There’s no denying this Haiku Mill wedding is something special. And while it’s got the kind of glamorous styling to make any wedding lover’s jaw drop, it also has a story that speaks to a family’s love and strength admits loss. Read on for the bride’s beautiful words, and don’t miss the stunning film by Love & You Video, along with the complete gallery from Bryce Covey Photography.
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From The Bride… Taylor and I met when we were young kids growing up in a small town of Washington. We were high school sweethearts who separated soon after leaving home for college and remained strangers for years thereafter. It wasn’t until a chance encounter that we reentered one another’s lives and embarked on the incredible journey of becoming husband and wife thirteen years later!
A few months prior to our engagement my father tragically passed away. Our wedding was scheduled on the one year anniversary of his passing and we wanted the week to be as much a celebration, as a symbolic rising from the brokenness we experienced just one year prior. We live thousands of miles away from most of our family and friends and desired a destination wedding which afforded our guests a vacation and us an extended period of time to celebrate with the people we love most. Taylor’s grandfather lives in Hawaii and we both spent a considerable amount of time vacationing there through the years. Selecting Maui was an easy decision.
We wanted the event to embody family, friendship and connectedness, culminating in a grand celebration. The week of our wedding would be spent with guests at a beautiful resort, but we wanted our wedding day to be something truly magical. With a background in interior design and architecture, and a deep passion for historic structures, it has been my dream to be married inside a ruin. The moment we stepped onto the Haiku Mill grounds I knew our search was over. It is one of the most special places I have ever experienced. The structure is overgrown with foliage and the owner has seamlessly integrated ancient artifacts she sourced in Europe throughout the grounds. Stepping inside the ruin brought me to tears and our decision was made.We would rent large tour buses and shuttle our guests from a beachside resort into the Maui countryside for our fairytale wedding.
The theme of our wedding was Hawaiian Versailles Garden Party, which was heavily influenced by the nature of our space and the bounty of parisian artifacts sprinkled throughout. We wanted sophisticated elegance with a casual attitude. Guests were encouraged to wear neutral attire and the wedding party followed suite. The groom wore a grey suit with tie and the groomsmen, bridesmen (I had two) and ushers all wore variations of a grey suit ensemble with white collar shirts and rolled sleeves. The bridesmaids wore full length nude sequin gowns, which had an incredible vintage deco feel. I chose to wear a form fitting lace mermaid dress and a long cathedral veil.
As the owner of an interior design firm, 30 Collins, I took great pleasure in bringing our vision to life. I designed and handcrafted every detail of our day down to the website, invitation suite, maps, programs and cards to inform guests of our special day. I used a handwritten cursive script for all text on heavy white watercolor paper and drew a whimsical map to include in the package. The collateral was a wonderful window into what guests could expect for our big day.
Although our wedding was not held on the beach, the ocean has significant meaning to Taylor and myself. Just prior to the ceremony we made the short drive to a remote outcropping and spent our last few moments together alone with the ocean before becoming husband and wife. Our photographer, Bryce Covey and Videographer, Love & You Video, followed us down to capture the very intimate moment. The experience and resulting photos still take my breathe away.
Our wedding day was one of the most magical of my life and an experience I will forever cherish. Taylor and I were incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many family and friends who traveled so far in support of our love and celebration of the next chapter in our lives together. Of the innumerable magical moments which occurred that day, one of the most memorable was in the form of a giant rainbow which greeted us upon being pronounced husband and wife. I knew it was a special gift from my father to signal his joyful blessing and it will remain one of the most treasured memories of that once in a lifetime day.
From Love & You Video…We feel so lucky to have filmed Nicole & Taylor’s wedding. They chose to have a destination wedding in Maui, at Haiku Mill, one of the most unique and sought-after wedding venues in Hawaii. Once a real Sugar mill, now breathtakingly beautiful event venue. It’s like stepping back in the time and getting surrounded by elegance and beauty.
Video was very important to the couple, specially since brides grandmother was not able to be a part of their special day, we felt a big responsibility to capture every important moment as perfectly as their wedding was so the grandmother can feel like she was a part of it too.
Everyone can see how good looking the couple are, supermodel gorgeous! Not only that, just watch the video to see how strong the love is between them and how happy they are to be marrying each other.
Photography: Bryce Covey Photography | Videography: Love & You Studios | Design: Nicole Heininger | Floral Design: Bella Bloom Floral Boutique | Wedding Dress: Enzoani | Invitations: Nicole Heininger | Reception Venue: Haiku Mill | Bride's Shoes: Armani | Bridesmaids Dresses: Adrianna Papell | Catering: Maui Executive Catering Company | Makeup: Jessica Waite Makeup Artistry | Grooms Attire: Ralph Lauren | Transportation: Poly Ad | Hotel: Grand Wailea Resort | Wedding Venue: Haiku Mill | Bar Service: Bars Are Us | Bride's Clutch: Whiting Davis | Bride's Earrings: Ben-Amun | Rentals: Island Rents | Website: Nicole Heininger