laura&james

We worked with Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings and Marbelle too! We were originally quoted a price of $300 to buy the right to all of the images on a CD. Jen (one of the photographers) later gave us a better deal. We didn't have a videographer, but I know other brides have been happy with Marbelle's work. I would highly recommend them. We had such a hard time choosing which photos to select for printing.

I worked with Deanne from PMW and she was fantastic throughout the entire process. I don't think I ever waited more than 24 hours for a follow-up via email. During the more complicated aspects of the planning, we would arrange a time for a more in-depth telephone call since we were 5 hours apart. There were no hidden costs or fees whatsoever and we were thrilled with the quality of our cake, flowers, etc. Deanne called me the day after we arrived in Hawaii just to touch base and make sure that I didn't have any further questions or last minute requests. When I arrived to our ceremony, everything was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have done it without her!!!

When we vacationed in St. John, we tried Morgan's Mango, the Banana Deck, Fish Trap, the Beach Bar and a tapas place. We enjoyed the food the most at Banana Deck and Beach Bar. I'm not sure that any of the places we tried would be great for a reception. Either they're too casual or appeared too cramped to host a reception. However, if you're going for a casual vibe, the Beach Bar would be amazing. They even have tables and chairs in the sand. Good luck!

Hi Attegirl! We had our reception dinner at Plantation House in Kapalua and ate dinner at Leilani's during our honeymoon. I couldn't agree more with Tovaqt. Leilani's is MUCH more casual and there is tons of foot traffic. I can't imagine feeling secluded even if they offered you a "private" reception area on the second floor. On the other hand, Plantation House is a mile or two past Kaanapali and shares a private driveway with villas/condos owned by the Ritz or Four Seasons (can't remember which one). Our reception dinner was at sunset and the ocean views were amazing. The Plantation House staff was a pleasure to work with. We received complimentary champagne, a card from the staff and the chef personally came out to greet us. We're hoping to return for our first anniversary. Congrats and good luck!

Congratulations!!! I'm so happy to hear that Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings did a great job planning your wedding.

cnjames: You will absolutely love Marbelle. We found that they were a great blend of artistic photos with some fashion flair as well. Since we're married now, I wanted to mention that I absolutely loved Jessica Waite (makeup artist). She puts you at ease immediately after you arrive for your trial and does an even more fantastic job on the wedding day. Dan Sanchez did a nice job on my hair, but the curls eventually unraveled due to the humidity :-(

For any future brides, the name of the store that steamed my dress was Elly's Formal Wear. The owner, Elly, was very sweet and was able to handle my request on only 48 hrs notice.

I'm so happy for you! I'm sure you'll absolutely love Deanne and will have a hard time leaving Maui to return home :-)

Stacy, Talk to Deanne. She recommended a bridal store (adjacent to the Sugar Beach Resort) near Kihei that pressed/steamed my dress for about $80. They did an excellent job. Have a wonderful time!

The grounds of Plantation House would be gorgeous for your ceremony. Kapalua Beach (excellent snorkeling too!) is close enough for some beach photos. We went with Marbelle for photography/videography. They did a fantastic job (shot over 400 photos and we had a hard time narrowing the images down for our album)!!! Jessica Waite (makeup) and Dan Sanchez (hair) came to my room on the day of the wedding and also offered trial appointments. They came highly recommended from other brides on this blog and really set me at ease on the wedding day. I would be VERY hesitant to plan the wedding from afar and would recommend that you contact Deanne (Precious Maui Weddings) or another Maui based wedding planner to plan some or all of the wedding. Her prices are very reasonable and she always returned my phone calls/emails within one day (even on the weekends).

I should also add that our ceremony was at 4PM and reception at 6PM (sunset is around 6:30 that time of year). That schedule worked out perfectly and we had plenty of time for photos in several locations. Good luck!

We were married in Maui this past February and the weather was beautiful - high 70s to low 80s each day. The only time we saw any precipitation was at the top of the inactive volcano (Haleakala National Park). I had the opposite experience as jay45. We found that West Maui (Lahaina, Kaanapali) was much sunnier and drier than the Wailea/Makena area. In particular, there is a long, narrow cloud that comes off of Haleakala and stretches over the Big Beach and Makena area extending over the ocean. We tried to snorkel twice in that area and it was cloudy and cold (high surf too). We turned around and headed back to West Maui to beautiful weather conditions. Our wedding planner was Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings and our reception was at Plantation House.

I would suggest Plantation House (in Kapalua) for your reception dinner. We had ours there and the food, as well as service, was top notch. The manager even presented us with complimentary champagne and a card signed by his staff. There are some secluded tables with an ocean view where you can watch the sunset. We hope to return for our 1st anniversary!

