Madeleine and Jarred always felt like the typical wedding experience didn’t last long enough. “We have been to a lot of weddings where it only lasted four hours and we’d never left feeling like we had enough time,” says the couple. “We thought that a destination would allow us to have the [extended] experience of our marriage rather than one single day.” The idea of spending a week with their friends and family inspired them to plan a destination wedding in Maui, Hawaii.

The couple had a positive reaction from friends and family. “Both of our parents loved the idea. They wanted to be on vacation as much as we did,” says the bride. “Most friends we invited chose to go because we gave them a year to prepare for expenses.” The couple had a total of 49 guests in attendance.

The couple used Wedding Wire to search and review potential venues in Maui. “Once we knew what our budget was, we used that to guide us,” says Madeleine. In the end, they decided on the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. “The Hyatt just gave us a romantic, scenic view that was indescribable.”

According to the couple, they had a very smooth planning process with the help of wedding planners. However, they faced the small challenge of having to ship all the décor and extra items they purchased for the wedding ahead of time.

The couple spent a lot of time communicating with their wedding planners via email where they could get a sense of how their wedding would turn out with inspiration and images from Pinterest. “The planners at the Hyatt are absolutely phenomenal and answered every question with extreme detail,” says the bride.

The couple also didn’t have to worry about organizing communication with their various vendors. “Almost all vendors were coordinated with by the planner,” says the bride. “I would give my ideas in pictures to the planner and she would pass on those ideas to the vendors.”

The bride and her mother wanted to show their appreciation for all the guests and ordered tote bags from Etsy, which they filled with snacks, sunblock, water, etc. and had the hotel place them in each room for the guests’ arrival. “It was a hit the whole trip because they were big enough to carry towels to the beach,” says Madeleine.

Travel logistics worked out nicely for the couple’s wedding with all guests arriving at least two days prior to the wedding. “Our guests stayed anywhere from four to ten days allowing each family to take advantage of the vacation or make it a quick trip,” says the couple.

The couple was able to cherish the valuable time they were able to spend with their closest friends and loved ones and realize they wouldn’t have been able to create the same memories in a shorter span of time if they had had their wedding in Southern California, where they live.

Madeleine and Jarred wanted to make their destination wedding special for everyone involved and planned four total events for their guests to enjoy. The events included a welcome hour where guests had access to an open bar, appetizers and live music, the rehearsal dinner that welcomed all guests to attend, the wedding and a morning-after brunch at Japengo. “I think we spent a bit more money because we had four events,” says the bride. “However, all of the events were so memorable, I highly recommend anyone to do this for a destination wedding.”

Madeleine and Jarred’s advice for newly engaged couples looking to plan a destination wedding is to do what you want! “Our destination wedding started as a small idea and ended up being the best memory of our lives,” says the newlyweds. “Think of the big picture, it’s your moment with your husband/wife.”

Vendors: Photographer: Anna Kim Photography, Wedding Planner: Sarah Hovis & Lyla Joffe with the Hyatt, Location: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Ceremony/Reception Site: Halona Kai Lawn, Florist: Country Bouquets Maui, Stationery: Minted, Cake: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Hair & Makeup: Marilyn Monroe Spa, Gown Designer: Made with Love Bridal, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Friar Tux Shop, DJ: DJ Del Sol