Claire Chan and Stephen Reisert attended 10 weddings in the months before their wedding and learned an important lesson. “We definitely wanted to do it our way,” he says. As a child, Claire often visited Hawaii, where her relatives live, and Stephen proposed during a trip there. (They both love surfing, and he proposed in the water.) The location was important to both of them. “(Hawaii) has a way of grounding you in a really humbling and enriching way,” Stephen adds.
Given the island location, the couple put a lot of thought into the logistics. “People come from so far away and Hawaii is not a nightlife place,” Claire said of their decision to hold the ceremony early in the day. “Mornings are such a beautiful, quiet time in Hawaii and you’re always jet-lagged. You get up (usually) at the crack of dawn and take advantage of the day.”
Claire, who founded New York-based cafe and general store The Elk and Brooklyn bar Mr. Melo, and Stephen, a venture capitalist, compared the planning process to starting a new business. “It was quite a lot of work,” she admits. They enlisted Kimiko of KH & Co to help them. “She was so instrumental in bridging the gap because we couldn’t be there in person,” Claire explains. The couple visited Hawaii once before the big day, a whirlwind visit with tastings and other activities.
After the Lahaina wildfires devastated the area, the couple felt it was important to use local vendors and prioritize hiring people who had been affected by the tragedy. “We wanted to show respect, as these are strangers coming here, but also people with real roots on the island,” says Stephen.
The tea ceremony
On the Thursday before the wedding, Claire and Stephen invited close friends and family to a tea ceremony, a Chinese ritual honoring family elders. “It’s very symbolic that the newlywed couple serves tea to their elders and they give them a gift or a red packet that expresses their approval and their wish for a long, successful marriage,” Claire says. “We made that our own. It wasn’t super traditional, but we wanted to honor that tradition.” They then had dinner with a small group of friends at Mama’s Fish House. “I think back to what our goal was all weekend: Let’s just make this process relaxed so everyone can just have fun,” Stephen explains.
The welcome party
On Friday, the couple hosted a welcome dinner at Spago at the Four Seasons, where the first season of The White Lotus was filmed. “The mood was like a tropical cocktail, and so was the dress. Our flowers were local flora and fauna,” says Claire. “There was also a beautiful sunset in the background. We had a lot of guests coming that day, so that was the kickoff and welcomed everyone to Hawaii. We channeled The White Lotus The atmosphere is also good when eating.”
The location
The wedding took place at Haiku House, a historic 40-acre estate that has been owned by the bride’s family for a decade. The grounds feature over 200 species of trees, citrus orchards, and an organic garden. It is one of the few properties of its kind on the North Shore available for short-term rentals.
The ceremony
Claire and Stephen began the ceremony with an early morning breakfast, where everyone who had come got ready with them. “What inspired us the most was definitely what we wore and our choice of music,” he says. Stephen walked down the aisle to a song by Frank Ocean and Claire entered the room to “Godspeed” by James Blake. A local minister led the ceremony and the two arranged for a floral wreath exchange and the “Breath of Hā,” a traditional Hawaiian practice in which the couple observes a minute of silence and takes several long breaths together. “I thought about my mom a lot,” Claire says. “She died when I was 18 and she was so present during the ceremony. We had a little pseudo-altar with her photo and a photo of her is always in my locket that I always wore.”
“Hawaii and all its natural splendor connects us to our spirituality. It was just a perfect place and a perfect setting under this insane, huge, towering banyan tree,” says Claire.
“When guests arrived, we really wanted to bring out that tropical, local feel. They had the choice of coconut water, Bloody Mary, cold brew, or mimosas with fresh oranges from the orchard. Before the ceremony, we served malassadas, which are local doughnuts, and a ton of other local foods,” says Stephen.
After the ceremony, there was a lunch under huge, hanging branches. Cutting Edge provided a modern take on a roast suckling pig with local ingredients like purple sweet potatoes. “We were really lucky that it didn’t rain,” says Claire. “The sun didn’t come out until the end of the lunch when the clouds practically cleared. My cousin’s young daughter, who lives in Hawaii, did this beautiful hula dance for us.”
The couple used the services of numerous Hawaiian vendors, but also preferred other companies from Vancouver, British Columbia, where Claire grew up, such as their wedding planner, DJ and portrait photographer.
The outfits
For the ceremony, Claire wore a dress by Yves Saint Laurent from 1976, when the designer, her personal favorite, was still designing his own pieces. “I love vintage. It was important to me to reflect that. I was really lucky to find this beautiful dress from Tab Vintage,” she says. For the reception, she wore a modern slip dress by YSL.
Stephen, who describes himself as a “Bode boy since day one,” wore a custom linen tuxedo by the brand, featuring Hawaiian flowers and the wedding date embroidered on it. He paired the look with eel-skin shoes from The Row and changed into a cream suit by Connor McKnight for the after-party.
The reception
When guests arrived for the celebration, they found a wall covered in photos taken that morning. “It was whale migration season, so whales were jumping out of the water. It was just ridiculous,” says Stephen. The party began with a song written and performed by Claire’s sister that told the story of their relationship.
“I could have married Claire at the registry office, that would have been enough for me,” admits Stephen. “The fact that the meaning of this celebration came full circle – that two people love each other – was something very special that I will remember forever.”
Claire and Stephen got married in Hawaii, but it all started with an engagement party in Brooklyn.
The bride wore Cult Gaia to the tea ceremony.
A closer look at the process of this important Chinese ritual.
Claire wore Cult Gaia to the tea ceremony.
Claire and Stephen hosted their welcome party at Spago.
Claire and Stephen had a welcome party at Spago.
Claire poses with her guests.
Shortly before the ceremony.
“I had this vision in my head of what it would be like. It exceeded all my expectations in terms of how I felt and when I felt present and in the situation,” says Claire.
Claire shortly before the ceremony.
The happy couple after the ceremony.
“I had this vision in my head of what it would be like. It exceeded all my expectations in terms of how I felt and when I felt present and in the situation,” says Claire.
Guests attend the wedding dinner.
After the ceremony.
Guests at the wedding dinner.
Claire and Stephen go to the reception.
Go to the dance floor.
Claire and Stephen go to the reception.
Claire and Steven storm the dance floor.
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