When I found out I was going to be in Hawaii this summer, I just KNEW I had to set up a photo shoot there. Specifically on Lani Kai Beach in Kailua, because seriously? It is one of my most favoritest beaches ever. In the whole entire world. Lani Kai is just one of those magic places to me. The kind of place that defines paradise!My fab photog friend Pinky agreed to shoot with me, and being a Oahu local, made all the arrangements! She got her good friends Vanessa and Pat to model for us! Vanessa and Pat have been married for eight years! So this kind of worked out to be an anniversary session for them!! :)What struck me the most about Vanessa and Pat was that they acted like newlyweds all day. They were in young, puppy-love!! I love that they were having so much fun together, and how Pat can make Vanessa laugh so easily! And I loved that these two were in their own little world and pranced on the beach like it was just the two of them! I really couldn't have asked for a more perfect couple to photograph on the most perfect beach. It was truly an incredible experience and I am just in love with how the photos turned out!So in love that I will be posting more from their session later this week! So stay tuned for that! But for now, please check out round one of Vanessa and Pat's Mr. and Mrs. session on Lani Kai!We started the session off on the sand. We wanted to work our way up to getting them in the water! So first they rocked it out on the dry parts of the beach! hehe

Vanessa has the best laugh!! Her face totally lights up and it's totally contagious! When she starts laughing, everything gets brighter! Love it!

Aughhhh! Vanessa! You are GORGEOUS!

I love how these two can just  let loose and be themselves in front of the camera!

Vibrant. Fabulous and Fierce. Totally my style. Totally in LOVE!

Pat you are pretty handsome yourself!!

Vanessa! Work it out mama!!! You are so stunning!!! Pat is a lucky man!!

There's that laugh again! This photo is so fun and joyful! I just love it!!

Ahhh! That light!!! Swoon!!!!

Aren't these two just gorgeous?! Stay tuned later this week for Part 2 of this session! You will see how Vanessa TOTALLY trashed her dress! It was pretty amazing!!! You don't wanna miss it!! :)

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Uh it's been awhile since a Tuesday Top 5, eh? Don't hate me! I have been so busy with weddings and the new website! And you know, going to Hawaii! So for this week my TT5 is getting a bit of the Aloha Spirit! Hope you don't mind!1. The Kahala. The Kahala hotel on Oahu is like one of the BEST PLACES EVER. They have an amazing, amazing beach that I LOVE. I love beaches where the water is pretty flat. I'm a tiny girl and I don't really like being pushed around by the ocean. The Kahala also has some seriously DELISH places to eat! And the best high tea ever! The tea they use is by Mariage Freres and it is the most tasty, flavorful tea ever! The Marco Polo tea tastes like TROPICAL HEAVEN! Wow, yowzas. It is good. I also love the grounds of the Kahala. The landscaping is beautiful and the architecture and interior design is luxurious yet welcoming. Honestly, it would be my DREAM to shoot a wedding here! It is THAT amazing.2. Leonard's Malasadas. "Mala-what-a's?!" you may be saying. Malasadas are this Portuguese doughnuty type treat found in Hawaii. They were brought to Hawaii via the wave of Portuguese immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All I have to say is THANK YOU PORTUGUESE PEOPLE. Cause malasadas? They are AMAZING! Leonard's makes, hands down, the BEST malasadas on the island. They are so very good because they are FRIED TO ORDER. And if you know anything about fried food, you know it is ALWAYS tastiest hot and fresh from the oil! The best way to describe malasadas would be like a cross between a donut and a beignet ONLY BETTER. They are warm, doughy, yet light,  and buttery. I love the original style, but I also like the Haupia malasada that Leonard's makes! It is a regular malasada stuffed with a coconut custard! DELISH. Dang now I am craving one! Too bad I'd have to fly 3,000 miles to get it!3. Lani Kai beach. We stayed with family in Kailua, which is probably my favorite area of Oahu. It is very lush and green and a whole lot less crowded than Honolulu! The best part of staying in Kailua though (besides visiting my fun family) is LANI KAI beach!!! This beach has been voted many times as one of the Top 10 Beaches in the world, and I can clearly see why. The water is warm and never to choppy. It is more of a locals beach (not even a parking lot) so it never gets too crowded. And it has two tiny little triangular islands floating in the not too far off distance. So you just look at the crystal clear turquoise water, and you see the horizon, and you see these two little islands, and you feel like YEP I found paradise. It is seriously so beautiful! I could lay on that beach and swim in its waters for hours.4. Turtle Bay. I also LOVE the Turtle Bay hotel on Oahu's North Shore! I stayed there the last time I was in Oahu, but this time we just made a day trip out of it! What I love about this hotel so very much is the setting.  It's pretty secluded on the North Shore and they just own acres and acres of land. There is hiking trails and horse back riding, and TONS of secluded shoreline. There is SO much natural beauty at the hotel. They also have a great calm swimming beach which of course I LOVE. I have even seen turtles swimming at the beach! Nothing better than swimming near little cutie sea turtles in Hawaii!!  Turtle Bay also has a restaurant called Ola's which is right on the beach. The food is just okay to be honest but the view is worth the mediocre eats! LOL! But yeah my favorite part about this hotel is just being able to really walk the grounds and explore nature and swim at the beach! This hotel would also be a GREAT place for a wedding! Definitely another place on my dream destination venue list!5. Bubbie's Mochi Ice Cream. This place was named by Oprah as one of her favorite things, so you KNOW it is good! Bubbie's serves up homemade mochi ice cream in a plethora of DELISH flavors. It is unlike any place I have ever been on the mainland. I seriously WISH we had a Bubbie's in Los Angeles... I think it would do superrrr well here! Hello, look at how well Yogurtland has done! Think about it Bubbie's peeps! Anyways there isn't much to say other than the mochi ice cream is nom nom nom. I really like the lilikoi flavor and the guava flavor. Oh and the chocolate espresso! That is pretty bomb too! Man, I could really go for one right now because it is so hot in my apartment! Bubbie's....Culver City has some open real estate ready and waiting for your west coast debut!! ;)From left to right: Leonard's Bakery box from Leonard's Bakery official website, sushi-like Mochi from Bubbie's official website, Mariage Freres tin from Mariage Freres official website, Kahala Resort from Kahala's official website.

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