The Ko’olau Mountains were doing their thing all afternoon; disappearing into the clouds, then slowly reappearing, like they couldn’t quite decide whether to show up or not. Down below, in a backyard in Waimānalo, 45 people were drinking cold drinks and laughing too loud and not checking their phones, and Sabrina and Jason were getting married.
We’re Vane & Gabi, Oahu wedding photographers, and in eight years of shooting weddings we’ve learned that the ones that stick with you are rarely the biggest or the most elaborate. They’re the ones where everyone is just genuinely glad to be there.
Jason & Sabrina have been together for nine years. They live on the island and just wanted something simple, real, with the people they love most all in one place.
Their Story — How These Two Found Their Way Here
Sabrina and Jason’s first date was the Road to Hana on Maui. If you’ve driven it, you know — it’s a narrow, winding road with over 600 curves, barely any cell service, and no real way to bail once you’re committed. You’re just in it, for hours, with whoever you came with. Sabrina told us she figured if they could survive a full day together like that, right at the beginning, there was probably something real there.
Nine years later, Jason proposed inside a sea cave in Barbados. A tourist happened to catch the moment — a silhouette of the two of them standing inside the cave’s opening, the ocean framed behind them.
They built a life. And eventually, they decided to throw a party about it.
The Groomsmen, the Beer, and the Chickens
Here’s the thing about Hawai’i — there are chickens everywhere, and the property was no exception. They wandered through the yard with complete indifference to the occasion, which felt right for a wedding this relaxed. We made sure a few of them ended up in photos.
The groomsmen entrance set the tone immediately. They walked down the aisle handing cold beers to guests as they went. Nobody complained. By the time everyone was seated, the mood was exactly what Sabrina and Jason had wanted — easy, warm, a little funny, and genuine.
Sabrina came around the corner and Jason saw her, and whatever he was expecting, it landed on his face before he could do anything about it. No choreography, no rehearsed reaction. Just the moment.
They read their own vows, written on what Sabrina had described in her planning notes as “nice-ish paper” — a detail that made us laugh when we read it and made us like her immediately. The ceremony was short, personal, and not religious. Just two people saying the things they actually meant, out loud, in front of everyone.
A Ceremony With the People Who Matter
With the ocean and mountains framing them, Jason & Sabrina were pronounced husband and wife.
We moved through family portraits while the mountains kept shifting behind us — clouds rolling through the ridgeline, light changing every few minutes.
The light in that hour was soft and a little dramatic and completely Waimānalo. We didn’t need to go anywhere, but we did! The beach was only ten minutes away from the house, so we decided to drive over for couple portraits and have a little fun in the sand before dinner.
The Beach
Waimanalo Beach had been sitting right there the whole afternoon, close enough that it felt like a missed opportunity not to go.
There’s something about stepping away from the party for twenty minutes, just the two of you, salt air and no agenda; it has a way of letting the day actually land. Sabrina and Jason walked out onto the sand still in their wedding clothes, and for a little while it was just them and the water and whatever light was left in the sky.
Those are usually some of couple’s favorite photos from the wedding day and the ones that end up printed on a wedding album.
Dinner, the Rest of the Night, and Kalinda
The whole day was planned and coordinated by Kalinda of Dream It Hawai’i. A private residence wedding has a hundred moving parts that guests never see, and Kalinda handled all of them. If you’re planning a wedding on O’ahu and want someone who takes care of all the logistics, she’s the one to call.
What Stays With You After a Hawai’i Wedding Like This
Sabrina mentioned early on that she and Jason aren’t great at being photographed. She said it like a warning, but it turned out to be the best thing — because it meant neither of them was performing. They weren’t watching for the camera or managing their expressions. They were just there, in their backyard, with their people, on a Sunday afternoon.
We photograph weddings all over O’ahu and the other islands, and the ones we keep coming back to in our heads are always the ones that felt like this. Unpretentious. A little bit funny. Full of people who genuinely wanted to be in the same place at the same time.
Cheers to a life of joy, connection, and meaningful memories together!
If You’re Getting Married on O’ahu
At Vanessa Arias Photography, we shoot weddings across O’ahu and all the Hawaiian islands, and we’d love to hear about yours. Whether it’s a venue, a backyard, a beach, or something more adventurous, we would love to help you capture it.