This little diamond has been in my bookmarks for so long, and I'm so glad I finally got to check it…read moreout this visit to Oahu. In addition to their restaurant, there's a quaint little wedding chapel with gorgeous views of Diamond Head in the back. We were able to stop by for brunch, which was AMAZING and literally one of the BEST meals we had during our vacation (which really says something considering how delicious food in Hawaii is). We ordered their signature souffle pancakes, which were unbelievably fluffy yet light, as well as their omurrice, which came with a perfectly whipped egg omelette and the most delicious Japanese-style cream of corn soup that I've had. Highly recommend checking this hidden gem out if you're visiting Honolulu! Featured here: Soufflé pancakes Omurrice Cream of corn soup

We were invited to enjoy lunch at Waikīkī Leia by cruisemates whom we met during our recent journey…read moreto Japan and Korea. We hadn't heard about this place until our cruisemates described the location and recommended the Island-style Fusion French brunch menu. I recognized the site as the former Diamond Head Anela Garden Chapel and Guest House, which offered a private wedding venue and restaurant services during the mid-2000s, but was unaware that it had undergone renovation and was renamed to "Waikīkī Leia. We excitedly accepted the invitation as we reminisced in the luscious French cuisine by master chef Jacques Pépin aboard our cruise ship. Upon arrival at Waikīkī Leia, we parked our car in their spacious parking lot and entered the guest house/restaurant. The hostess greeted us as we confirmed the reservation and seated us before the other couple joined us. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the tropical gardens and were soothed by the gentle splashing waterfalls while perusing the menus. Our cruisemates, who have dined at this restaurant before, ordered their usual breakfast menu items, Plantation iced teas, soufflé pancakes, and eggs Benedict. Since we were blessed with a gorgeous, sunny, warm, and clear day, we started our meals with iced teas, priced at $5 each (Plantation for my husband and Volcano for me), served in cute mason jars. Both iced teas were flavorful and refreshing. For my entrée, I chose the Seafood Rice Gratin ($25), which was preceded by a fresh mesclun salad drizzled with a well-balanced tropical vinaigrette (featuring liliko'i or passion fruit). The combination of mixed greens offered light, bitter green notes, spiciness, and tender bites, thanks to its variety of leaves, and prepared my taste buds for the rice gratin. The butter rice was topped with tender cooked shrimp, scallops, fish, and calamari in a rich Mornay sauce. The golden brown gratinée complimented the bubbling hot Mornay sauce. I waited a few minutes before digging into this fragrant and delicious dish. Our server warned me about the heat coming from the gratin dish and to avoid touching the dish. My husband chose the Trio Seafood Platter $30. The oven-baked seafood was artfully plated and accompanied with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. He showed me the tender and moist flakes of salmon when he cut the portion. The scallops and shrimp were also done perfectly and lightly seasoned. However, he kept glancing over to my Seafood Rice Gratin and I felt pressured into sharing my meal with him which he said he wished he had ordered the Seafood Rice Gratin instead. We ended our meal by sharing the Japanese Dessert Trio (green tea ice cream, warabi mochi with kinako and kuromitsu or "black honey", and warm sweet azuki beans topped with fresh whipped cream) $8.50. The trio of desserts treated our palates to hot and cold and not cloyingly sweet or less sweet Japanese desserts. Our server was friendly and professional and not too chatty with us as with other guests. There were two servers to wait over the fully-occupied restaurant so service lagged at times and we often had to flag down our server for water or beverage refills. We weren't rushed and leisurely enjoyed the convivial venue and lively conversation within our group and thankful to our cruisemates for introducing this restaurant to us. 4.4 stars

It is breathtaking! Such a beautiful chapel in paradise! The area is beautiful and weather is…read morealways perfect!

I don't recommend this place at all! No customer service no parking for guest. They turn you away…read moreand tell you to find public parking. Only the workers can park inside ! No consideration at all. There is an empty lot next door they should have told us to park there since the wedding is about to start instead she said you were told to park at Aulani right, the other guests made it in time, the chapel lady is a bitch, yes I get it lady .... she basically implying that it's our fault you came late -- okay I get it lady-- that doesn't help us at all... so with that said-- DO NOT USE THIS CHAPEL! Horrible customer service!

