Your Hawaii Source for pictures, vacation travel guides, info and more!

Home | Hawaii Introduction | Contact Us | Partner Links |

Weddings and Honeymoons

According to Hawaiian legend, if a man shares a wave with a woman, then a courtship is sure to follow. So is it really any surprise that countless people have fallen deeply in love in Hawaii's deep blue waters?

Tana Kekina knew she loved the ocean, but she didn't know that the ocean would bring her the greatest love of her life. It happened one sunny afternoon on Oahu, when Tana was surfing with her friends at Diamond Head, a popular surf spot. As a prosecutor for the city and county of Honolulu, Tana had learned early on to approach any new situation with caution. So being new to the sport of surfing, Tana decided to sit on the shoulder of the wave, avoiding the crowd at the wave's peak. One of the surfers paddled away from the crowd and headed towards her. "Oh great," thought Tana. His name was Ruben and he was one of the best surfers out there. "Come over here," Ruben called and motioned her to come closer. "You're missing all the fun!" At first Tana thought he was just trying to bother her, but she soon realized that he had nothing but good intentions. After talking in the water and discovering they had mutual friends, Ruben and Tana arranged to surf again the following week. "I really got to know Ruben out in the water," recalls Tana. The waves were plentiful that summer and she and Ruben filled the time in between sets with stimulating conversations and stolen kisses.

Ruben constantly motivated Tana to surf and would often pick her up from work with their surfboards in his car. Together they became passionate about surfing - and each other. "Ruben encouraged me a lot and helped me to become a better surfer," says Tana, "and now surfing has truly become a part of my soul."

After surfing the islands for over five years and exploring new surf spots together, Tana and Ruben decided to marry. Since they had met out in the water and because surfing had become such a big part of their lives, their wedding invitations were designed with a beautiful wave photo, which became the theme for their wedding. The ceremony was held at a gorgeous beachside estate on the Diamond Head coast, looking out at the exact surf spot where they had first met. After the wedding, they celebrated their marriage at the Outrigger Canoe Club. It was only fitting that after all the wedding festivities had ended, the two newlyweds paddled off into the sunset... on their surfboards, of course.

Mr. and Mrs. Ruben Cabaniero still surf all the time now. And we are happy to report that Tana is eight months pregnant. Better make room for one more out at the surf breaks!