When the bride is from Australia, and the groom is from the States… the only place that was the perfect halfway point and ticked every one of their wedding must-have boxes also happens to be a place of paradise. Yup, you guessed right! This gorgeous wedding day captured by SASs Photography and planned by Platinum Weddings & Events took place on the happiest little island of Maui at Sugar Beach Estate. From her chic Vera Wang gown to the tropical blooms from Dellables, we can’t gush enough about the gorgeousness of this wedding day…
From the bride… Scott and Lauren are the classic – Boy meets Girl. Boy likes Girl, Girl likes Boy. The complicating factor is that they lived over 5000 miles away from each other: Lauren lived in Australia and Scott lived in Washington DC. Long, long distance story short, Lauren moved to Washington, D. C. And their Maui wedding planning wasn’t far behind.
Lauren and Scott’s wedding day was more than the start of their marriage, it was their way of thanking their friends and family for supporting them through long distance, international move, and for helping make them the couple they are today. With that in mind they knew they had to incorporated these three factors: a) a location that combined fun with relaxation, b) amazing food, and c) a setting that would reflect them as a couple. Hawaii was an easy pick, particularly because it was half-way.
Lauren – a true beach gal at heart and Scott, a gentleman who will spend only so long sprawled on the beach, Hawaii ticked box a. It also has such amazing fresh food and local produce that we knew we would be in good hands for box b. Most importantly Hawaii had the ability to capture the essence of them as a couple: it could be as fun and down to earth just as much as it could be classic and elegant. We knew that the wedding was the end event of an amazing week on Maui and therefore, needed to be big, full of energy and packing all the “WOW” factor. Lauren and Scott knew when they started planning the wedding that we really wanted the beautiful backdrop of Maui to speak for itself and simply to add touches that highlighted and showcased what the island had to offer. This style fitted them perfectly: elegant, classic and fresh.
They choose a simple color scheme of white, gold and greenery. The venue, Sugar Beach Estate, provided the most stunning waterfront backdrop, which was ideal as the space did not overpower nature’s beauty, yet continued to wow even after the sun went down. Florals were a big priority, with dreams of hanging orchids and greenery. They trusted their planner’s recommendation for the florist based on the vision they had given her and they definitely exceeded the dream! (see the reaction photo alone!).
The vendors executed Scott and Lauren’s vision completely and then some… They definitely went above beyond, bringing extra lawn games, gifting chargers for the table setting, and adding additional florals. It was those little touches that made them realize how grateful they were for selecting incredible vendors with the huge help of Platinum Weddings & Events.
Family is incredibly important to both Scott and Lauren and they wanted to involve them as much as possible. Scott’s father, John, was the officiant. This was such a memorable moment, especially considering Scott’s grandfather had married his mother and father. Both mothers and the father of the bride performed readings which left the guests with teary eyes. The kept their bridal party small, consisting only of their siblings. They were truly surrounded by love and family. One of the most unforgettable moments was Scott’s cousin, Olivia’s performance. Olivia had never performed in front of the family before, so it was a special treat for her to perform. Everyone was in awe from the first note and her father, Rigo, had tears of pride streaming down his face.