We had our wedding at the Akala Chapel two weeks ago, and we had a fantastic experience! Everyone…read morewas super nice and made us feel confident that we would be taken care of on the day of our wedding. The chapel was absolutely beautiful, and the team running the venue worked very collaboratively with our day-of coordinator to ensure that everything went smoothly for our big day. Junko did a great job making sure that we had everything we needed and even accommodated us to wait in the bridal chamber so that the we wouldn't see each other before the ceremony! I highly recommend the Akala Chapel for a special day!

The most beautiful place to say I do with the most helpful team. The only thing better than the…read moreviews is the team that brings it all together for you. From the first time we reached out to the team they were helpful and responsive. They answered every question we had and guided us through the process. The team is super communicative and efficient. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect. Have to give a shoutout to Christine, who constantly made sure everything was perfect for us throughout the day and especially during the ceremony. She is a perfect person with a beautiful heart who genuinely cares about the couples getting married at their venues. I cannot say enough good things about this place and the team. If you're thinking about saying I do, do it here. Reach out to Junko and her team and start planning. Mahalo for the most amazing day of our lives. Cannot wait to visit the island again and stop by to say hi to the team.

Sally and team are rock stars and fantastic at what they do. My wife and I knew we needed someone…read moreto help us with our planning and coordination as our wedding would be a destination wedding for many of our guests. Arluis Weddings was provided to us as a recommendation. First and foremost, if you're on the fence on wedding planning and/or coordination, I hope this review convinces you that it is 100% worth it, and if that's the case, Sally and team are 1000% worth it. Like many couples, my wife and I were one of the Covid couples that had postponed their 2020 wedding. We decided to shift our wedding to the islands to keep it closer to some family and also help keep our wedding size smaller. We initially found our venue at the end of 2020, but made no planning until April of 2021 when we felt safer on having a wedding. At that point, we had nothing else planned and knew we needed help. We started off with an initial phone call with Sally, and we knew right away that we wanted to partner and work with Sally. This was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Despite only having a few months to plan everything, Sally and team helped make our day a reality and success. I will share a few anecdotes to help convince you that you should work with this team. 1. Despite only planning the wedding with about 3.5 months of lead time, at no point did my wife and I feel any stress related to the planning. Our only stressors were associated with the pandemic which was out of the control of both us and any vendor. Despite that, Sally made sure to have our back on all our planning. My wife and I were fully able to focus on our work and a recent home purchase that we made. At no point did wedding planning cause us any stress and Sally and team were really helpful to make sure of that. 2. Vendor selections - We had a few inspiration pictures and boards that we shared with Sally, and she helped us make the perfect selection for exactly what we wanted. These were things such as our furniture rentals, place setting, dance floor, and many more things you don't think about initially like a welcome sign! Moreover, Sally helped work to make sure we were efficient with our dollars even helping us book more price efficient items like the dance floor from vendors she works and is familiar with. 3. Since this was a destination wedding, Sally made sure to go to our wedding venue and work with our contact at the venue to preview layout. Moreover, it was the first time our DJ worked at this site (and they were awesome too by the way), so Sally went with them to preview the space. We had a detailed floor plan and an idea on how the day would be executed. We met the day prior to go over the details so that everyone would be comfortable on the day of the wedding. 4. Finally - we had no issues at our wedding and it was a wonderful celebration. For example, we took a little bit longer on taking some photos that we wanted (our choice), and Sally and team were there to help make sure we got everything back on track - helping us grab our room key from our friend while we took pictures, meeting us at the room, and then helping bring back items to our room at the end of the night. All of these things were unprompted by us, but ultimately made a difference in making sure the night went well. These are the small things you won't initially notice or think of, but really help make a difference. We had many guests tell us that it was one of their favorite weddings they've been to. Sometimes you'll think this is flattery, but the fact that many have shared it with us has made us extremely happy. This is in part thanks to Sally and team. Thank you so much for making our day wonderful. Make sure to inquire and work with Sally and team!

Wow. Went to an amazing wedding put on by Arluis - despite all the restrictions, they did a great…read morejob - the multi-lingual staff, venue, service and wedding flowers were all amazing. They made everything seem like it was so easy - but with so many moving parts it was just a miracle Arluis was able to get things done so professionally and with a lot of Aloha! Obviously they are lucky to be able to offer so many great venues throughout the Hawaiian islands - but they really put together a top notch team with only the very best vendors and staff. It is so difficult to know what you'll be getting into when booking from so far away, but the wedding we went to was absolutely perfect - and what couple doesn't deserve the very best for their wedding day?! Seriously wanted to get married again (to my same spouse of course!) after attending an Arluis wedding! They do all sorts of weddings apparently and the Aloha we felt really made my friend's wedding extra special.

