A Classic Hawaiian-Inspired Wedding at the Martin Johnson House in La Jolla, California
Nick Sidney and Kip Hustace wed at the Martin Johnson House, which is part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. "We both grew up near the ocean—Nick in San Diego and Kip in Hawaii—so we wanted an oceanside celebration from the get-go," the couple says. "The Martin Johnson House sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific and has a large outdoor deck surrounded by beautiful Southern California trees and plants." The event had a San Diego–Hawaii fusion theme, which was brought to life with pineapples on the wedding invitations, Mexican food, Hawaiian flowers, tropical cocktails and an ocean-inspired color palette of blue, yellow and orange. The grooms got ready together before the wedding. Nick wore a dark blue suit and Kip chose a slightly lighter one—and they both accessorized with matching orange ties, pineapple lapel pins and orange socks with sea turtles on them. "In a nod to Kip’s heritage, we each wore a woven ti-leaf lei as well, and we gave other leis to our families," the couple says. Nick and Kip wrote their own ceremony, officiated by their closest friends. It incorporated poetry readings by their siblings, vows, a ring exchange and a Hawaiian kapa ceremony. "Simply put, this is a tradition of wrapping a couple in kapa (a traditional barkcloth) to signify the creation of a household," Nick and Kip say. "Neither of us will forget the joy that we felt standing there and quietly embracing, surrounded by our closest friends and family." The reception featured simple decor to keep the focus on the coastal scenery of the Martin Johnson House. The blue-covered tables had centerpieces of pineapples, monstera leaves, orange proteas and succulents. Guests enjoyed a Mexican-inspired meal of tacos, and then snacked on wedding cake and bite-sized desserts, including some macadamia nut shortbread cookies that the couple shipped from Hawaii.