to wear. As for a veil – most Hawaiian ceremonies do not require brides to wear veils. She might want to wear a special wreath of flowers on her head instead.

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #6 – Decide On Ceremony Elements

After the ceremony, some couples follow the Chinese practice of lighting fireworks to scare off evil spirits and bestow good luck on the newlyweds; others engage in a Pandango, a Filipino tradition where guests use pins to attach money to the couple as they dance. You can do something similar or you can simply put on a new twist on old practices. For example, instead of a unity candle ceremony, you can try the unity SAND ceremony where the bride and groom mix two different shades of sand into a large glass, signifying their union in a fun and unique way.

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #7 – Pick the Right Decorations

Select decor that go hand in hand with your overall theme and beach wedding elements. There’s no need to go overboard with set pieces; minimalism is good as the venue itself is already quite a joy to the senses. But don’t be too barren; just make sure to liven the place up with décor that befits your beach wedding ceremony and theme.

Hawaii Beach Wedding Tip #8 – Book Catering

Be sure your menu properly caters to your palette and those of your guests. If you know of any vegetarian guests, be sure to arrange some vegetarian dishes. Also, choose a menu that best reflects your ocean theme wedding – seafood is always great and heightens the ocean-side mood.

If you plan your destination wedding well and arrange many of these things in advance, your union will definitely be spectacular and memorable.

If you are in the process of planning to take a cruise but not sure where to go? Hawaii has it all, from a peaceful tropical vacation destinations to an exciting trips filled with secluded, adventure and romantic getaways. Hawaii cruises are perfect for anyone, young or old, relaxed or adventures. If you take a Hawaii cruise in your life, you can’t forget beautiful scenery, golden sunsets, palm trees swaying in the warm gentle breeze, sun-drenched sands and diverse landscapes.

Hawaii cruise… One way of getting the most of your Hawaiian cruise is to know more about the destinations and different shore excursions offered. Hawaii is home to the ‘best island in the world’ and it will be a waste if you don’t find out why it is dubbed such. Hawaiian cruise destinations include Hilo and Kona (both on the mainland) Maui, Kauai, Oahu and the Fanning Islands.

Hilo is the capital city of Hawaii and is home to the most active volcano in the world. Kilauea sightseeing is one of the offered shore excursions on Hilo. It is an active volcano which has been shooting up lava since 1983. The mix of colors and the danger of lava both provides for a thrilling excursion which will definitely entice any adventurous traveler. Either from a helicopter ride or land transport to 4,000 feet, you can marvel at the site of this volcano.

Kona is also on the mainland. However, the most featured Hawaiian cruise shore excursions in these parts are not found on land but under the sea. A traveler who likes underwater activities will love to go onboard the stylish Body Glove for a cruise to the Pawai Bay. This bay is a protected marine preserve so there are plenty of colorful coral reefs and underwater life forms to watch through snorkeling. But if you are the less adventurous type of traveler, then you should board one of the fishing boats from the Honokohau Harbor and be ready to catch priced ahi tuna or mahi-mahi.

Maui which is dubbed as the best island in the world is where you can do anything under the sun and on the beach. The island has the best surfing waves as well as well-maintained grass and landscape to play golf on. Then there are also the whale watching excursions. From the Ma’alaea Harbor, you can board a boat that heads for deep waters to watch majestic humpback whales and listen to their hypnotizing songs. At the end of the day, when the time comes for the sun to set, you can watch it transform from different shades of yellow to orange.

Oahu is where the cosmopolitan Honolulu is located and ideal for Hawaiian cruise passengers looking for classy dining and a place to shop. On the other hand, if you want to veer away from the sea and enjoy lush greens, Kauai Island is the best place to be. The main attraction here is Mt. Wai’ale’al which is said to be the wettest place on the globe for receiving an average of 485 inches of rainfall a year.

When considering different Hawaii cruise packages, there are a variety of different things you can do to save money and get the best deal. In this article, we will discuss different tips on how to do just that.

Regardless of the cost of a Hawaii vacation cruise, there are always things you can do to enjoy more savings and get better deals. The simple strategy is to book your package far in advance. The farther in advance, the better. Sometimes if you book over six months in advance, you can enjoy up to 15% off the cost of the gorgeous package.

This would make you think that if you book late in advance, you would pay more. But this isn’t always the case. In fact, some cruise packages are cheapest if you purchase them at the last minute. This is because cruise ships do not want to leave the dock with anything less than full capacity. In an effort to make sure that there are no empty seats, they will offer last-minute tickets for a large discount. Of course, the drawback here is that you have to resort to waiting for a last-minute ticket to become available and you will have to make vacation plans immediately when they do become available.

There are other ways to get Hawaii cruise packages that discounts. Consider going in the off season. When there is less demand for a cruise, the cost will go down. It is at this time that you can take advantage of rate reductions and purchase a package.

Every so often there will be inaugural Hawaii cruise packages that become available. Inaugural cruises are those where a cruise ship is just starting out, and is offering special introductory rates to those who choose their package. Of course, there are also drawbacks to this method. Usually on an inaugural cruise there will be some things that need to be worked out before the cruise runs as efficiently as possible. There will always be inevitable problems that you will have to face. But, that is why you are able to get the package at a big discount.

Finally, you should also consider group fares. If you travel by party, sometimes you can be offered a nice discount. Keep these tips in mind when looking for your best deal on a Hawaii cruise.

Veteran Spotlight: Vero Beach veteran truly saw the world with the Navy
VERO BEACH — The expression “Join the Navy and see the world” is true, says former Navy Lt. Rebecca Rickey, 54, of Vero Beach. Rickey not only got to see the world and take part in some important activities for the country, but she was given a chance to rub shoulders with members of Congress and other significant figures in American history.

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