Pretty venue for parties and functions. I was here for a wedding. There are amazing views in all…read moredirections. You will need to use an intercom or call for someone to let you into the estate. There are many private homes and ranches that share the entrance gate. Follow the signs that read - kaala vista. There is only grass parking so bring an umbrella so u dont get wet. The venue consists of 2 homes and a large patio deck for dining and dancing. There is also a spacious lawn area for activities such as the photo studio and painting. There are restrooms in both buildings. The staff are courteous and helpful with questions. If u leave at night, there are lamps that will help u get to the main property gate to leave. It is really dark at night here so drive slow.

Ka'ala Vista is located in Waialua. It is a little hard to find and could be locked. If it is, you…read moreneed a passcode to get into the very first gates (next to a sign that says goats for sale). Then you drive in and pass another gate with a cemetery and make a left and drive all the way down the road. There you will find a gated house with a pool. Parking is on the road, but there is lots since their property is so large. This venue is actually for weddings but you may also utilize this space for photoshoots too - and with your dogs! We were lucky enough to be invited to a dog's 1st bday party here (I believe this was their first bday party held for dogs in this location). The dogs got to roam the property and play in the pool! SO MUCH FUN! The scary part is the hill/cliff as its not fenced, but makes beautiful photos.

Aloha Island Weddings made our special day a wonderful, carefree and memorable experience. Seeing…read morethey specialize in Beach or Outdoor style weddings on their awesome website, we were impressed with the style and flair they project. The only thing was we were having a Church Wedding ! After E-mailing Paul through their infi8ity@gmail.com address, I (we) were immediately relieved that the information exchange back in forth felt like communicating with an old friend. No pressure, No Hurry, No Worries. After figuring the amount of time, photo's and video needed, Paul was able to quote an estimate along with how much of a down payment was needed to book the Date n Time of the event in question. Of course there are many add ons you can request as far as flowers, lei's etc. All for nominal fees. We're thrilled at what we received for dollars spent. Paul was also able to make it to our rehearsal at Church. This allowed him to get a feel for the layout an ask questions as far as church etiquette is concerned. He was professionally exceptional ! When the big day came it was so comforting to know it was all being documented with Pics. and Video by professionals. He brought a couple extra photographers to assist him document our Nuptials. I can't brag enough about Aloha Island Weddings. Thank You Paul, Dewi and Co. for making Joyce n I 's Wedding Day such a Happy, Memorable and Wonderful Experience !

There is just no words to describe our experience . Paul and his wife gave us unforgettable…read moreexperience . My fiancé made me feel so special during the proposal that will always be in our memories . Paul made us feel really comfortable and private at the same time . The energy that this couple gives will make every event unforgettable and special . If I would ever have a chance to have a wedding I would only Choose Paul and all his crew .

We reached out on short notice and was able to setup a time on sunset a few days out. Rita was…read moregreat, making our little ones feel at ease during the photo shoot. Despite taking a little extra time to prepare the final edited photos, she took care of us and we're grateful for the gesture. Ultimately, the final shots were gorgeous and we have a lovely memory for our postcards.

Rita was great! We did our maternity shoot with her and she was so down to earth and talented…read more Love, love, loved the way the pictures came out. I looked at probably 10 different photographers before landing on Rita and I'm so glad I decided to go with her. Getting photographed by her was one of the highlights of my vacation on Oahu.

I highly recommend Megan! I got the brow makeover and Megan explained the process very well. The…read moreafter care is very easy to follow as well. She is very easy to talk to while getting the service. Very friendly and makes you feel comfortable. The results were amazing! I love my new brows. I also added the hydro facial for my brows and my skin around my brows looked amazing. The salon was easy to find and there was lots of parking.

I cannot rave enough about my brow lamination experience with Megan--she is seriously the brow…read morequeen. From the second I walked in, she made me feel completely at ease. Megan took the time to understand exactly what I wanted, explained the whole process, and made sure I was comfortable the entire time. Her attention to detail is unreal--my brows came out looking full, lifted, and flawlessly shaped while still totally natural. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does and puts her heart into every appointment. I left feeling so confident, and I've already gotten a ton of compliments. If you're thinking about getting your brows done, RUN to Megan. She's a total gem!