bridetov

Thanks. It's been 9 months but it still seems like yesterday. FYI- I only jumped on these boards again bc. I was getting a lot of PMs. However, life is hectic and I have a new house to paint! So if you need anything else- feel free to PM me (I'll get notification through my email). Otherwise, I'm signing off for now Best of luck and just know- you wedding will be what you put into it!!

@Pinklilikoi- Eeee!! Isn't she the best?! Tell Della that 'Tami says hi' next time you talk to her. We had THE BEST time planning my wedding. Honestly- Della works magic with flowers... and everything she touches for that matter. I know they aren't for everyone- but you should look into Proteas. Della lives on a Protea Flower farm and has them coming out of her ears. I bet cost on those flowers would be really low. Besides, I think they are such an exotic and cool and Maui-licious flower, it could be really neat and unique. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I wish I'd thought of it for my own wedding. Dellables is also on Facebook AND they have a blog that they really keep on top of. Again, you should check them out. I still stalk her even though we've been married for over 9 months

Again, I'm going to say Dellables. They do weddings ALL over the island and they are very reasonable as far as pricing. It smelled... like nothing you've ever smelled before. Bliss.

Oh- and don't worry about not having a trial if you go with Dan and Jessica. I had a few inspiration photos for them- but on my wedding day, I asked what they thought would look best on me (after all, THEY are the experts) and after seeing my dress, the decor, and everything- they nailed it perfectly. I was nervous about not having a trial at first too. I shouldn't have wasted my time

I believe both Dan and Jessica are in Kihei (which is right next to Wailea). They (and their assistants) both came to me over on the west side in Lahaina on my wedding day. You have to pay a travel fee- which I think if you are down south, is $50.00 (each). As far as their cost, I *think* it was about $100 for makeup, and $125 for hair. That said, I paid 2009 prices (they were the first vendors I booked- 12 months in advance). Hey, besides photography- they were my most important vendors. So on top of what I'm sure are higher prices for 2011, you also have the travel fees, tips!!, and tax. It adds up quickly. But again- they are the best on the island and... you will look the best you've ever looked in your life. AND, you don't have to pay for trials, so that is a savings there. As far as their websites go- I have them (and all my vendors) websites listed somewhere on my planning page. Click HERE.

No, but Cherise from The Perfect Wedding Maui was my coordinator and she was... out of this world. And on top of that- she was the least expensive that I could find on the island. For FULL wedding coordination AND day of, we paid $700.00. Feel free to check out my photos to see how incredible it was. And honestly- my coordinator was the reason it was so great. Don't mind her website- it's a little hokey but it's NOT representative of her work.

We had an optional chartered sailing snorkel cruise (we chartered the entire boat so it was much more private) as, like someone above me said, we found out many of our guests got sea sick. But for those that did come- it was a blast! For our welcome dinner, we all went to the Old Lahaina Luau. It was superb and again, everyone loved it. The Feast of Lele is also nice- it's just not a "traditional luau" and I really wanted my guests to experience that. They are both really great though. Then for the rehearsal dinner we had a very informal lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate.

We (surprise) rented my dad a bright yellow convertible Corvette to have during the wedding. It was more of a joke than anything. But I have to say, it made for a fun drive up the northern edge of the island. If you want something really cheeky (and I think people would get SUCH a kick out of it), you could go for something like this. Personally, I wish I had thought of it but it was only upon our return to the island after the wedding that they had made their appearance. Not for everyone, but the pictures (and reactions) would be priceless.

Dellables is... I'm not even sure I have words for how amazing she is. She oozes creativity, works with you on your budget, is so in love with weddings and anything beautiful you can't helped but to be sucked into her aromatic world. I had a vision for my wedding with dripping orchids all over the place... and she just ran with it. Everything was even MORE gorgeous than I can begin to explain. Click here. You won't be sorry.

I used Dan Sanchez and Jessica Waite as well. It was a no brainer. Are they pricey? Yup. Was it worth it- I would have even paid more if they wanted me too. I looked flawless. How often can you say that about yourself?

Honestly- go with Dellables. Not only does she do amazing work, but she's just FABULOUS to work with. She did all the decor and flowers for my wedding, and honestly- she made all the difference.

