Susan and Johnson share a mutual love for traveling, gaining new experiences and exploring unique places. Maui, Hawaii may take the cake as their favorite location. They got engaged on the island and two years later decided to have their destination wedding by the ocean there.

“The main reason for wanting to do a destination wedding was to be able to experience it with our friends and family,” the couple says. “Many of our friends and family stayed after the wedding to spend a few days on the island and this made the trip even more special as we got to do excursions and explore the island together.”

Having done their research on venues before choosing Maui, they had a good idea of what to expect. They knew they needed extra help if they were going to plan a wedding from afar without any visits to Maui before the wedding. Luckily, they found Darren with Bliss Wedding Design who would be their boots on the ground and help them avoid faux pas.

“Darren, let us know that there had been some issues with the location due to restrictions of it being a private estate. Luckily, since we were on a two-year planning timeline, he put a hold on a variety of locations for us to select from,” the couple says.

Over google hangout calls and email correspondence, Darren would provide options of local vendors for the couple to select from. The bride would follow those vendors on social media to take a look at their work and frequency of Maui weddings. 

The travel logistics were relatively simple, according to Susan. “We reserved room blocks and provided a discount code via Hawaiian Airlines,” the bride says. “Most guests coordinated themselves and got Air BnB’s to share.”

To keep a tab on costs, the couple set a realistic budget and kept true to their priorities. Susan and Johnson knew, for example, photography and videography held high importance so they could preserve the memories of the day.

If not for flights and accommodations, the couple would have ended up spending about the same amount to do a destination wedding than if they’d had a local wedding. But the additional expenses were, as the bride says, “well worth it because of the BEAUTIFUL backdrop of a Maui Beach.”

Vendors: Photographer: Chris J. Evans; Wedding Planner: Darren Keala with Bliss Wedding Design & Spectacular Events; Ceremony/Reception Site: Sugar Beach Events; Florist: Petals; Videographer: Seeking Films; Cake: Sugar Beach Events; Hair & Makeup: Meili Autumn Beauty; Gown Designer: Lazaro; Groom’s Clothing Designer: Indochino; Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Lulus and Indochino