Michael and Ricky’s love story is classic and uncomplicated. They met through a mutual friend, quickly fell in love and the rest, as they say, was history. When it came time for these two world travelers to tie the knot, they wanted a similar experience and feel for their destination wedding: timeless and stress-free. It was an easy decision for the couple to choose the ‘where’ – Maui, Hawaii. “We enjoy vacationing with friends and family, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to bring our closest family and friends together for our special day in our favorite destination on earth,” says Michael. As an added bonus, a lot of the couple’s guests had never been to Maui before and the RSVPs quickly started pouring in.

These lovebirds share a passion for exotic, tropical destinations, so what was it that made Maui so special? “We fell in love with Maui during our first visit in 2012 during a spur of the moment trip for my birthday,” says Michael. “With whale-watching season in full effect and the tranquility of the island, we were in love! We knew then that Maui was the place we’d be married, as we always knew we wanted a destination wedding.” 

With 87 guests scheduled to attend, Michael and Ricky, with the help of their wedding planner, went above and beyond to ensure their guests got the most out of their trip. The couple helped to coordinate room blocks, transportation and several pre- and post-wedding events. Guests were treated to a welcome event, post-wedding lū’au and a catamaran tour to the island of Lanai. “We wanted our guests to fall in love with Maui just as we had over the years, so we thought what better way than to have several optional events and activities?” says Michael.

Come W-day, Ricky and Michael got the formal, traditional wedding they had always envisioned – largely thanks to the help of their wedding planner with Belle Destination Weddings & Events. “We will say that having a wedding planner definitely alleviated the stress of planning…all we had to worry about was arriving at the venue on time! In the end, we’d do it all over again in a heartbeat, as the memories we made that week were priceless and will last a lifetime.”

Vendors: Photographer: Anna Kim Photography, Wedding Planner: Jane with Belle Destination Weddings & Events, Ceremony/Reception Site: Olowalu Plantation House, Cinematography: Ohana Films, Florals: Teresa Sena Design, Hair & Makeup: MeiLi Autumn Beauty, Lighting & Basic Rentals: Hawaiian Style Event Rentals, Specialty Furniture & Lighting Rentals: Signature Boutique Event Rentals and Rio Event Design, Linen & Specialty Rentals: Winters Events, China & Glassware Rentals: Set Maui, Calligraphy: Miss B. Calligraphy, Catering: Cutting Edge Catering, Bar Services: Garnish Events, Wedding Cake: Sugar Beach Events, Stationery: Bella Figura, Grooms’ Clothing Designer: Ted Baker, Bridesmaids’ Clothing Designer: BHLDN by Anthropologie, Officiant: Kekoa Yap, Ceremony Entertainment: Marvin Tevaga, DJ Entertainment: DJ ScottyD of Maui DJ Services, Hawaiian Entertainment: Manutea Nui E