After the first few days of working together at a frame shop, Rob thought Alison looked suspiciously familiar. “I just couldn’t figure it out,” he says. “I just thought he was hitting on me when he said he knew me from somewhere!” laughs Alison. Further conversation revealed that they had taken drum lessons from the same teacher when Rob was in high school. “Alison had the 5:00 p.m. slot, and I had the 6:00 p.m. slot,” says Rob. “She would come down the stairs while I was heading up.” Not only that—it turned out the two had grown up only three houses apart! It didn’t take long before Alison took the initiative. “I asked him out,” she recalls, pleased with herself. “We were both waiting to see who would make the first move.”
THE BRIDE Alison Croft, 32, assistant store manager, Home Depot Expo Design Center
THE GROOM Rob Stankiewicz, 28, drummer
THE DATE October 14
THE SCENE Alison’s parents’ house, Argyle, Texas
THE PROPOSAL Rob had originally planned to propose on top of the Haleakala volcano in Hawaii during the couple’s vacation, but, to his dismay, the road to the top of the crater had been temporarily closed. Unfazed, he drove in the opposite direction until he found the perfect spot. “Alison just thought we were driving around to find a good spot to watch the sunset,” says Rob. “She had no idea I was looking for a place to propose.” At exactly 6:00 p.m., Rob pulled out the ring he had been toting around the entire vacation and popped the question as the surf crashed beneath their feet.
THE PLANNING The couple decided to incorporate their proposal location into their wedding, and quickly settled on a Hawaiian theme. The invites were designed with a funky font, which set the mood. “The overall look was very exotic,” says Alison. “It totally piqued the interest of those who received the invitation.” They also opted to include a unique reply card. “We didn’t go with the standard format, where guests respond by putting a check mark next to ‘attend.’” says Alison. “Instead, guests were given a blank card where they could a write a note for us to put in our wedding album.”
THE BRIDE WORE Alison chose to wear an ivory sheath with a lace overlay covered in small pearls and iridescent sequins. “The ladies at the dress shop called it the Titanic dress,” she laughs.
THE GROOM WORE According to Alison, “Rob knew he didn’t want to wear a bow tie and cummerbund.” A custom-made black jacket and vest (courtesy of his mom Lorraine) was worn for the ceremony, with an added “furry” purple belt and vest for the reception.
THE FLOWERS To celebrate the Hawaiian theme, the bride wore a purple orchid lei, while the bridesmaids wore leis of purple and white orchids. Rob wore a traditional Hawaiian groom’s lei made from maile leaves, while the groomsmen wore braided green tea leaf leis. Alison’s bouquet featured the traditional Hawaiian heart-shaped flower in the center (known as a red antherium), which was surrounded by Bells of Ireland blossoms to represent her Irish grandmother.
THE CEREMONY The wedding took place at Alison’s parents’ home on ten sprawling acres, surrounded by lush green trees, a big red barn, and wide-open spaces. A distinctively tropical ambience was created with glowing tiki torches and tropical flowers. Arriving in a white stretch Hummer limousine, the entire procession pulled up to the ceremony site and walked down the aisle flanked by torches on either side. “You could see the looks on the guests’ faces when the limo pulled up,” says Alison. “They were like ‘Oh, my God! What’s that?!’” Since Rob had already given Alison a ring, the couple exchanged Hawaiian leis (flown in from the island itself) as a sign of their love and commitment.
THE RECEPTION “The overall mood of the reception was so casual and relaxed,” the couple says. “We were there to just enjoy the moment, and we wanted those around us to be as laid back as we were and have a good time.” Rob even sat in with the band and played a couple of tunes, including Alison’s dance song with her father.
FIRST DANCE It took a little bit of coaxing to get Rob—not your typical twinkle-toes—onto the dance floor. “The poor band was trying to help,” Alison remembers. “They played our first dance song three times before I finally grabbed Rob and took him onto the dance floor!”
THE CAKES The pina colada-flavored wedding cake was covered in fondant and designed to look like a stack of presents. The volcano-inspired Kahlua chocolate groom’s cake was topped with tuxedo-patterned chocolate-covered strawberries.
PEACE OF MIND Alison and Rob kept Hawaii’s laid-back mentality on their minds throughout the day, which helped them keep calm. “We tried to remember that there is nothing you can do once the day comes,” they say. “Rain or shine, sleet or snow, tornado or hurricane, you are getting married that day.”
-- Sarah Lacamoire
Photography © Cheryl Diaz Meyer and Huy Nguyen
-- Sarah Doyle
See More: Real Weddings: Theme Weddings
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