Today you’re in for a bit of sun, and boy could we use it! Take a peek at Justin and Elena’s gorgeous Maui destination wedding. I was fortunate enough to get there a few days before their wedding day and really get to know their friends and family. Elena and Justin seem to always be thinking of others and had organized some great events for their guests. I joined them for a gorgeous sunset whale watching catamaran, a fantastic evening luau, and their Welcome dinner on Friday complete with tasty beer from Kona Brewing Company and a delicious fish taco truck for eats… then came wedding day…
The ceremony was held at the quiet end of a public beach and began as their officiant, a direct descendant of the King, sounded the traditional conch shell. A single violinist played as Elena walked down the sand to Justin. Their guests stood in semi-circle as vows were said and rings were exchanged and it ended as harmoniously as it began, with a kiss and another sounding of the conch.
After a few pics at the shore, the party bus was loaded and we were off to the reception at I’O Restaurant while rocking out to some fantastic 90’s ballads (and a few center aisle dance moves) courtesy of our driver and the couple’s friend, Dave V. Nice moves Dave.
The restaurant was absolutely gorgeous, having been decorated by Elena’s very talented god-sister Tawnee of Hoopla Events. The flowers, table settings, and candles were expertly organized and set up, my favorite touch being the place cards. First you should know that there were about 75 guests who came all the way to Maui for this wonderful event, a true testament to how amazing these two are. Now get this… Elena and Justin typed up personal messages for each and every guest (including me!) on all 75 place cards. How RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING is that?!
The food was crazy good, the sunset stunning, and the dancing… well… you haven’t seen dancing until you’ve seen Gabe do Beyonce’s Single Ladies dance, complete with his own back up dancers. And then here comes Dave again, this time with a mic calling everyone out to the dance floor for We Are Family… or was it Celebration…? All I know is my sides hurt the next morning, I had so much fun.
While I could go on writing paragraphs about what I personally loved about their wedding day, Justin and Elena summed it up perfectly. They told me, “We were in paradise surrounded by many of our closest friend. The weather was beautiful and the public beach had a perfect private spot for our ceremony. Our reception was beautiful. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
Much love goes out to this beautiful couple as well as all of their family and friends for making me feel so welcome during my time with them in Hawaii. A very special Mahalo! to Elena and Justin, and my new friends Tawnee, Sierra, Bryan, Rachel and Art for including me (and Guillermo!) as a friend and always making me feel welcome.
Aloha! xoxo, Amy
Maui Destination Wedding
