Vendor reviews
I'll preface this by saying that after everything was said and done, we honestly felt like we were treated with kindness and thoughtfulness by every vendor we worked with. It was like they all were looking out for us. Just an amazing feeling, and something that I think can be attributed to ours having been a Hawaii wedding - the people there truly are nice.
Accommodations - Pineapple Inn A+++
We rented out the Pineapple Inn in Kihei and stayed there with our wedding party for four nights, and we hosted our continued reception here. The inn is owned and operated by Mark and Steve, who both live on the property. They could not have been nicer to us. They literally accommodated every request we made. I'm not kidding - we borrowed their trash can, extension cord, multiple coolers, a bucket (for flowers!), and more. They also as a surprise to me decorated their backyard with tiki torches and candles on the wedding night for our continued reception. This inn is the most lush, gorgeous, quiet location, and it served as the perfect base of operations, and as a location for our after-dinner get-together. I really can't say enough about these guys and their inn.
Wedding Coordinator - Lori Lawrence / Tropical Maui Weddings A++
I worked with both Lori Lawrence and Jackie Tanaka at Tropical Maui Weddings, and by the end of our journey with them, even H was convinced that the money we'd spent on their services was more than well-spent. Our first challenge was finding an officiant that H and I both liked, and Lori found someone for us who was both perfect, and from what I've seen somewhat off the beaten path for officiants. Additionally, both she and Jackie were more than willing to keep my budget in mind for floral arrangements and other details. They both answered every one of my many many questions, and they directed me to many different resources on the island (beer kegs and locally baked pies to name a few). Finally, Lori was a pro in dealing with the last-minute changes we threw at her - starting with the change of location. I didn't learn until after the ceremony that there'd been a beach location snafu for many of our guests, and Lori had been directing them all in to the proper location by phone. She was calm when I saw her, and that kept me calm. That's probably the best thing you can say about a coordinator, and it's one reason that we were so glad we'd hired her.
Welcome Dinner - South Shore Tiki Lounge - A+
We had our welcome dinner at the South Shore Tiki Lounge on their Jungle Lanai. They held 6+ picnic tables for us, and when I got there they'd set them all up, and added some as we needed them. Their service was quick, food was tasty, and they even had live music the night we were there (local singer Erin Smith). It was exactly what we were aiming for - relaxed, casual and fun. Plus, we were under budget!
Ceremony Location - Makena Surf Beach 2nd entrance - A++
This was a last-minute switch. We'd originally planned to get married on Po'olenalena Beach, but when we visited it a few days before our wedding, then went to this beach, there just wasn't any comparison. This Makena Surf beach is small, has lava rocks at both end, has a nice shaded stairway entrance (key for me!), and is generally not crowded. On the day of the wedding, we had the parking lot to ourselves, plus the street parking, and there were just two swimmers who stayed on the other side of the beach. It was a last-minute call that we couldn't have been happier with.
Wedding Reception Dinner - Five Palms Restaurant - A-/B+
We worked with Kathryn, who was a calm presence. She got very busy at times, but did ultimately get back to me with all key information. The service on the day of the wedding was good - they had everything set up as we'd asked, they delivered our courses timely (including putting the toast on hold, and switching to the appetizer course while H and I took sunset pics), and they were really friendly. I think we may have had a couple guests who had to raise their hands to put in their drink orders, but that was it. Oh, and the food was delish. We had the sushi boat, cocunut prawns (amazing!), and offered the prime rib (which was great), mac-nut fish, and pasta. H gives them a B+ because they put unhosted cocktails onto our tab, but because we still were under-budget, I give them an A-.
