villa siena arizona wedding | dion + gabrielle

for as long as I can remember, the perfect idea for a vacation has always included dreaming of crystal blue waters of the ocean, laying out in the sun with a fancy pineapple drink in my hand (okay, so maybe just a diet coke on ice served in a pineapple?!).an island - hawaii or some other polynesian island - is still high on my achievable bucket list hopefully in the not so far future ;)growing up watching musicals like "South Pacific" only fueled my island daydreams.and now lately with the release of the new Disney Princess trailer about Moana - the polynesian princess,that island daydream is thought of often as of late.all of this to say when I got to meet + photograph dion + gabrielle,I was immediately fascinated with the two of them and their amazing Samoan culture.I've learned that Samoan is not the same as Hawaiian, the islands are actually about eight hours away from each other flying(yes, I mapped it for hopeful future reference) ;)Dion + Gabrielle are incredible traditional Samoan dancers and perform all across the country.I asked Dion why the animated faces and slapping...he laughed and told me a little bit of the history of the dance and how it originated in Samoa because of mosquito's!I thought he was teasing me, but he assured me he wasn't!he went on to tell me that traditional dances in Samoa were originally based on real life movements,and since the mosquito's were such an issue, the Fa'ataupati,one of the dances that his dance group performed at his wedding, incorporates the "mosquito" slapping and stomping!the dance also signifies strength and stability...but I still think it's awesome and amusing about the mosquito's!Dion + Gabrielle's amazing dance group and even friends who knew the dances,joined in the dancing + entertained us as the night went on,fire dances, elegant swaying hips from the women, elaborate head pieces and THE cutest "pineapple princesses"all danced for Dion + Gabrielle and their family + friends!but I have to say, my absolute favorite dance of the night was actually Gabrielle's at the end...the Taualuga, is a traditional Samoan dance where the floor is cleared and only the bride dances...all of her family + friends and groom then circle her cheering her and throw money at her,admiring her and her skill as she gracefully danced, she smiled and nodded at all her loved ones who surrounded her.it was beautiful and literally is the closest thing to a Polynesian princess dance that I've ever seen...Gabrielle was absolutely mesmerizing!at the end of the dance, family and friends rushed in and lifted Dion + Gabrielle happily on their shoulders...it. was. an. awesome. night. that I was so thankful to get to photograph...honestly, getting to spend the whole day with these two amazing people and their colorful and fun familywas nothing short of a mini-vacation to Samoa...thank you for having me Dion + Gabrielleand I wish you both a lifetime of happiness - Fa'amanuia le Atua! :)

weddingsJen DriesbachAugust 10, 2016arizona engagement photography, Arizona wedding, arizona wedding photographer, wedding photography2 Comments

villa siena arizona wedding | dion + gabrielle

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