Although, the tears had already started before Lauren took her first steps down the aisle, Lauren walked down the aisle to the song Scott wrote for their first Christmas together – “Loz’s song”, a one of kind and complete expression of Scott’s love for Lauren. It detailed their love story which was the perfect tune to take those steps to the pinnacle of their love story – their ceremony. Other special details of the day included: a veil borrowed from Lauren’s best friend Bernadette (who couldn’t be present because she had just given birth) and Lauren’s earrings that were remade from her grandmothers jewelry. Lauren also hand-painted flip flops for each of the ladies to change into when the dancing started which matched the handcrafted beach welcome bags she made for each of the guests. The two most unforgettable moments of the night happened after the band started playing. The first time Lauren travelled to meet Scott’s family, he sent her a warning – “Beware, our family has this weird tradition with the chicken dance.” Once the chicken dance begins to play, the whole family circles around cousin Lala and performs the dance. This has happened in the middle of Rome, restaurants, Thanksgiving Dinners, and so a wedding was no different. Their incredible photographer Sydney of SASs Photography took the most amazing photos of family members mid-flight. Not to be out down, the Aussies also rallied to some classic Aussie rock making a dance circle and belting out some true Aussie songs… By the end of one Australian Ballard, it was the Aussies and the USA crews mixed together. It was at this point the wedding met every single expectation. Families and friends coming together as one incredible group, who were there because they shared love for one incredible couple. It was truly a dream come true. When planning a wedding, selecting your vendors is the most overwhelming and important task – you are trusting them to bring your vision life. None more so than the photographer, what they capture is the one token you keep forever and display. Sydney from SASs Photography is a great friend of the couple and they struggled with wanting her to photograph the wedding and also attend and enjoy the wedding. With every photographer considered, no one could live up to the style and talent that they love about Sydney’s work. They are so glad she was the one to capture the day. Her eye is perfect for those in between moments that really evoke the emotion of the day. Because she was familiar to both the bride and groom, it was was easy to feel at ease in front of her camera and were able to communicate wants perfectly. The end result was a flawless album, where you can’t help but feel the emotion that poured out at every moment of the day. The day ran seamlessly, much thanks to Amber from Platinum Wedding and Events. Amber was like the best friend who was right there helping you plan your wedding. She was happy to give suggestions and got just as excited by Lauren’ little details. The team clearly had amazing relations with the local vendors, which was made even more evident by the vendors going above and beyond. Amber was even standing at the end of the aisle holding baby Palmer – the newest edition to the family.
Two things Lauren and Scott were grateful for on the day was, first trusting their planner and letting go of the reigns on the day. Lauren’s advice for future brides, “you know you have selected your planner so trust them,” Lauren explained that they had been in constant contact with Amber through the process and felt like they were old friends. Letting her do her thing on the day really took the stress and worry away. Secondly, Lauren and Scott did a first look. It may not be for everyone, but taking that time for just Scott and Lauren before the celebrations kicked off was such a sweet moment amongst a beautiful day. Scott’s reaction was beautiful and it allowed the couple to just enjoy their emotions. The upside was that after the ceremony they didn’t have to rush to doing couples or family portraits. Lauren and Scott had intentionally planned for their family to also have a “first look” and did all of their family photos before the ceremony had begun. This allowed them to step straight into the cocktail reception and really enjoy having that time with their guest. Lauren and Scott would highly recommend this to future couples, who maybe aren’t going the traditional ceremony route. With a venue as special and incredibly decorated, Scott and Lauren also wanted to look the part. Lauren prioritized comfort but did not want to sacrifice her classic and elegant style. The Vera Wang gown selected from Carine’s Bridal was perfect. Lauren said loved it the moment she put it one, it just felt her and when she walked out to show her mum and mother-in-law, they both had a slow tear run down their face, she knew it was a done deal. With some many beautiful gowns out there, Lauren knew her gown was the perfect choice, because no matter how many she saw after trying it on, she always came back to it. “I loved that it was a classic style, the material was heavenly and yet it allowed me to feel sexy and did not stop me dancing on the dance floor.“ Lauren knew that because her dress was simple and elegant, she could do something bold for her bouquet – orchids spilling down in a big bouquet, was one of her favorite decisions and really just elevated the dress to WOW! Lauren also decided to change into a party-dress to finish off the night. Laure is the one gal who will close down the dance floor! It was special day and she really wanted to shine… The full sparkle dress was brought form a small Australian store and was the perfect Cinderella moment to end the night!
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Photography: Sydney Sweat | Florals: Dellables | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Stationery: Citrus Press Co. | Rings: Quest Jewelers | Catering: Sugar Beach Events | Calligraphy: Miss B Calligraphy | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Venue: Sugar Beach Events | Bride Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Favors/Dessert: Krispy Kreme | Groom Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo | Hair & Make-up: Meili Autumn Beauty | Lawn Games: Coral Crush | Music: Island Kings Band | Neon Sign: Echo Neon | Planning: Taryn Stark Wyant Event Planning and Design | Rentals: Hawaiian Style Event Rentals | Table Setting: Set Collections | Water/Beach Front: Sugar Beach Events | Wedding Dress Store: Carine's Bridal Atelier
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