June Wedding at the Maui Coffee Farm

Carrie and Kevin wed in June at the Maria Lanakila church in Lahaina Maui. Friends and family flow in from across the mainland, from California, upstate New York and Pennsylvania. Carrie requested spring flowers for her bouquets featuring, bright pink, white and pale pink peonies. The stems were wrapped in navy blue, an on trend color for 2014. After the beautiful church wedding the group traveled back to the Ka’anapali Coffee Farm to gather for the wedding reception and dinner. The ocean views and evening sky provided a dramatic sunset for a lovely Maui Wedding.

Flowers were provided by Sally of Blue Sky Weddings
Photography: Barry Frankel Photography
Caterer: Carol Longhi Oleary
DJ: Boomshot Jay Langworthy
Wedding Cake: Maui Sweet Cakes
Wedding Planner and Design: Gabrielle at Blue Sky Weddings

Fields of Coffee Above Pacific Ocean

Kevin and Carrie’s Ka’anapali Coffee Farm wedding reception featured inspired views of acres of verdant coffee and Maui’s pacific ocean.

Maui wedding at Coffee Farms

Fields of Coffee in Maui

Image by Barry Frankel of Fresh Island Photography

December Wedding at Olowalu Plantation House in Maui

Coming from Australia, Julie and Jarrod found a central meeting point to marry at the Olowalu Plantation in Maui. Their families flew out from Southern California and Australia to join the couple for their marriage ceremony in West Maui. The wedding and reception featured bright jewel toned flowers, a travel theme featuring the couple’s favorite cities and destinations and a clear top tent with pretty white lanterns. The music was provided by Ahumanu, a Hawaiian style duet, and DJ Boomshot. The food was provided by Carol Longhi Oleary Catering. For dessert there was an array of cake pops, French style macaroons made by Fabiani’s Bakery in three flavors and a pot of melted warm chocolate with fresh tropical fruit for dipping on each table.  After the family style dinner was served dancing lasted into the night.

Photography by Hula Girl Photography
Catering by Carol Longhi Oleary Catering
Planning and Design by Blue Sky Weddings Maui
Flowers by Sally of Blue Sky Weddings
Officiate: Reverend Kimo Kirkman
Venue: The Olowalu Plantation House in Maui
French Style Macaroons: Fabiani’s Bakery

Shave ice: A cool idea

Shave ice is a fun addition to a wedding reception and Maui has lots of options for shave ice vendors. The choices available range from classic neon syrups in bright colors to organic local fruit flavorings, expensive and fancy to home styled and simple. Another popular idea is to feature cocktail inspired flavors such as pina colada, lava flow, blue Hawaii, or whatever your fancy and  add a shot of rum or vodka to top it off for a lush cocktail. Shave ice is a cool idea for hot weather weddings.

Shave ice is a Hawaiian tradition brought to the islands by Japanese plantation workers in the late 1800’s. Fine ice is shaved off a block which makes the ice very fine and  allows it to mix completely with the flavor syrups.  It is typically served in a paper or plastic cup.  Often a scope of vanilla ice cream or azuki bean paste is added at the bottom of the cup. Some of the many flavors include, pineapple, guava, coconut, lilikoi, li hing mi, lychee, mango, Thai tea, kiwi, tiger’s blood, watermelon and local Kula strawberry, add a snow cap, homemade azuki beans, fresh mochi balls or a scope of Roselani vanilla ice cream and you have a local Maui sweet treat to impress your guests.

Lauren Pearson & John Hart Marry at the Sugarman Estate in Makena Maui

This wedding ceremony and reception hosted at a private estate in Makena Maui featured the brides choice of bright pink peonies mixed with peach tones and bright yellow for all of the decor. The venue was on the ocean facing the sea. The marriage ceremony took advantage of the spectacular lava rock, and outer island views. Before the sun set into the ocean the couple had lots of time for gorgeous photography with Christopher Nolan of Little Rock Arkansas who flew into Maui for the occasion.

