Saturday, June 9, 2012

Pavilion & Big Island Oceanside Weddings with Price List



Aloha and welcome to Rainforest Weddings.  Our specialty is intimate small scale weddings at either our own venue, the rainforest pavilion, or at certain island locations such as not-so-public beaches or oceanside outdoor sites.

The photo at the left shows the last part of the natural path through the forest into the pavilion.  The beach washed lava forms shallow steps.  As you enter the pavilion, you walk between a Sugi pine and a hapu'u tree fern.  A bromeliad grows at the foot of the hapu'u.  Tiki torches help light the path.  Moss forms a soft carpet along the perimeter of the path.

Beyond the pavilion, the views are out into the forest of kahili ginger, hapu'u, Sugi pines, ohia trees, orchids and other epiphytes and bromeliads.  The chalet on the grounds is hidden from view by the forest.









The photo at the right shows the carved altar and wedding altar piece of heliconia, ginger, anthurium and orchids, as you walk up the stairs into the pavilion, between a display of living orchids.

During a wedding, candles burn on the altar.  There is island music.










A vintage chandelier reworked with glass and crystal beads and copper wire wrapped sea glass provides lighting at the right side of the pavilion.

Carved Balinese benches provide seating.

Firebowls stand in the corners to provide ambience and warmth in the cool evenings.  The fire is a tiny echo of the burning lava of the volcano Kilauea, upon which we are situated.  The caldera itself is about ten minutes drive from this site, and readily visited after dark when the glow of the lava rising and falling within can be seen.



Below is price list.  Your wedding may be customized from the a la carte price list, or you may select a package already designed and specially priced.


Rainforest Weddings Packages and Prices

The pricing below is current for calendar year 2012.  Any reservations completed in calendar year 2012 for calendar year 2013 will be at this same price level.  Future reservation prices, for reservations completed in calendar 2013 and beyond are subject to change.  For a full description of services and amenities, please refer to our website www.mahinui.com and to our Facebook page Rainforest Weddings for additional information and photographs.  Please call or email with any questions.

Packages:

Zen:  day time wedding, vow renewal, civil union celebration.  Includes:  pavilion site, island music, sounding of the  triton shell, decor, custom ceremony, licensed officiant,  lei, cake, bubbly toast, certificate, on site photography, use of adjacent house for dressing etc, timeline coordination, three night honeymoon stay in either chalet on grounds or off site treehouse.   . . .  $2500
Zen without honeymoon stay  . . . $2000

Rainforest aloha:  day or evening wedding, vow renewal, civil union celebration.  Includes:  pavilion site, island music with guitar player, sounding of the  triton shell, decor, tiki torch path lighting, candle light blessing circle, fire bowls, custom ceremony, licensed officiant,  lei, cake, bubbly toast, certificate, on site photography, use of adjacent house for dressing etc, timeline coordination, three night honeymoon stay in either chalet on grounds or off site treehouse.   . . .  $2900
Rainforest aloha without honeymoon stay . . . $2400
Rainforest aloha plus 12 - 16 living orchids freshly interplanted along path . . . $3500

Rainforest aloha plus intimate meal in pavilion with live music  … $3500 for 2, $3700 for 4 … $4000 for 6, $4300 for 8

Off site ceremony (beach or park) includes celebrant, certificate, custom ceremony, flowers, musician,  photography at celebration, site coordination, permit facilitation … $2500    add 3 night honeymoon at treehouse or chalet … $3200

**all package prices are inclusive of clean up

Photographic excursions:  
half day  Hilo area, morning with waterfalls, beaches, gardens, lagoons  … $850
half day Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Black Sand Beach, heiau and environs  … $850
half day into sunset either of the above  ... $1000
half day Waipio Valley or Kohala Coast beaches & countryside, meet at Waipio overlook …  $1000 
full day west Hawaii park and beach excursion with sunset … $1600

