A Tropical, Colorful Wedding in Maui

Christen, a registered nurse, and Tim, the owner of a commercial fishing company, finally met at her brother's wedding—though Tim had been a family friend for years. Upon crossing paths, the pair began dating, and after two-and-a-half years together, Tim surprised Christen with a proposal. "We got engaged on Christmas morning," she says, "We had a house full of people who had stayed with us during the holidays. Everyone knew but me. Tim surprised me bedside, down on one knee at 6 a.m.—I was hardly awake!"

The duo was drawn to Hawaii's natural beauty and wanted to have a destination wedding that doubled as an exciting trip for their guests. With Christen pregnant with their daughter, the pair quickly began planning their big day, which was just four months away, with the help of Amy Nichols. The couple took a leap of faith and picked Sugar Beach Events in Maui—without having seen it in person. On April 23, 2016, Christen and Tim said 'I do' in front of 67 guests. Their day was a memorable one, complete with bold colors, natural elements, and tons of Hawaiian flair. 

Christen and Tim chose Minted's "Inline Type" suite for its clean lines and crisp typography, which also echoed the pink and navy color palette that was used throughout the wedding.

Christen's aunt, Kathleen of Waller Design, designed the welcome bags to match the invitations. Inside were essentials such as ibuprofen, sunscreen, lip balm, and antacids. "The recovery bag was definitely necessary," says Christen, "After all, I am a nurse!" In addition, tropical treats like leis and cocktail umbrellas, plus a map and an itinerary for the weekend were included.

The couple chose Sugar Beach Events in Maui, a private beach property, after a friend recommended it to them. "We loved that we had the ability to use the setting as a blank canvas," says Christen. The pair incorporated their favorite colors (including pinks, oranges, and yellows) easily with the natural beauty of the property.

Wild Heart Floral & Event Styling created Christen's bold bouquet using roses, peonies, ranunculus, and jasmine.

"I had done a lot of Pinterest searches for pregnancy bridal dresses," says Christen, "I think I tried on twenty gowns!" After a long hunt, the bride fell in love with a blush Monique Lhuillier gown. "The color just felt right, as I'm having a girl," she adds. "I want her to know she was a part of our special day!"

Navy Alexandre Birman shoes served as Christen's "something blue".

Christen's old mine-cut engagement ring was a family heirloom that Tim had mounted in a Hearts on Fire setting. Their wedding bands were also from the jeweler.  

The bride wore a special necklace too—the "Jewelia"—which has adorned the necks of thousands of women, and is a statement of sharing and generosity that helps raise funds for philanthropies in support of women. "For almost twelve years, my mother and eleven other women have been sharing this necklace to promote the ideals of sharing and giving back to the community," says Christen.

Groomsmen wore bright orange ranunculus boutonnieres by Wild Heart Floral & Event Styling, tied with light pink ribbon.

Christen's bridesmaids wore long blue J.Crew dresses and carried pink bouquets. Together, the ladies were a perfect representation of the day's color palette.

The flower girls wore Ralph Lauren dresses and festive white leis.

Christen and Tim's ceremony took place on the beach, complete with an arch of driftwood and roses made by Wild Heart Floral & Event Styling.

Amy Nichols passed out hand fans to guests before the ceremony began for extra sun protection.

Tradition Hawaiian music played on a ukulele as Christen walked down the aisle with her mother and father. "I Like You" by Sandol Stoddard Warburg was read during the service, along with an Irish blessing. The pair exchanged traditional vows, and later recessed to "Is This Love" by Bob Marley as husband and wife.

Immediately following the service, cocktail hour began and guests checked out the seating chart created by Miss B Calligraphy.

The reception took place on the lawn, where guests sat in bamboo folding chairs at wood farm tables. String lights overhead added a glow as the sun set.

Orange leis decorated the backs of the newlyweds' chairs and added a fun, Hawaiian touch to the reception.

"This is where Amy and I got to have fun," says Christen of the table décor. "I knew I wanted bright colors, and we decided early on that we wanted blue ikat-print runners." Rattan chargers, pink linen napkins, and electric blue glassware completed the place settings. Wild Heart Floral & Event Styling created bright arrangements of pink, peach, and orange flowers, which popped against the wooden tables.

Following the outdoor reception, Christen and Tim headed inside for their first dance, which was to "In My Life" by The Beatles. The dancing continued through the night until it was time to cut the cake, which consisted of white and dark chocolate flavors. The clean, simple design was topped with fresh pink peonies and ranunculus.  

Along with cake, macadamia nut tartlets and s'more parfaits were served. And at the end of the night, guests took home cookies from The Maui Cookie Lady. "The cookies were about the size of hockey pucks," says Christen, "but delicious!" 

Photography, Kathleen Geiberger Art

Location, Catering, and Cake, Sugar Beach Events

Event planning, Amy Nichols Special Events

Flowers, Wild Heart Floral & Event Styling

Stationery, Minted (stationery); Waller Designs (welcome bag)

Calligraphy, Miss B Calligraphy

Music, Maui DJ Services

Rentals, La Tavola Fine Linen; Hawaiian Style; Pacific Party; Rio Event; Set Maui

Bride's gown, Monique Lhuillier

Bride's shoes, Alexandre Birman

Hair and Makeup, Maui Mira

Bridesmaids' dresses and Groom's Suit, J.Crew

Flower Girl dresses, Ralph Lauren

Transportation, Akina Aloha Tours

Prop Stylist, Shaunna Nygren

Cookies, The Maui Cookie Lady