1. Real Weddings

Anna & Chris: An Elegant Wedding in Kealakekua, HI

Anna and Chris got to know each other years ago while both were living in Manhattan. While attending New York University, Anna applied for a job as a

Anna and Chris got to know each other years ago while both were living in Manhattan. While attending New York University, Anna applied for a job as a hostess at a restaurant that Chris owned. They first met not long after she started working there. “It was quite possibly love at first sight,” Anna says. The Bride Anna Lane, 28, stand-up comic, actress, and writer The Groom Chris Heyman, 41, restaurateur The Date August 6 Anna planned a trip to Honolulu for Chris’ 40th birthday -- he had always wanted to eat at a particular restaurant there. The night before his birthday, the couple were sitting on the patio outside their hotel suite when Chris presented Anna with a gift -- an antique yellow-diamond engagement ring -- and asked her to marry him. “Of course I said yes!” Anna recalls. “Chris still says it was the best 40th birthday present!”

Anna and Chris wed at the bride’s family’s Kona coffee plantation. “I grew up in San Francisco, but my mom and stepdad moved to the Big Island ten years ago,” Anna says. “So Hawaii has become a special place for me, and for Chris as well. Most of our guests traveled long distances to share our special day. And many of them had never been to Hawaii before, so it was truly a gift to see their reactions to the beautiful island that is our second home.”
Anna and Chris exchanged leis as part of their ceremony. The bride’s lei was made from pikake flowers, while the groom’s was maile leaves entwined with white orchids.
Chris wore a sand-hued linen suit by Donna Karan and a cream-colored silk shirt from Tommy Bahama.
“Since Chris is in the restaurant business, and food is such a huge part of our lives, we both felt that it was important to have really great food and drinks,” Anna says. They chose a menu that was sophisticated and unique, and incorporated traditional Hawaiian foods. “The fish were caught the day of our wedding,” Anna says.
Anna and Chris’ reception took place in the middle of the coffee orchards. Six months before the wedding, the bride’s stepfather removed 35 coffee trees and planted grass, creating a spot just for the reception. The space was lit by Chinese lanterns and candles, and tiki torches lined the paths in and out of the orchard.
“I really wanted our flowers to be soft and understated,” Anna says. She carried a bouquet of locally grown white lilies, white orchids, cream-colored roses, and greenery, including herbs.
“Shortly after we got engaged, I found a picture in a bridal magazine of a beautiful centerpiece in a large footed bowl,” Anna recalls. “I tore out the picture and then spent several months trying to find something to use for our centerpieces.” Four months before the wedding, she finally found just the right bowls, which her florist then used to create her own version of the centerpieces from the picture -- “Only better!” Anna says.
Anna and Chris’ nuptials were all about Hawaii.
Anna had tried on many gowns in California but couldn’t find one she liked. She accompanied Chris on a business trip to New York and hit the bridal salons there. She quickly found the “one” -- an ivory strapless silk gown with a ruched bodice, silk chiffon skirt, and silk sash by Le Spose di Gio. “It flowed absolutely beautifully,” Anna says. “But the best part of all was that it was incredibly comfortable!”
Anna and Chris wed beneath a bamboo arch that was adorned with flowers and set on the lawn overlooking the coffee fields and the ocean below. The couple married in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony officiated by a local Kahu, who had also blessed the coffee farm and officiated at the bride’s mother and stepfather’s wedding.