A Laid-Back Polynesian Provo Wedding | Rylee + Aaron

Incorporating the culture of your soon-to-be spouse into your wedding is not always easy. Luckily, Rylee and Aaron were able to pull together a laid-back Polynesian celebration and we are sure their story will put a smile on your face.

Rylee + Aaron

*Rylee and Aaron were married on November 18, 2016, in the Provo City Center Temple.*

Aaron and I met while serving in the same mission in Houston Texas. Our paths crossed a couple times but we didn’t really get to know each other out there. It wasn’t until Aaron came home from his mission and contacted me on Facebook Messenger. I was working as a massage therapist in Utah and he was playing football in California. He said something like “So… you’re like a massage person right? I think I pulled something at practice. Can you tell me how to fix it?” It was a random text, we hadn’t talked in a long time. But I answered his question, then we kept talking and quickly became best friends. Then realized we were in love! We did long distance for 8 months from Utah to California visiting each other every couple months. He proposed on one of my visits out to California on the beach. He finally moved out here in August and we were married in November.

What was wedding planning like for you?

Wedding planning was a little bit stressful. My husband is Polynesian so I had a culture and traditions to consider when planning my wedding. I had a lot of suggestions and advice given to me from both sides of the family but ultimately Aaron and I decided to plan a wedding that we would enjoy. We knew we wanted great food, and great entertainment/music, so we planned a wedding that included those things.

What were your wedding colors and/or theme?

We didn’t really have a wedding theme. I just knew that I wanted gold to be incorporated. Our colors were gold, champagne, blush pink, plum purple, and maroon.

Describe your wedding style.

My wedding style was very inexpensive/simple. I bought my dress from a lady off of Facebook for less than $100. I found a cheap place to do flowers. We made our own bridesmaids bouquets and boutonnieres. We had amazing Polynesian food catered. We had a lot of people perform dances for us so the entertainment was free. Our DJ was a member of our ward. And our MC was my husband’s uncle. It was just a really laid-back wedding.

Looking back, would you do anything differently about your wedding planning and/or wedding?

I would delegate more. I took a lot of tasks onto my plate and I wish I would have asked other people for help.

What advice would you give LDS couples planning a wedding?

It’s okay to say no. You’ll get a lot of suggestions, and advice, but it’s your wedding and you can plan it however you want. Also, the sealing is the most important part of the day. Not which bridesmaids you chose, or the centerpieces, or the reception hall. At the end of the day what matters is that you’re sealed together for time and all eternity.

One last suggestion: I highly recommend getting a wedding video. My husband and have watched ours probably hundreds of times since. I’m glad we will always have that!

Tell us about your wedding reception!

My reception was the bomb! So many different Polynesian dances were performed. Great food was served. Great music was played. Everyone was dancing. I performed a Polynesian number for my husband. My husband and his brothers performed to dance together. It just was a big party. It was such a blast and I wouldn’t have changed a thing about my reception.

What is something specific that you remember about your wedding?

I just remember that was the happiest I have ever been! My family was all together, the man that I love was with me, and all of his family was there. It was like my whole world was together in the same room. We all had such a great time hanging out with each other.