Exclusive: Join Influencer Kristina Rodulfo for Her Travel-Themed Wedding on the Beach in Oahu, Hawaii
After matching on a dating app, Kristina Rodulfo proposed that she and Michael Heal meet for the first time at a popular cocktail lounge. “He was a few minutes late, which, now that I know him is so unlike punctual Michael, but he was new to NYC from Australia and still figuring out the public transportation system... and had a cute accent, so I forgave him,” Kristina laughs. Conversation flowed naturally, and one drink became a three-hour date, ending with one-dollar pizza (Aussie Michael’s very first) and aimless wandering around the city: a true movie-magic moment.
When the groom popped the question in 2021, the event was filled with love and serendipity. On a walk along the Brooklyn promenade, a “spur-of-the-moment” selfie turned into Michael getting on one knee. “He gave a beautiful speech, and a photographer was on the side capturing it all!” the bride recounts. “The crazy part is that the photographer ended up being someone I worked with in 2016 as an editor at ELLE and wrote about the rise of single women doing engagement-style shoots solo and hiring an ‘Instagram Husband.’ We even took photos in the same places!”
Early in the planning process, the couple decided on a destination affair. “Our shared love of travel is one of the things that first drew us to each other,” Kristina says. “Since we began dating, we’ve knocked off many destinations on our bucket list: falling in love in Bermuda, having life-changing meals in Mexico City, hiking mountains in Switzerland, and more.” Seeing as Michael hails from Sydney and Kristina from New York, they chose to meet in the middle for their nuptials. “We chose O’ahu: it is literally a 10-hour flight from either city!”
Kristina and Michael wanted to prioritize their guests’ experience during their wedding. As such, they created a weekend itinerary filled with fun, engaging activities for their loved ones to connect. Notes Kristina, “I’d describe our wedding-weekend aesthetic as Old-World romance meets the Golden Age of Travel. Mad Men is one of our favorite shows. We love that era’s aesthetic, so we incorporated romantic, vintage elements into our wedding while also paying homage to the natural beauty of Hawaii.” First on the docket was the casual-and-engaging Welcome Party on a rooftop in Waikiki, complete with a “make-your-own welcome bag” station. Following that evening, the pair hosted their rehearsal dinner. “We held the dinner at The Pig & The Lady, a local family-run Vietnamese restaurant with a unique, Asian-American immigrant story close to my heart as someone who champions AAPI-owned businesses,” the bride says.
The next day, guests from near and far gathered on the beach for the seaside ceremony. “We loved how Secret Island, with its sand, palm trees and beautiful view of the island Mokoliʻi, really had our guests feeling like they’re in paradise,” shares Kristina. “For our ceremony, we had white cross-back chairs to blend into the sand, and we created an altar/aisle by putting together planks from a wooden dance floor slightly buried in the sand so it looked natural, even though we were on a beach, we still wanted it to feel like a formal wedding, so a proper aisle was key.” Inspired by the couple’s travels through Europe, a soft palette of blue and yellow dotted the space. The bride and groom also participated in cultural traditions to honor Kristina’s background. “During the ceremony, we performed Filipino wedding traditions like placing a cord around us (a symbol of our infinite commitment), a veil over us (representing the support of our family and friends) and instead of lighting a unity candle because the wind on the beach would blow it out, we decided to do a sand ceremony (to represent our lives combining).” Filipino cuisine was a main feature throughout the evening, including a signature cocktail with calamansi (a Filipino citrus fruit) and a full lechon (roast pork) served at cocktail hour.
The alfresco reception venue incorporated small, romantic details at every turn, including delicate string lights, postcard-inspired guestbook notes and escort cards made to look like keys on a large display with the words, “You Have the Keys to Our Hearts.” The newlyweds did an artful job of infusing their personalities into each decor element. “Instead of a standard photo booth with immediate print-outs and props, we wanted to create an elevated ‘lounge booth.’ This is actually a trend we spotted while attending The Knot Gala in 2022!” reveals Kristina. “Everything was purposefully selected to reflect our relationship, love story and love for our guests.”