A la carte pricing, pavilion site:
facility use for up to 12 people, includes use of house and pavilion for up to 4 hours . . . $750 
   *please note number 12 includes all using site 
additional hours . . .  $150 per hour
clean up post ceremony  . . . $300 
use of house and grounds inclusive of pavilion from 4 pm day prior to celebration until 10 pm night of celebration, with facility use for 12 people, including clean up: . . . $1200
standard decor, includes altar flowers and  plate rail flowers . . .  $300
add celebrant at pavilion site and custom ceremony …$400
on site photography … $850 
Full living orchid decor along path  . . .  $800
Blessing circle with candles, orchids, ferns, liko, etc:  …  $400
triton shell sounding with lei … $250 
guitar player … $250
lei for celebrant, wedding party of 2  … $100  .. add $12 for each guest
tiki torch path lighting … $200
three night honeymoon at chalet or treehouse … $800
intimate catered candle light meal for two at pavilion … $750   for four… $1000  
                                                                                         for six … $1500   for  eight… $2000
wedding planning services … $1500 and up

other specialty items, such as custom wedding cakes, bridal bouquets, limousine service:  inquire for pricing

The purpose of our package pricing is to facilitate a stress free wedding experience for all involved.  The use of our pavilion allows your ceremony to go forward regardless of the weather, in a totally private setting,  The pavilion provides shelter and enclosure without a sense of separation from the out doors.  It is our goal to provide a romantic Hawaii Island alternative to a justice of the peace or indoor wedding chapel style experience.  Our packages include almost everything broken out in the a la carte pricing if the ceremony is held in our pavilion at Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island.  We also provide off site ceremonies including beach weddings.  

The three night honeymoon as shown a la carte includes flowers, breakfast food and treats, turn down service, all cleaning fees.  Both the treehouse and chalet are situated in a private forest, with lanai hot tubs, top quality beds and linens, less than five minutes from the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Both have kitchens, outdoor showers, and views out into the forest canopy.

Availability:  currently there are openings as early as late July for a pavilion wedding and chalet stay and third weekend in August for pavilion wedding and treehouse stay.  Four to five months out is generally sufficient to find open dates to fit a somewhat flexible time frame.  For specific dates, over six months ahead is recommended.  

We may be reached as follows:
land line  808-238-0633
cell phone 510-965-7367 
email gail@mahinui.com
website www.mahinui.com








Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Hawaiian Rainforest Elopement


Although we happily perform weddings and civil unions all over the island, our rainforest pavilion is at the center of our imagination.  It gives us the versatility to offer a romantic experience that derives from the place itself, this ultra green forest on top of Kilauea Volcano.

This is Sara and Jason.  Sara's favorite flowers are hibiscus.  The hibiscus flower is so delicate it begins to wilt almost as soon as it is picked.  Up in the rainforest, there is enough moisture in the air that the flower holds up a bit longer.  We collected the flowers on the woody stems in the morning, and they retained enough hardiness to stand up in the blessing circle for the wedding, and to adorn the plate rail for the celebratory wedding supper.

Sara wished for a brilliant  pink in her lei, to do with her pink sash.  The pink in the lei is pink ginger petals, braided with ti leaves.  Jason's lei is the traditional maile, a fragrant vine.

The guitar player is William Jaiva.  William plays for us and he plays along with the best of the best island musicians in recording sessions and big events.  We are so lucky he enjoys being a part of the rainforest wedding celebrations.  He plays Hawaiian music and sings.  Some of what he does is all Hawaiian mele, some in English so you can appreciate the lyrics if you do not know the Hawaiian.

Jason and Sara chose a private wedding feast with tiki drinks to complete their wedding celebration.  The sea glass chandelier is our newest addition to the pavilion.  It is an old crystal chandelier reworked with copper wrapped sea glass and an assortment of glass and stone beads.  The lights can be made bright or dimmed down to candlelight level.

The wedding couple arrived late after a long flight, and settled into the chalet on the pavilion grounds for the night.  The next day they had a leisurely visit to waterfalls, and came back for their late day wedding.  After their romantic supper, a treehouse honeymoon.  The first day of their married life starts with a transit of Venus.

If you are not familiar with Hawaiian music, there is a lot on YouTube.  Some Hawaiian families like the Beamer ohana, the Kahumoku ohana, Cyril Pahinui and friends and family have brought Hawaiian music to a level where you do not have to show up here to hear it.  Thanks to YouTube and the internet generally this culture is at your fingertips.  Listen if you have a moment, and be transported to our world.  Here's Darlene Ahuna with Akaka Falls.   http://youtu.be/WCoXbcSfhwg  mood music to be certain, and views of our beautiful east Hawaii falls.

Aloha!