Sixteen years in the making, my sister finally! got married to the love of her life Mary on a bright, wonderful Spring afternoon in Kailua, Hawaii. Maxine and I were chuppah pole holders, along with Mary's brother Jay who flew in from Buffalo. Deb and my parents, Myra and Reive, also made the long trip in from the East coast to be there.
1 Wed evening after we arrived in Honolulu was an informal dinner for immediate family and out-of-town friends at Little Village in Chinatown
2 Deb, Max, and Jawea Mockabee
3 My folks, Myra and Reivan, and Deb's friend Karen Muldrow
4 Max, Jawea, and Mary
5 Myra and Karen Muldrow
6 Reivan with Deb's friends Laura and Chris Freeman-Clark
7 Somewhere in the middle of all the pre-wedding craziness was time for a lunchtime poke bowl at Bangga Bangga Poke in the Ala Moana food court. I loved the name so much, I had to take a photo.
8 Thursday night dinner was at Alan Wong's to celebrate both Deb and Mary's upcoming nuptials, as well as Myra's 80th birthday. Mary was in heaven since the first appetizer on the menu was the butter tasting!
9 The butter tasting- two unsalted butters topped with Hawaiian sea salt, and a third salted butter
10 Deb's seafood cakes were amazing
11 Opihi shooters with seaweed and nicoise olives. Opihi are Hawaiian limpets that are very difficult and dangerous to harvest from rocks in strong surf zones.
12 Mary's ribeye topped with "crazy corn"
13 Opah, or moonfish
14 Reivan had the seafood hot pot
15 Myra and Reivan bestow their blessing on Deb and Mary
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19 Max's dessert was haupia (coconut creme) ice cream inside a chocolate shell, formed to look like a coconut.
20 Myra celebrates her 80th birthday, looking good mom!
21 Coming out of Alan Wong's and waiting for our car, we noticed this peanut and seed store next door. Only in HawaiI!
22 Friday lunch with the out-of-town crew at The Pig and the Lady in Chinatown. Toasting on the left from from front to back are Deb, Laura Freeman-Clark, Chris Freeman-Clark, and Mary's brother Jay who had just flown in from Buffalo late the night before. On the right from front to back are Max, Jawea Mockabee, Mary, and Karen Muldrow.
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24 Porchetta banh mi with a "Cobra Commander"- mezcal with sriracha ice cubes
25 The pho is awesome
26 The sated but happy crew- Dave, Max, Laura, Karen, Chris, Deb, and Jay
27 Chris and Deb
28 On the way back to the car, we passed this store signage. With both gifts and weaponry for sale, how could we pass up a browse?
29 Yep, most of these buttons spoke to us
30 Deb with her pussy panties, a pre-wedding sale was not made
31 Friday night shabbat dinner was at the home of Deb and Mary's friends, Dana and Craig Washofsky. Rabbi Peter Schaktman and Mary's brother Jay.
32 Max and Gen Freeman
33 Deb with her college roomie, Chris Dickinson who came in from Chicago
34 Jawea and Mary
35 Karen, Deb and Mike Washofski, and Laura Clark
36 Dana welcomes everyone to Shabbat dinner on their lanai
37 Awww... Mary and Deb are overcome with emotions at the Shabbat table
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39 My, what a big match you have to light the Shabbat candles!
40 Deb, Max, and Myra prepare to light the Shabbat candles while Jawea takes a selfie
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42 Reivan does the long-form Kiddush
43 The challas had Mary and Deb's names baked on top
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45 Dinner spread, thanks to lots of work by Dana and Craig
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47 Myra and Reivan
48 Homemade banana and mango bread, and fresh pineapple for dessert
49 Chris Dickinson, Dana Washofsky, Rabbi Schaktman, and Max
50 The predicted Saturday rainstorms did not materialize, there are slow children playing in the chuppah just down this driveway in Kailua, and the brides-to-be have an industrial sized roll of plastic wrap. Sounds like all the ingredients for a wedding!
51 Max and Reivan
52 Myra and Rebecca
53 Deb organizing the leis for the wedding party
54 Dana Washofsky and Mike, her father-inlaw who was hosting the wedding at their house in Kailua
55 Chuppah pole-holders, prepped and ready
56 Deb give Max her lei. Notice how Deb is still not dressed for the wedding which is supposed to start in 15 minutes....
57 Rabbi Schaktman and Deb
58 Deb's friends Mellanie Lee and Nalani Leonard
59 Reivan with Deb's friends Tracey Messer, Karen Schneiderman, and Katie Friedman
60 Jay, Craig, and Rabbi Schaktman prep the chuppah
61 Mary and the pastry chef, as Mary explains once again how the cake is "so rich, I couldn't possibly eat another piece"
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63 Rabbi Schaktman and Jan Fried
64 Max and Jawea try in vain to cool off before the ceremony by hiding in the bushes and sipping wine
65 Craig Washofsky, whose folks were hosting the ceremony and reception, gives Mary and Deb their leis.
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68 Myra and Reivan
69 Dino Cutrara and Mari Yoshihara
70 The first dance
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74 Mary picked the R&B band Hawaiian Soul, who were simply awesome. Not what you would normally expect at a party in Hawaii.
75 Karen Schneiderman and Tracey Messer dancing to the band
76 Deb and Tracey, and Mary and Karen
77 Brother and sister, and a little Mary Poppins shade action from the afternoon sun
78 No Jewish wedding is complete without dancing the hora
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80 Post-ceremony replay with Cha Smith, Chris Dickinson, and Deb
81 The toasts and cake-cutting are about to start
82 Mary's former law partner, Jane Kimmel, toasts the newlyweds
83 The brides cut the cake, the brides cut the cake....
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85 Why indeed, it is soooo rich....
86 Deb and Mellanie at Cha and Colleen's house for Sunday morning brunch