Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Destination Wedding Hawaii: A Maui Dream Come True

Words by Courtney Kellar

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Jana Morgan Photography

Brittanee and Chad hail from Alberta, Canada and always knew they wanted to say “I do” in Hawaii. The couple traveled to Maui when they first started dating and easily pictured themselves one day getting married there. Also, after they compared the cost of getting married at home vs. a destination wedding, the choice was easy and they said “Aloha” to the isle of Maui, Hawaii.

Their families also frequented the islands and so were generally excited about the couple’s wedding. Their only reservation was the fact that the couple chose the month of July for their nuptials. Brittanee and Chad’s family would have liked the opportunity to escape the Canadian winter, but the couple stood by their wedding date and couldn’t have been happier in the end.

The couple recommends arriving to your destination a few days early. “We were both extremely relaxed during the days leading up to the wedding since we weren’t at home and thus we didn’t stress over any of the small things which came up,” says Brittanee. Finding accommodations for their guests was a cinch, since a lot of them already had time shares or homes on the island of Maui.

In the end, the couple never doubted their decision to have a destination wedding and was more than happy with their chosen vendors. Their wedding planner plus online research insured they worked with responsible vendors who were able to meet their wedding vision. Brittanee has some last words of advice for other couples considering a destination wedding.

“I am a planner and organizer, so the nice thing about a destination wedding was that there came a point where I could no longer plan or control. It was nice to have less stress and more quality time with my family and friends.”

Vendors:
Photographer: Jana Morgan Photgraphy
Wedding Planner: Laurie Terry with Makena Weddings
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Kukahiko Estate in Makena/Nick’s Fishmarket at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui
Florist: Bella Bloom
Cake: Maui Wedding Cakes
Bridesmaids Clothing: Dessy
Bride’s Gown: Pronovias