Kelvin Ho spoke as we all prepared our minds and hearts for the start of their ceremony midst the Hurricane Lane that was quickly approaching the island.

“We are, in an extra ordinary time” he began, “the largest and most intense weather system on this earth at present is nearing, and it is part of this passage, we are all part of it. Gratitude for the gifts it has offered each of us, guided us in recognizing our perspective and relationship to nature, gifted each and every one of us to look within and honestly evaluate what is truly most important to us, what do we love most, what is our kuleana to protect and preserve…”

The energy in his voice and his words gave me goosebumps. He spoke of how he admired Kepa and Cassady for envisioning the most beautiful and spiritually connected experience to honor their love, their families, and this land and ocean.

“months ago, I asked Kepa and Cassady to watch for ho’ailona, signs in nature of their love and loved ones who had passed that would manifest in the elements and speak to us all if we listened. That even with the best of planning, at some point the experience would take on a life of its own where the best we can do is look to their love for guidance in all.” 

Multiple times they would speak of Kepas’ mom who had passed away and how they felt her presence in the wind, and every time they would speak of her, the roof would shake from front to back with a wind gust and they would look up to acknowledge her presence. The spirit and blessing upon these two was undeniable and it captivated all of us, the energy we felt was something that can’t be put into words.

When it came time for Kepa and Cassady to exchange their vows, they stood at the front of their venue which had been changed 4 days prior due to the storm, in front of their loved ones who were able to make it there midst the chaos. They looked into each others eyes as they spoke quietly to one another, choosing to exchange vows between only them. We couldn’t hear their words but we could feel their hearts and even in the silence my eyes welled with tears. Kepa and Cassady radiate light and love and there is something so special about them and the energy that surrounds them. They had asked their guests for the gift of pure and true presence and undivided attention, and not once did we see a single cell phone the entire day which was so beautiful and rare. Kelvin closed the ceremony with this passage:

“Kepa and Cassady, you are descended from people who navigated the greatest expanses of earth by the stars, [in reference to Kepa’s dad who was a crew-member on the Hokule’a’s maiden voyage in 1976 where they sailed their canoe from Hawaii to Tahiti by only using the stars], and your children will be descendants of this celestial guidance. Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. Your loved ones are here in spirit, and they rejoice with you today… To calm for worry, to noble for anger, too strong for defeat, today we shall walk through fear without hesitation”.

It was truly an honor to be in Cassady and Kepa’s presence with their families for these moments. They are some of the most inspiring people I have ever met – thank you Kepa and Cassady for having us there, we are all so grateful for you both. And thank you for making us cry all day haha. Love you guys, and of course, congratulations!

*A special thank you to Peter and Micah, we had the whole Bradyhouse Photographers team working together and I couldn’t have done it without them!

**if you know Kepa and Cassady or if you enjoyed these photographs, be sure to click the “like” button below and feel free to leave them some love in the comments section♡ thank you so much for being here and i hope you have a magical day!
xox