Jen and Tommy’s wedding at Olowalu Plantation House

Jen and Tommy’s wedding day at Olowalu Plantation House was a vibrant destination celebration. Having been in the wedding industry for more than 15 year, it’s assumed that bride-to-be Jen would have had her whole day mapped out. But as it turns out, she leaned heavily on friends, family and trusted vendors like La Fleur Weddings & Events to help influence her big day. The result is a bright and colorful beach wedding punctuated by amazing arrangements by Teresa Sena Floral. Michael & Anna Costa captured it all and we could’t love the happy images any more Enjoy!

From the bride: Tommy and I met about 10 years ago through mutual friends while camping in the desert. At the time we were both in other relationships but maintained our friendship through time. About 5 years ago we met up again on another camping trip and had both found ourselves single again and interested in each other. It took 9 months for us to have a real first date but we were both hooked from that point on.

Tommy and I are both fairly old fashioned and both of us are pretty stubborn.  He told me he would marry me any time I asked him to and I would retort that I would marry him as soon as he asked. I’m pretty sure I win the stubborn award because I held out until one night when we closed down a restaurant on the beach and he got down on one knee to ask me to be his wife with the ring of my dreams in hand.

After the engagement we both agreed that a small, intimate wedding was the way we both wanted to go.  The island of Maui was a natural choice for us, having vacationed there we fell in love with the island and all that it offers.

Having been in the wedding and special events business for upwards of 15 years you would think this bride had her ideal day mapped out and “pinned” to the most minute detail. Nope. I was a lost little bird who had to be bullied to pin things and ended up leaning on close friends in the wedding industry to pick linens, figure out my florals and other touches that added to the day. The only things I knew that I needed and wasn’t willing to compromise on were having a coordinator and photographer that I knew and loved since these are the folks that make the day happen and document all of the details.
Dress shopping was interesting for me as I am not, and never have been, a tiny girl. With most dress shops topping out at a size 6 for samples it was almost comical trying to find “my style” at the first few shops. Fortunately I found Sara, the “dress whisperer”, at Della Curva in the San Fernando Valley who pulled out one dress after a quick chat and “get to know you” session and I was done. The strapless sweetheart bodice was a deep cream colored Chantilly lace and the skirt was layers and layers of ivory chiffon. The dress was finished off with a simple dusky rose ribbon. I was able to design earrings to match with another close friend who is a jewelry designer; she found pink freshwater pearls the size of grapes and paired them with rose gold and Herkimer diamonds.

Given our busy work and life schedules we knew we weren’t going to be able to make it to the island for any site planning, tastings or any of the other “normal” pre-wedding meetings that typically happen when you plan a year in advance. Fortunately we had access to a wedding and event planner that was not only intimately involved with weddings all over the island, but also happened to be a close trusted friend who “got” us. Jill LaFleur of LaFleur weddings was instrumental in matching us with the right vendors and orchestrating the wedding day so that I didn’t ever feel like I had to lift a finger.

One of my revelations in regard to the design and look of our wedding was that there was no one color scheme or design in anything I chose. I love color, and lots of it and was thrilled with the whimsical and colorful bouquet, ceremony decor and centerpieces that my florist, Theresa Sena, created. They paired perfectly with the fun linens from La Tavola as well as with the venue that was set on an old plantation on the beach in Olowalu. Dark wicker couches and white ottomans were placed around the dance floor and bar area for our guests to lounge and watch the festivities throughout the night. Theresa also provided the most adorable vintage mailbox for our guestbook table. Instead of a traditional guest book we opted for vintage postcards from the Hawaiian islands for our friends and family to write notes on.

Food and beverage were at the top of my list and our food caterer and beverage caterer both knocked it out of the park. Small bites and casual stations were our choice as neither of us wanted a stuffy sit down dinner. The signature cocktails were absolutely glorious, garnished with tropical flowers and made with fresh squeezed juices and local Hawaiian rum and vodka.

One of my very favorite moments from the wedding was the end of the night where the DJ played “Don’t Stop Believing”, the entire crowd was on the dance floor minus my sweet husband who then proceeded to rip off his wedding shirt and join the crowd. I look at the photos that Michael and Anna Costa captured of this moment and all the rest through the night and am so happy that this incredibly silly, sweet man chose me to spend his life with!

Photography: Michael & Anna Costa // Wedding Planner: Jill La Fleur La Fleur Weddings & Events // Florist: Teresa Sena Floral // Venue: Olowalu Plantation House // Music: DJ Boomshot // Catering: Mill House // Hair & Makeup: Hair & Makeup by Heather // Transportation: Akina Aloha Tours // Rentals & Lighting: Island Rents // Craft Cocktails: Garnish // Linen Rental: La Tavola Linen