Wendy Laurel is serving up a good dose of inspiration for your destination day-dreaming today thanks to this oh so gorgeous Maui wedding she sent our way. We can't thank her enough, because this causal yet elegant island affair is officially where our brains will be vacationing today. With the gorgeous blue hues, insane only-in-Hawaii views and an oh so handsome Bride and Groom - we don't blame you a bit for joining us in the full gallery for a little mid-week vaca!
Maui Wedding by Wendy Laurel
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the bride... Jake is from Cocoa Beach, Florida. He came out here with a friend for a 3 week vacation almost 4 years ago, got a job as a landscaper and never went back. I was born and raised here in Lahaina. I left for a bit for some school and some traveling, but came back in January 2010. When I got back, my little sister, Bridget, insisted that I meet one of her youth group/Young Life leaders, but I didn't jump at the chance. I did finally meet him a couple of times in April at church events, and he got my phone number from Bridget. For 2.5 months, he called or texted me a couple times each week asking me out, but I never agreed. Finally, Bridget sort of embarrassingly forced a date upon us, and we've been together ever since. By September, after two requests and a camping trip with my family to Lanai, we were "official." By Christmas, we were deeply in love and knee deep in planning a 4-day hike through the Haleakala Crater. By February everything was wonderful, and while I was getting excited for Valentines Day, Jake was busy. He met with my mom & stepfather to ask them permission to marry me. He got ahold of my father in Thailand, who I rarely speak with, to ask his permission and very secretly designed a ring with a tiny jeweler in Wailuku. Valentines Day came, and Jake came over to my apartment to make me breakfast before we went to work. When I got home, he had purchased 140 potted orchids (one of my favorite flowers) and decorated my 400-square-foot home! It was incredible. He pickled me up later & took me to Merrimans for dinner. Then he asked if I wanted to look at the stars, I of course agreed. We drove down to Slaughterhouse. When we got to the beach, there were tiki torches set up with a blanket, champagne, candles and rose petals. I thought someone had paid to have that set up and that we better move away quickly. Jake gave me a hug, said it was for me and got down on his knee. It was so amazing, romantic & more than anything I had ever dreamed of. Our favors, the stemless wine glasses, had "Eat, Drink & be Married — Rachael & Jake — September 9th 2011" printed on them in my own personal handwriting. My "old" was a bracelet and hair pin I got from my favorite vintage shop, Hula Gypsy; my "new" was my dress; "borrowed" was a beautiful necklace with a cross on it from my godmother; and my "blue" was my shoes! Our cake was made by a friend of our, Lindsay Hunt. She offered to help us with that, and it was wonderful! It was a Blue Velvet cake with buttercream icing and a great paisley design. We had jugs of margaritas & mojitos, which I made little medallions for. Along with that, the food and drink reflected our tastes: my favorite red wine, mini pizzas and spinach salad, along with Jake's favorite beer and sliders. I love hydrangeas, so when I contacted Maui Floral to order flowers in bulk, they were great with helping me figure out an array of flowers to compliment them. (Lisianthus, Matsumoto Asters, Spray Roses, Dendrobium Orchids and Delphinum) Our style is very relaxed, so going with the usual structured, ornate, perfected florals wasn't an option. We got quite a few quotes from florists on the island but in the end, what Jake and I had in mind was so simple and sleek we realized it made no sense to pay someone to do them. So a couple friends and I put them all together. Our 'theme' was sort of vintage chic, and I love the look of variation so I started collecting vases and jars from thrift stores in March. Everyone made fun of me for have dozens of them all over my house, but it worked out perfectly!
Wedding Photography: Wendy Laurel / Second Shooter: Alisa Greig / Flowers + Program Fans: DIY / Bulk Flower Supplier: Maui Floral / Wedding Venue: Kapalua Resort (The Bride's Step-Father is the Property Manager) / Earrings: Hale Zen (808-661-4802) / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Shoes: Anthropologie / Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal / Hair: Bride's Godmother / Makeup: Bride's Best Friend / Stemless Wine Glass Favors: Kim Williams of Williams & Associates