Photography by Christopher Nolan of Little Rock Arkansas
http://christophernolanphotography.com
Hair and Make up: Adiel Sneary-Cline from Maui 253 Salon for hair & makeup.
Food by Carol Longhi Oleary
Flowers by Sally
Wedding Planning and design by Blue Sky Weddings Maui

Australian Couple Wed by the Sea in Historic Olowalu Hawaii

Tara Beyer and Marcus Renna marry in Maui

Photography: Stewart Pinsky of Hula Girl Photography
Food & Catering: Carol L Oleary
Flowers: Blue Sky Designs
Wedding Planner: Blue Sky Weddings
Venue: Olowalu Plantation House – Lahaina Maui
DJ: Sound Wave Maui

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Thoughts About Olowalu Plantation House Maui

Olowalu Plantation House: Sublime West Maui Haven For Weddings

It is difficult to envision a grander setting for weddings than the Olowalu Plantation House in Maui. Even with myriad visitations, one never fails to be transported upon entering the resplendent grounds.

The main house is the epitome of plantation-style elegance, spurring even a hint of crass tourism. Generous acreage surrounds, filled with magnificent indigenous trees, plants and flowers, all leading towards the sun and moon-kissed ocean – a vista that continually inspires and delights.

Pu’u kukui, tallest of the majestic West Maui Mountains, translates to mean hill of enlightenment, and it soars above visitors to Olowau Plantation House opposite the direction of the Pacific. Splendid views of neighboring islands, Lanai and Kaho’olawe, are also enjoyed.

Blue Sky Weddings excels at optimizing this sublime haven for nuptials, seamlessly orchestrating the ceremony, flowers, table settings, food and drink, lighting, music, photography and video according to your specifications.

You richly deserve this ultimate destination-wedding site, and Blue Sky Weddings welcomes your enquiry at 808-283-8014  and gabrielle@blueskyweddings.com
– E. Robinson, June 2013, Maui

© 2013 Blue Sky Weddings All rights reserved

Our designers, planners, and catering crew love working at Olowalu Plantation House. It is an excellent choice for an outside venue. Lahaina has the most reliable weather on Maui. Hardly any rain, typically bright and sunny all year round.

Have a look at a few weddings we desinged and planned at the Olowalu Plantation House

Elise & Patrick Wedding at Olwoalu Plantation House

Stacey & Michael’s wedding hosted at Olowalu House Maui

 

Juicy Orange with Peachy Pink

   Orange Orchids with Peach Accents for Maui Bride

When nature supplies perfect blooms in just the right colors with a twist of surprising accents that delight our senses we think we have the perfect tropical bouquet.

Tropical brides bouquet

lush orange brides bouquetFor this September wedding we found striped orange cymbidium orchids so unusual I had not seen this exact combination of deep orange with bright orange stripes before.   Also included are glowing mango calla lilies edged with peach fading to a soft but strong pink on the tips, deep orange and pink tulips, pink cymbidium orchids and yellow and fuchsia mocara orchids all wrapped up with a lush burnt orange silk velvet ribbon.  The bright tropical autumn tone was continued throughout the wedding and receptions. All flowers except the tulips and mini call lilies were sourced in Maui or the Hawaiian islands. In the table flower arrangements we added large lush pink dahlias, still blooming in early September, yellow hibiscus and pink mink protea all grown in our upcountry garden in Kula Maui, Hawaii.  Also added are large orange lilies, purple mocara orchids as well as the pink tulips and striped orange cymbidium orchids.  Tangerine taffeta runners provided an additional pop of color. We love to feature and include our locally grown garden flowers when seasonal and in bloom.  These flowers add character and authenticity. Other flowers we grow in out Maui garden are love in a mist, French lavender, garden roses, and dinner plate dahlias. Big romantic vintage style flowers are the thing to do right now and our sustainable Maui garden is producing many of these types of flowers and well as exotic tropical and unique finds that add something beyond the commercial flower look. Below are more photos of this Autumn wedding hosted at the Olowalu Plantatin House in Maui.

Tables were set with vanilla pillar candles and taffeta tangerine runners. We still have beautiful dahlias and I am hoping they last through October.

