Jordan and Whitney live in the Pacific Northwest, but the bride is originally from the beautiful Hawaiian island of Maui. Planning a wedding in February, the couple felt it was the perfect opportunity to treat themselves and their loves ones to a winter wedding in Maui! “Jordan and I thought it would be awesome to have our wedding in Maui in February to give our ‘mainland’ friends and family an opportunity to escape the Pacific Northwest’s rain, snow and cold and enjoy Maui’s beauty and culture.”

The couple’s plan was received with an enthusiastic response from their guests and they were joined by nearly 200 people for their Maui destination wedding! To help aid in the planning, the couple opted to hire a wedding planner with Exclusive Island Weddings. “I would definitely recommend using a wedding planner when planning a destination wedding,” recalls the bride. “They provide great insight and recommendations on vendors and venues, because they have worked with them directly. Our wedding planner did all of the vendor communication, which was so great. It really gave Jordan and I the opportunity to relax and enjoy our big day!”

Decision number one was finding their dream venue and Jordan and Whitney quickly did just that. “We fell in love with Olowalu Plantation House the moment we saw it,” says Whitney. “We loved the culture and history of the house and the beautiful ocean backdrop.” As with any outdoor wedding, one element the couple couldn’t control was the weather. All they could do was be prepared and hope for the best!

“One issue we ran into was that our wedding was outdoors and I did not want to have a tent up,” says Whitney. “I felt that a tent would ruin the whole island vibe of the wedding. Days leading up to the wedding were very grey and rainy. Maui’s island weather is so unpredictable! We ended up putting a hold on a tent just in case. We ended up calling the tent off at 9 a.m. the day of our wedding. It was risky, but it ended up being the most beautiful and perfect day!”

Weather also threatened to put a damper on their guests’ travel plans. “Most of our guests were flying in from the Pacific Northwest. The week of our wedding, there was a huge snowstorm in Seattle and Washington. We were so nervous that our friends and family would not be able to make it due to airport closures. Fortunately, everyone made it to Maui safe and sound!” After months of planning, the couple thoroughly enjoyed their wedding week.

“[Planning a destination wedding] took a lot of time, coordination and trust, but was overall very enjoyable,” says the bride. “I do not regret having our destination wedding in Maui – it was like having a vacation with 100 of your closest friends…when will that ever happen again?”

We asked this successful destination wedding bride what final words of advice she would share with other couples currently considering or planning a wedding away: “Enjoy every moment, the ups and the downs. There will be things that go wrong, but at the end of the day, you’re still marrying the love of your life!”

Vendors: Photographer: Caitlin Cathey Photography, Wedding Planner: Exclusive Island Weddings, Ceremony/Reception Site: Olowalu Plantation House, Florist: Country Bouquets Maui, Dessert: Rolled ice cream from Cream B Maui, Hair & Makeup: Ry-n Shimabuku, Gown Designer: Justin Alexander, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Generation Tux, Bridesmaids’ Clothing Designer: Show Me Your Mumu, Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Generation Tux, Favors: Big Island Candies, Minister: Aaron McMurray, Ceremony Music: Marc Dumalanta, Rentals: M&D Party Rentals, Dinner Plates & Silverware: Allen Mann, Catering: Dani’s Catering, Appetizers: Kaohu Store, Bar: Bar Keep Maui, DJ/Emcee: Next Level & Videography: Gali Productions