Photographer - Joanna Tano A++
Having seen Joanna's photos, I can say with complete certainty that she's a true artist. She managed to capture some of the most authentic and heartening moments of our wedding day, all while making us look our best. She turned around our photos within a month, and was always responsive and easy to work with. On the day of the wedding she was also completely professional at all times, even under stressful circumstances. I didn't notice her at all during the ceremony, which I think is awesome. And she put up with my family, who I'm pretty sure were in her way, and I know were trying to direct the show (wanting certain shots and family groupings). Finally, during the sunset pics, she was unobtrusive, and really made H and I feel comfortable. We loved doing the sunset pics - it was a nice time away from everyone, and outside in the breeze which was blessedly cool. I strongly recommend them to anyone considering them.
Officiant - Diana George A++
Diana was just what the doctor ordered for us. She's knowledgeable about many different religions, but doesn't try to push any one religion on you. She's kind-hearted and has a strong sense of humor, which definitely showed through during our ceremony. She also threw together our vows when I called her in a panic the day before the wedding (we couldn't find anything we agreed on), and we liked what she wrote and went with it. H's parents commented that ours was the best ceremony they'd ever heard (although they're probably a little biased :) ). H and I couldn't have been happier with our ceremony.
Ceremony Musician - Jamie Lawrence A+
Jamie performed beautifully for our wedding. I didn't hear Lucky, the song he learned for us, but I heard from my BMs who walked to it that it was really pretty. I did hear Maunaleo, which I walked to, and I got teary. :) After we exchanged rings he performed Rainbow Connection (yes, from the Muppets), and it was perfect. Then he performed All You Need Is Love after the ceremony, and I loved it. To be honest though, the best thing about Jamie - besides his voice - is his presence. He greeted us with a hug and Aloha, and I felt better as a result. Not many people can do that.
Cake - Cakes by Joann A
We had a cake with two tiers - lemon cake with chantilly filling and carrot cake with cream cheese filling, and both were really good. I didn't get enough of them, but what I got, I loved. The buttercream I wasn't as huge a fan of, but I think I just don't care for it. She delivered the cake on time, and it looked just like I'd asked.
Hair - Shelly at Mariah's Mane A+
Shelly is a kick in the pants. When she got to our cottage, it was like a whirlwind arrived. But she's really good-hearted, and she did an amazing job with my hair. I said I wanted it half-up half-down for a beach wedding (read: very windy), with a little poof on top and some twisting on the sides. She nods, tells me she knows exactly what I want, and gets to work. The outcome was WAY better than what I'd really had in mind (which was always pretty amorphous), and it lasted much longer than it had a right to - I still had a little poof the next morning, even after wind, sweat, a dip in the pool (!), and sleeping on it. Just a reminder, though - bring detangler. Getting a 'do out is a b*tch with out it. I know because I tried.
Bridal Bouquet - Virgie at Floreum A
I told Lori I wanted hot pink with orchids of different types, medium-sized, and sent a pic. What I got was adorable, the perfect colors, and lasted for like 5 days (including time laying in the back seat of a hot car with no water).
Wholesale flowers and leis - Maui Floral / Costco A+
I would definitely go through Maui Floral again. I worked with Maureen there, and she was responsive and helpful. She suggested I go with the pink mokara orchids because their stem is stronger and wouldn't fall over in our mason jar vases, so we ordered 11 bunches. We also ordered the leis for our GM and family, and three stems of cymbidium orchids for the BM bouquets. The mokara orchids held up well, didn't flop over, and looked really pretty with the greenery Maureen suggested. She also called me at the last minute to let me know that the cymbidium orchid stems they'd gotten in had lots of blooms so if I didn't need an extra stem, I could leave it at Costco. I had enough blooms with two stems, so I saved a little money by only having to buy two stems, which was nice. The quality of all of the leis and flowers was top notch, and they were available when we'd arranged them to be available.
Group Activity - Gemini Charters Sunset Sail - A+
We had a blast, as did our guests. This company has a really nice catamaran sailboat, affordable pricing, friendly customer service, good apps and drinks (although they're easily lost to the ocean in the wind), and the trip was just perfect. I don't know that I've seen some of our friends and family smile so much for so long, and my mom commented that I was smiling the whole time I was on the boat. It was the perfect end to our wedding festivities.