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Andrea & Christopher are Married New Years Eve in Lahaina Maui

New Years Eve Wedding at the Olowalu Plantation House Maui

Photography:  Hula Girl Photography Maui

Wedding design, decor and planning:  Blue Sky Weddings

Catering: Carol Longhi O’Leary

Andrea Fall and Christopher Zachary wed at the Olowalu Plantation House in Lahaina Maui, Hawaii on New Years Eve. The wedding was blessed with a perfect sunny day and  a perfectly clear gorgeous evening. Andrea and Christopher were joined by family and friends to celebrate their marriage and the beginning of the new year. White tropical flowers were used throughout the ceremony and reception.  Wedding bouquets were a cluster of white cymbidium orchids. Centerpieces of snow white anthurium and protea decorated the tables. The reception lasted through midnight when a show of fireworks was displayed off the south end of the island of Lanai, just across the channel. Stewart Pinsky of Hula Girl Photography was on site capturing gorgeous images of the day and evening.  The delicious wedding cake was done by Maui Sweet Cakes in Paia.  The very delicious dinner for the evening was prepared by caterer, Carol Oleary. DJ Billy Arbour of Sound Wave Maui provided the tunes for the evening. All of the tropical blooms were sourced on Maui with flower design by Sally Longhi.

    • Menu
    • Passed appetizers
    •  Ahi carpaccio on crostini
    • Hamakua mushrooms on gorgonzola crostini
    • Peking duck rolls with plum sauce
    • Upcountry Kula greens with caramelized macadamia nuts and ginger lime vinaigrette
    • Kalbe marinated New York steak
    • Opakapaka served with ginger lime buerre blanc and island salsa
    • Jasmine rice pilaf with caramelized macadamia nuts and pineapple
    • Sautéed asparagus
    • Kona coffee & Wedding Cake
    • Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting
    • Vanilla lilikoi cake with cream cheese frosting
    • Vanilla cake with toasted coconut

Hamakua mushrooms are grown at the Hamakua Heritage Farm on the Coast in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. Hawaii’s Own Commercially Grown Gourmet Mushrooms.

Lilikoi: Hawaiian yellow passionfruit called lilikoi is sweet and very tart. The fruit is a wonderful addition and flavor added to cakes, tart and jams, or eaten fresh out of the large yellow pod.

Toasted Coconut: Fresh shredded from Maui’s own coconut palm trees.

Images by Hula Girl below:

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Top Ten List: To Do One Year From Wedding Day

Top Ten to-dos: Eighteen months to one year out to wedding date

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1:   Work out your budget. Decide how much you have to spend and find out if your families will contribute and how much. It is a good idea to know what you have to spend before you start your research. You can adjust up later should you choose to but if you want to stick with a dollar amount decide what that number is and finds ways to work within your budget.

2:   Start putting together your wedding party. If you decide you do not want a wedding party then you are off the hook here but do inform friends and family of your decision so no one feels left out.

3:   Work out your head count, the lower the head count the more you will reduce costs. Many reception venues price by guest count and catering and bar services price per person.

4:   Hire a wedding planner especially if you are planning a destination wedding. A planner has relationships with venders and venues as well as ideas and experience so if you decide to work with a planner hire one immediately as this will benefit you in the long run. Call us for Maui wedding planner and Hawaii wedding planning advise

5:   Decide your wedding date as well as a few back up dates in case your wedding venue is booked on the day of your choice. If you have to have a certain day then you should be prepared to be flexible in your ceremony and reception site choices. Call us for great ideas for Maui event locations.

6:  Decide the look and feel of your wedding. Do you want a traditional religious wedding?  If you do this will dictate ceremony venues and style.  If you want a destination wedding will the nuptials be formal or casual? Will you host your wedding in your home with a back yard reception or do you want a unique and quirky unexpected venue to host your wedding and reception. Options open to you are many so think about what you want and the cost of pulling it all together.

7:  Find and book your wedding venues.  Decide if you will have the wedding ceremony and reception in the same location. Your wedding planner should be able to assist you in finding the right venues.

8:  Book your officiate

9:  Start researching vendors and remember that your planner can provide a list of proven professional vendors, as they will have contacts with excellent sources. The first vendor to book is your photographer; get a list together and start looking at on line portfolios. Get ideas from your planner as well as friends, on line research and recommendations.

10:  Book your photographer. Also start to research caterers, florists and music

 

 

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