We worked with Deanne for about eight months before our wedding day. She was extremely helpful over the phone and in terms of providing us information regarding the wedding license application. She also scheduled (and rescheduled due to a change in our plans) the appointment with the wedding license agent on our preferred date and time. Since we were married in the Catholic Church, Deanne handled the photographer, licensing, reception dinner, flowers, cake, champagne, etc. Everything worked out seamlessly and Deanne even called me when we arrived in Maui to go over the plans a final time. We were able to select from three different photographers; we chose Marbelle and could not be happier with our proofs. Our reception dinner at Plantation House was wonderful because Deanne arranged for a special table with a view of the ocean in a private enclave. The manager of the restaurant presented us with complimentary champagne and a card signed by all of the staff. The cake was delicious and all of the flowers were gorgeous. I would HIGHLY recommend that any bride work with her.

We selected Marbelle as part of our wedding package with Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings. Our entire wedding package was only $1,000, which was shocking considering how well-known Marbelle is on the island (typically bill $1,000/hr). They shot for about 2 hours (church ceremony, outside the church and then on the beach). When I asked Deanne, she said they had been working together for about 12 years and had a well-established relationship. Our photos came out fantastic and we are having a really hard time narrowing it down from 400 to 60 or so. It might be worth it to book a package with a wedding planner just to have the option of working with a photographer at a reduced cost. Marbelle's website can be found at: Fine Art Photography & Video: Marbelle

Another vote for Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings...amazing attention to detail and excellent at providing feedback and suggestions. April pretty much took the words out of my mouth :-)

I also worked with Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings and felt that her prices were reasonable throughout. She communicated with me for months from afar and when we arrived in Maui contacted me to make sure that all the loose ends were tied up. On the wedding day itself, everything (flowers, cake, champagne) was presented beautifully. I would recommend her to anyone out there who is looking for a relatively stressfree wedding day!

I desperately needed a manicure the day before the wedding and my husband needed a hair trim. I found a spa/salon in Lahaina called Soleil Luna, which the local newspaper ranked #1 in Maui. They did a fantastic job and I would highly recommend it. The spa is only a block or so from Front Street. Maui Salon and Spa Soleil Luna in Lahaina is a Boutique Salon and Spa located in West Maui. Good luck!

We stayed at Wai Ola's honeymoon cottage for 8 days and it was fantastic! The owners were helpful, but didn't intrude. They welcomed us with a fruit basket and provided baked goods on a daily basis. The property is just a few blocks above the end of Front Street in Lahaina and only about a 2 minute drive to Ka'anapali. We would highly recommend it (also see the reviews on Tripadvisor).

We're getting married in February (just the two of us) on Maui and booked our wedding package through Precious Maui Weddings. Deanne has been fabulous to work with and very responsive to all the questions I've posed thus far. There are a variety of packages available with all different price ranges. I've found PMW to be more reasonable pricewise than many of the other planners out there. Good luck and happy planning!

We booked our wedding through Precious Maui Weddings, but I'm having my hair done by Dan Sanchez and makeup by Jessica Waite (both have easily accessible websites). They came highly recommended from others on this blog and my experience with them thus far has been great! Good luck with whomever you choose.

Hi Katie, Welcome to BDW! I am working with Deanne from Precious Maui Weddings. She came highly recommended from other brides-to-be and has been absolutely fantastic thus far. Her package prices are much more reasonable than some of the other planners out there. I absolutely loved Gordon Nash's photography, but he works exclusively with A Paradise Dream Wedding and their quote was nearly double Deanne's for the same exact package with several customized options. Best of luck! Laura

Feb 11, 2009: Trish + Bill @ Makena Secret Cove + Kimo's Restaurant Oct 14, 2009: Deb + John @ Kalaeokai'a Estate + Five Palms Restaurant Feb 10, 2010: Laura + Jim @ Maria Lanakila + TBD Reception May 22, 2010: Huey + Isaac @ Honua Kai Lani + Spago June 17, 2010: Krystall + Nick @ Olowalu Plantation House + Old Lahaina Luau Oct. 19, 2010: Amanda + Patrick @ Kula Botanical Garden + Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

We're booking with Precious Maui Weddings as well. Deanne has been extremely helpful and her prices are more reasonable than APDW, although Gordon Nash is clearly a talented photographer.

We're booking with Precious Maui Weddings as well. Deanne has been extremely helpful and her prices are more reasonable than APDW, although Gordon Nash is clearly a talented photographer.