The bride always imagined having a garden-themed wedding but also loved the beach. Therefore, she married the two to marry her one-and-only! A destination wedding to Maui, Hawaii not only fit the couple’s wishes perfectly, but an old plantation house on the island yielded a posh garden-party by the sea.

Hazel and Dominic’s first visit to Maui introduced them to their dream venue, Olowalu Plantation House. Meant for small weddings, the house provided ideal intimacy for the island event. Part of the reason the couple chose a destination wedding was to spend ample time with their guests. Plus, it ended up being a great vacay get-together.

“Some of our favorite memories were made during the days leading up to the wedding and after. It really did feel like a week-long vacation with all of our favorite people together! Those moments are irreplaceable. It just wouldn’t feel the same if we had our wedding locally,” the pair say. 

Suggesting a few hotel accommodations and allowing guests to create their own itineraries allowed the couple time to focus on planning from afar.

“Since we were planning our wedding from afar,” the bride says, “we had to rely a lot on referrals, reviews we gathered online and we had to put a lot of trust into our wedding coordinator to guide us in the right direction.”

Constant communication through email or phone call kept a clear track of vision and needs over the year-long planning process. Additionally, the advanced timeline gave the couple time to do some research and build a relationship with their wedding planner.

In the long run, they built a plan for a stunning event that led to a once-in-a-lifetime vacation all in one! And the best part: they ended up saving money in comparison to ceremony back home, “because it limited our guest count to a manageable size,” the two say.

The bride admits, the process brought stress, but it all paid off to score a Maui seaside garden rondeaux!

Photographer: Roy Nuesca; Wedding Planner: Darren Keala with Bliss Wedding Design & Spectacular Events; Ceremony/Reception Site: Olowalu Plantation House; Florist: Petals Maui; Stationery: Aerialist Press; Cake: Sugar Beach Events; Hair & Makeup: Maui Makeup Artistry; Gown Designer: Made with Love Bridal; Groom’s Clothing Designer: Joseph Abboud; Bridesmaids Clothing Designer: Azazie; Groomsmen’s Clothing Rental: Men’s Wearhouse; Catering & Bar Services: Sugar Beach Events; Rentals: Hawaiian Style Event Rentals & Bamboo Shootz Photobooth; Calligraphy & Signage: Miss B Calligraphy; DJ/Entertainment: Joe Cortez of NextLevel808; Videography: BSR Visuals