Sabrina and Dan
Wedding: 4/20/12
Elias was SO great!! He recommended some really great vendors that were in my price range!! He was quick to respond every time I had a question, no matter what time of day or day of the week. And every time I spoke with him he was really good at reassuring me that it was all going to be perfect, Elias has a great way of making you feel at ease about everything throughout the planning process. I am from Oahu originally, but I live in LA now, so it was hard to plan a wedding without being there to taste the food and see the venue, etc. I put all my trust in Elias, and I am so happy with the way everything turned out!
Elias and his crew were so full of Aloha, and they did an amazing job, my wedding day was truy a magical and wonderful experience and I am so grateful that I found Elias to be a part of that!!! Many Mahalos To Elias and his crew at La'akea Ocean Weddings!!!
A.J. V.
Wedding: 4/18/12
Elias was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was introduced to us through the wedding coordinator from our venue as someone who could help with a quiet wedding reception dinner at Ola restaurant on the North Shore of Oahu. He far exceeded all of our expectations. Being from the mainland, we had to rely heavily upon our vendors in Hawaii to help ensure everything was coordinated appropriately. Elias helped us plan an amazing tasting menu and was extremely conscientious when it came to accommodating food allergies of our guests. He also provided an absolutely stunning wedding cake which impressed all of our guests. We absolutely recommend Elias and La'akea Ocean Wedding to anyone who plans to get married in Hawaii.
Maria
Wedding: 3/1/12
We hired Elias as our day of wedding coordinator from a referral from one of our vendors. We could not be happier with this decision. All of the vendors that we worked with already knew Elias and spoke very highly of him, so right from the beginning, I knew we were in great hands! But Elias was AMAZING. He went above and beyond what I would have imagined, plus he was so pleasant to work with!!! He was thorough, reliable, prompt in his responses, hard-working and so helpful!! I would highly recommend Elias!
Annjill and Matthew
Wedding: 12/16/11
Oh my gosh! What can I say?! I'm speechless!.. It's been a month since my wedding and my husband and I are more than thankful to have La'akea Ocean Wedding a part of our wedding day!! Elias has been so amazing! The quality of service he provides is out of this world! Every phone call, text, email I sent him; he responds so promptly. Promptness is important to a bride especially who's planning a huge extravagant wedding :) The professionalism Elias and his team proved allowed me to put my trust in their hands. My wedding day was as perfect as can be. Not a worry in the world. Everything I've imagined was presented that day. I have no regrets or complaints.. I can go on and on about all the amazing details!.. You'll just have to experience it yourself. :) THANKS AGAIN to Elias and his team for your wonderful services on the day of our most memorable day of our lives! :)
Hazel Robertson
Wedding: 10/22/11
I would absolutely recommend Laakea Ocean Wedding. I always dreamed of having a wedding in Hawaii. I was trying to plan the destination wedding from Texas which made it a little tricky, but luckily I found Elias from Laakea Ocean Wedding and he did a wonderful job coordinating the wedding. He was always available for all of my questions and the vendors he provided were great! I was so glad that the Laakea Ocean Wedding team was part of my wedding because it really took a lot of stress off of me so I could focus on the true importance of the wedding; getting married to the man of my dreams! Thank you Laakea Ocean Wedding!
AliciaC
Wedding: 10/20/11
Elias is WONDERFUL! He has the experience, the creativity and all the things you want in a wedding planner. But he has so much more than that. He really loves what he does and really cares about the bride and groom.That seems like an obvious trait you would want but it is so so hard to find someone as genuine as Elias. I was overwhelmed with his warmth and willing to go above and beyond to ensure the day was perfect.
There were several occasions where he did more than was ever expected. While we were setting up the bartender and DJs areas we realized it was going to be a bit tight fitting the DJ where I had requested. Within minutes he was already getting his OWN tent. As a bride who tries to budget and plan ahead I was so thankful that he took charge, had a solution and didn't tack some crazy tent rental fee. He did it because he cared. He was also our bartender at the reception and I had a ton of friends from the mainland that came out for the wedding. My friends love a good party. By the end of the night I had a dozen people tell me how wonderful Elias was and how amazing the drinks were. They were definitely the best drinks I had ever had a reception!
