Behind the Scenes of Janet Mock's Wedding in Paradise

Janet Mock, who has already set the bar high as a trans woman, bestselling author, television host and pop culture icon, raised that bar a few notches higher last week with a destination wedding in her native Hawaii.

Mock exchanged vows with her longtime love, photographer Aaron Tredwell, and shared her story exclusively with Brides.com with a personal essay. And thanks to her social media posts and those of her friends, fans can enjoy a look at how the happy couple celebrated in paradise during and in the days leading up to their magical day.

Mock tweeted a photograph of the betrothed upon their arrival in Hawaii, just before Halloween.

In her essay on Brides.com, Mock recounted how she met Aaron in 2009, and how he proposed last December. "When I said yes, I had never been more certain about anything," she wrote, stating she was sure their engagement would be short and their wedding would be small and held on the beach in her hometown of Oahu. But that's where her certainties ended, she revealed:

"I struggled to imagine what my wedding day would look like because I had never imagined that I would actually have a wedding. I grew up in a world where girls like myself rarely got the guy in the end, where partnership wasn't readily accessible, safety wasn't guaranteed, and love wasn't part of the equation. I had no blueprint for happily ever after."

Oh em gee! My flowers are here. Thanks @suvexpressions and @karisa_lehua! #aaronandjanet

A video posted by Janet Mock (@janetmock) on Nov 4, 2015 at 1:10pm PST

Mock, often heralded for her bravery in openly discussing her transition and her dogged advocacy for trans women of color, showed she isn't afraid to post an Instagram picture of herself without makeup, as she and her fiance enjoyed Hawaii before their big day.

Lounging at the pool before the matrimony storm. #aaronandjanet

A photo posted by Janet Mock (@janetmock) on Nov 3, 2015 at 5:58pm PST

Mock wrote in her essay that she turned to the woman Mock called her "bestest friend," Mai Dinh, and her girlfriends Alicia and Nicolette, for advice on planning a wedding:

"Pick a location, interview planners, set a budget, and, most important, make sure you and Aaron are on the same page about what you want. Then I began pinning and following Instagram accounts like @caratsandcake, @apracticalwedding, and @Brides for inspiration."

This girl. Ride or die since 12 years old. #aaronandjanet #girlslikeus

A photo posted by Janet Mock (@janetmock) on Nov 7, 2015 at 3:08pm PST

Among her close friends invited to attend the small ceremony were fellow trans women Angelica Ross and Jen Richards, pictured here with Mai.

Ross, who is CEO of Trans Tech and a former showgirl, shared photos and video of her fabulous dress with her Twitter followers.

Feeling it in #Hawaii #AaronandJanet #GirlsLikeUs #MissRoss (thanks @christuttle for the slow-mo capture!)

A video posted by Miss Ross (@angelicaross) on Nov 5, 2015 at 8:47pm PST

And that dress didn't slow her down one bit when it came time to catch the bouquet:

#Repost @rslobodan Lol. One of my favorites. @angelicaross snatched that #bouquet. No other girl stood a chance! Still laughing about her #ninja moves. #aaronandjanet #drunkinlove #GirlsLikeUs

A photo posted by Miss Ross (@angelicaross) on Nov 7, 2015 at 3:52pm PST

In typical fashion, Ross posted there is a lesson to be drawn from her "touchdown dive" for those flowers:

Mock shared in her essay the calm that entered her mind as she and Aaron wed, and then wrote of the tears they shed together:

"Walking toward Aaron was the highlight of our wedding. All day I was managing details, texting with my planner, getting glam with my girls...then I saw my best friend, my partner, my everything and I just let all the details go. I was fully present, and so was he. Our synchronized "ugly cry" was the highlight of my wedding. Just the two of us, fully present in front of our people meant everything. It was a dream, an impossible dream come true."