There might be something to that age old romantic tale of love on a secluded island. While Maui is no long considered secluded, romantic tales of love and union come true on a near-daily basis. The island is highly regarded when it comes to wedded bliss–in fact, there are many couples around world who’ve long dreamed of holding their nuptials on the island. In this year’s annual Wedding Guide, we asked some of the island’s wedding experts for their advice on getting the best wedding day possible.
All photos Courtesy of Sean Hower, Howerphoto.com
To Coordinate or Not to Coordinate, That is the Question
Wedding coordinators are a must for off-island brides, but for on-island couples, it’s often the first expense left out of the budget.
“When the big day arrives, coordinators really prove their worth,” says Tori Rogers, who’s been coordinating weddings on Maui since 1998. “Even with the best laid plans, you can expect more than a dozen concerns to arise. But everything will be under control since the wedding coordinator directs set-up and vendor arrival, facilitates and executes your wedding day and troubleshoots and makes executive decisions. All of the situations that arise on a wedding day can be resolved by coordinators, who can use their expertise to promptly fix potential problems. A wedding coordinator will go above and beyond to make your day effortless and stress-free for you.”
Rogers’ business, Hawaii Weddings, does 50 to 75 ceremonies each year across the state. Her advice? Don’t worry about the linens or flowers.
“What makes a successful event is your guest list, ambiance, entertainment, food and beverage,” says Rogers. “The other details are important, but your guests will not complain about your flowers. They WILL complain about your food if it’s not good. They won’t care if you have fancy linens or white linens, but they WILL leave if they’re bored. Hire professionals. If you hire people on whom you can depend, your day will go seamlessly for you (they will pick up the pieces). If you do not, you will be disappointed with the end result.”
Melissa Padilla of Opihi Love says she loves working with brides on their weddings because everything is so one of a kind.
“The DIY era is coming to a bit of a close, and weddings are trending to classic, French country, clean, with a bit of Bohemian,” says Padilla. “Remember what the wedding is about. Don’t get lost in the process, focus on your ceremony! It’s what’s connecting you for life.”
White Orchid Weddings is celebrating 25 years of coordinating weddings on Maui, and last December they opened Purple Orchid Weddings in response to the legalization of same-sex weddings in Hawaii. Owner Carolee Higashino says coordinating a same-sex wedding is pretty much the same as a heterosexual wedding.
“They are just the same as a non-same sex wedding,” says Higashino. “Only a few changes, perhaps two bouquets or two boutonnieres but really no different. We have experienced some vendors whom would not affiliate their services to this due to their religious beliefs, so some changes were needed to be made here. We offer full event planning services to all. It was exciting to launch POW as our same-sex option, yet we feel WOW & POW are all one anyway. We offer everything from tuxedos to tiki torches. Seriously, we arrange for all of their needs, including florals, photography, video, officiates, decor, site selection, catering, transportation, entertainment and so much more.”
POW and WOW operate on all islands. They’ve also created a WOW design team that can take events even further with style and design. Higashino says couples hate to hear it but her number one tip is to take some time to relax, then hire the best wedding coordinator you can.
“I may be biased, of course, but I have seen the good and the bad,” says Higashino. “We work very hard to be sure our clients have the very best care they can when planning their exceptionally special day. Hawaii is a sacred place and should also be respected as so. Our talented team of planners are hand-picked to be sure that they represent both POW and WOW but also Hawaii. Your planner should be affiliated with local organizations such and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau. They should also be affiliated nationally with other wedding organizations as well. Check their status on line via Yelp, the Knot and other avenues such as this to check their credibility. Ask locals who they would recommend. Finally, know they’re on your side to be sure make your event effortless and exciting.”
All photos Courtesy of Sean Hower, Howerphoto.com
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