He really made my wedding day special. All you have to do is meet Elias once and he will become part of your family. I don't know what I would have done without him! Much love and aloha from your friends Alicia and Chris!
AmyWarrenBode
Wedding: 9/24/11
Elias was AMAZING! Very responsive and always enthusiastic! He made the entire wedding process easy and so much fun! He was very helpful with ideas and flexible in every situation! Elias, along with his business partner Lorenzo, were extremely personable and full of energy. We worked with them personally the whole week leading up to the wedding and there was never a moment we felt he did not have a complete handle on everything as a whole. We got great discounts from vendors he works with and everyone we met was just terrific. We had an incredible, one of kind, magical wedding and one of the main reasons everything went so smoothly was because of Elias's hard work and dedication. He and his staff worked well with each other and everyone at the wedding! We could not have been happier! If you are planning or know anyone planning on getting married in Oahu, i highly recommend contacting Elias Gonzalez!
Keltie
Wedding: 7/26/11
We planned our wedding from Australia. Having never been to Hawaii, we put our complete trust in Elias to execute our ideas. Luckily Loulu Palm recommended him and he was the very reason our dreams came true. Its scary planning when you don't know the area/vendors/etc. and Elias answered all our questions, organised our venue using top quality products and sorted out the best food. One thing our guests noticed is that Elias has a passion for planning and cared just as much as we did that our day ran smoothly. He was there from beginning to end and the day was flawless thanks to him. Elias went above and beyond his role to ensure we had everything we needed and did an amazing job of the wedding and the rehearsal dinner. We will be recommending him to everyone. You are the reason our dream became reality, you're the best!
Elisa
Wedding: 5/18/11
I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am that I had Laakea Ocean Wedding (Elias G.) assist me with my wedding planning as well as the location I got married at on Oahu (The Loulou Palm Estate).
I am from the mainland and was very nervous about planning a wedding somewhere I had never been and didn't know anything about, but as soon as I talked with Elias and he began telling me about the island- the process and that he would be there to assist me with everything along the way I felt totally at ease and confident in my choice of wedding coordinator, and location. He followed through with every request, question and concern I had and went above and beyond always!
I don't even know where to begin with how amazing my day turned out. it was everything I envisioned it to be (seriously!!!). The grounds were stunning and AMAZING, the staff was accommodating and SO welcoming, the vendors that they recommended were the best to work with (Marie Blooms Flowers, Chef D'Angelo of Ola Restaurant at Turtle Bay, Pacific Party Rentals, the live music by Ellsworth Simeona and our officiant Elias Parker) and my wedding planner went above and beyond my expectations. Always responding instantly to my emails, did research for things I was curious about, found awesome deals and ways to work things in if it was a budget concern. Every detail of the day was just how I wanted it. I know Laakea Ocean Weddings and Elias took such attention to my wants and needs for my big day. As a bride doing a destination wedding this can be a major concern that your vision is being communicated and interpreted and understood.
When I arrived to the location the day of the wedding I had no worries and no stress Laakea Ocean Weddings and Elias took care of everything and made it my perfect day. Everything looked JUST as I envisioned the flowers the rental set up, the food was delicious, the ceremony officiant did a fantastic job and made it have a great hawaiian feel. It was the most awesome day of my life with my friends and family and all the people who helped to work on our big day. I wanted something laid back- elegant- beachy and Elias helped to achieve it to perfection.
My parents, family and friends who attending the wedding said it was one of the most amazing venues, and outstanding wedding coordinator they had ever had the pleasure of doing business with. (I had a lot of jealous married friends and now friends who are set on getting married on Oahu and using Elias as their coordinator).
If you are a bride who will be getting married on Oahu- have your wedding on the North Shore!!!! It will not disappoint you! I would recommend Laakea Ocean Weddings and LouLou Palm Estate to any bride looking to have a more private wedding away from the city!! Seriously the most wonderful people to work with both for coordination and for all the vendors you will need. Elias has a dream team that he works with and I loved every person I worked with.
Thank you, thank you, thank you - My wedding day was a dream come true!!!
Hallie
Wedding: 6/12/11
Elias is not only a wedding planner he is a wedding coordinator, travel agent, professional shopper, and more. He goes beyond what the definition of a wedding planner is, and I would rather work with him than a female any day. He understood me, my vision, very quickly and help make it a reality.