Hi there, I'd be happy to help you navigate the treacherous wedding vendor waters. I didn't have anyone to help me when I was planning- so now that I've done tons and tons and tons or research AND had a very successful wedding I'd be happy to help you as much as I can. I seriously feel like I had the Maui Wedding Dream Team working for me. Everyone was beyond incredible. You can message me with your email address and we can communicate that way too. I've helped several Maui brides from these boards and it's worked quite well that way. To (quickly) answer your questions: 1. Congrats on your engagement!!! <I know that's not an answer, but wanted to put it out there> 2. Food for the Soul is, in a word, Ah-mazing. Their food, presentation, communication, and heart... is just top notch. I honestly feel like they made my wedding more special because they were part of it. I know they are "just caterers" .... but with this company, you get a husband and wife team that are in the industry because they love it. Tell Tina I say hi... I just adore her! 3. After a lot of thought, I decided to have Food for the Soul do the full bar for us instead of us doing our own through Costco, etc. At first, I wasn't sure if this was the right call (we were on a tight budget). But in hindsight, I'm so glad we went this route. When you are out on the island for your wedding, expect to be 100% busier and more frazzled than you think you will be. We would have had zero time to go and get all the additional items such as garnishes, ice!!!, containers for ice, mixers, stirrers, etc. etc. etc. And even if we had time- just setting it up and "making it all work" would have been next to impossible. Also- you don't want to put this job on one of your guests bc. it's a lot of work. In the end, we didn't have to worry about a thing and everything went perfectly. FFTS's presentation was awesome too. They set everything up and tore it down- and, I didn't need to know about any of it. When you add up all the costs, I really think it's worth while. Oh- and Tina was so accommodating with special requests on wine and beer types and also had some fabulous suggestions of her own (esp. when it came to pairing the wine with the food, etc). 4. We did order our cake through FFTS. There are certain things that I really cared about- and cake wasn't one of them. That said- I sent a few "inspiration" photos to Tina and she shopped around the best price for me. We picked our flavors and then I just sent them the ribbon I wanted to use, and brought my cake toppers. I didn't really think of anything beyond that. But I have to say, I start to salivate a bit when I think back to it. It was the most scrumptious cake ever!! Everyone was raving about it and wanted the left overs I'm still not sure who Tina went through for the cake- but ask her who she used for my (Tami) wedding and I'm sure she'll be able to look it up. Oh- and it was so nice not having to worry about yet another vendor. FFTS took care of EVERYTHING. All I know is it was there when we needed it and it was perfect! Again, in hindsight, I'm so glad it was such a hit. I consider myself lucky for it turning out so wonderfully and not putting too much thought into it. 5. FFTS provided linens (I upgraded to ivory) and I worked pretty closely with Della on the table decor design (I bought some items and had them shipped over and Della provided some of the items as well). As to who set everything up- to be honest, I don't know if it was FFTS, Della, or my coordinator Cherise (I was upstairs getting ready) I have a feeling it was all of them working together on it though. They are all good friends (which made it even more fun). Della is OUT OF THIS WORLD too. If you are thinking of going with her- DO IT!! (tell her I say hi too) She just oozes creativity and is SO fun to work with. Her energy is contagious and... I just fell in love with her. I made some wedding slide shows recently and just popped them on my blog yesterday. Feel free to take a gander: http://tami-licious-life.blogspot.com/ (click on the "At the Alter" page on the top navigation bar). Again, I'm happy to help you if you need anything! I love this stuff Tami

I went barefoot for the ceremony & reception. But putting on a small heel for our dance worked out really nicely because my dress was shortened (ever so slightly) and made it much less likely that me (or hubs) would step on it.

I'd say MOST couples get married at Olowalu. I've personally known a few and they've all had RAVE reviews. It's set up perfectly for weddings, their staff is super nice, and it's... picture perfect. Just ask Cherise about it- she's done a TON of weddings there.

Dan Sanchez is the go-to guy for wedding hair. I swear, I've never seen my hair look so beautiful in my entire life... and I didn't even have a trial! He's a little pricier than some, but SO worth it!