Testimonials, Reviews and Raves

New 5 star review of Blue Sky Weddings from Arthur Surdilla newly posted on Weddingwire.com.

Services Used: Wedding Cake, Catering, DJ, Flowers, Officiant, Wedding Planning, Lighting & Decor, Event Rentals & Photobooths, Ceremony & Reception Venue, Unique Services

Gabrielle Longhi and Blue Sky Weddings were amazing for assisting us in setting up the dream wedding that my wife, Michelle, and I were ever hoping for.

We had visited Maui in 2010 and visited several wedding sites including the Honua Kai Lani (Sugarman Estate) in Makena. We knew that the beautiful gem of a location in Makena was where we wanted to be wed. Unfortunately, we had lost contact with the original wedding planners who had taken the time to show us the various wedding venues in Maui. By the time we had to initiate the wedding planning in March 2011, the wedding planners did not respond to any of our phone calls
or emails. Fortunately, we stumbled upon Blue Sky Weddings. Coming from California, it was important that we found someone who could assist us in the logistics as we couldn't afford to fly back and forth as much as we would like. We contacted Gabrielle in March of 2011, and received a prompt response from her.

We interviewed each other after we arranged a phone conference call and she spent over an hour and a half listening to us and what we were envisioning for the wedding. Even with the details we were unsure of and the little things that we didn't know about wedding planning, she was able to assist us and fill in the blanks. We gave her our budget and she was excited to help us and work with it. The time that she took out of her day to sit down and talk with us for a free consultation, made us realize that she would be perfect for the job.

She replied a few days after the phone call with a detailed email with all the items that we were thinking of and what we would need to make it happen. The email had a breakdown of costs and our needs and what would be included. She gave us a list of vendors to choose from for music/sound, wedding cakes, make-up/hair, officiants, and even activities, restaurants, and places to stay for our guests.

We probably had a week or two of email and phone conversations before we even discussed a contract with Blue Sky Weddings. When the contract did come, she explained it to us in detail and made sure we were happy with what we were getting into. The emails and contact with this planning service were great. She responded to us in a timely manner and would contact us to let us know whatever information we needed to help make this dream come true.

Food was especially important for my wife and me. Blue Sky Weddings handled all of the catering services through Longhi's Restaurant and Catering there in Maui. Their sample menus on their web site were exactly what we were looking for as we wanted to do a "buffet-style" service for our large wedding party. We had our own input in what we wanted for appetizers and entrees and she gave us a sample menu that we were excited about and agreed upon. We got to visit their restaurant in January 2012 and they sat down and did a full tasting of that menu and then some. The food was delectable and very creative. We knew we had a menu that we would enjoy as well as our guests.

The week of the wedding is when we really felt like we made a good decision. We did our pre-walk through the site and everything looked amazing. The grounds were well kept, the staff was polite and helpful, and Gabrielle went over every detail that we would need to know for the ceremony and the reception. We stayed close to our original budget, with her help and she delivered with a breath-taking venue and on-point and on-time precision with the wedding.

On the day of the wedding, everything went as planned and Gabrielle and her crew helped us through the ceremony and reception without "being in the way." They assisted us through everything while being invisible at the same time. Their skill and expertise seems to be unrivaled. We were excited to have them there and have them as our planner.

Reverend Heidi Alfrey, our wedding officiant, was wonderful and patient as she presided over our ceremony. The ceremony and reception site was beautifully decorated with the flowers and color theme we had chosen. The sound and music which was provided by DJ Boomshot was energetic and flowed smoothly as we transitioned from reception, to cocktail hour, to reception. The food and cake was loved by the guests as well as us. All the elements that Gabrielle had spent the time to discuss with us during our wedding planning process came together very well and brought out everything a wedding in Maui should have.

Blue Sky Wedding has excellent planning services and communication… Gabrielle and her staff are the utmost professionals when it comes to beautiful Maui Weddings. They are willing to work with your budget and are flexible with your schedule. They give you 100% and we felt like we got more than what we paid for.

The memories that were created for us that day were more than what we could ever imagine for a destination wedding. Blue Sky Weddings is an amazing planning service that we could never forget. Thank you!!!

Arthur & Michelle's wedding at Honua Kai Lani Estate in Makena Maui. April 18, 2012

Hi Gabrielle

Thank you so much- the wedding was more than we could've ever dreamed for! Everything was absolutely perfect!
My friends and family were all thrilled :-)

Thanks again!
Libby & Cavin Erickson
Blue Sky Beach Villa Lahaina Maui: May 5, 2012

Dear Gabrielle

Thank you so much for all that you have done for us and for making our wedding as beautiful as we could have ever envisioned it. You have shown the utmost professionalism and care into molding our ideas of this wedding and making it a reality. We deeply appreciate everything you’ve put into this, from the meetings, to the phone calls, and e-mail conversations. Blue Sky Weddings is a wonderful company and you deserve all the credit an accolades that a full service wedding planner could obtain. We will forever remember all you have helped us with. With sincere appreciation and warms thanks to you,

Arthur and Michelle Surdilla
Honua Kai Lani: April 18, 2012

Gabrielle

I would like to thank you and everyone who participated in making our wedding day at Olowalu Plantation House so memorable and beautiful. We were very pleased with everything! Our guests were so happy with the food! They really enjoyed the appetizers, cocktails, and dinner service/menu. Monique Feil our photographer was amazing. We really enjoyed working with her. She was so enthusiastic and made us feel so comfortable. Julie was also really great to work with, she kept everything organized and stress free like we wanted. We loved Rev Kimo Kirkman and the solo guitarist as well. They kept the ceremony intimate, simple, beautiful. The wait staff was also very nice and timely in their service. All of the hard work was greatly appreciated!

I also wanted to mention that Billy Arbour from Sound Wave Maui, the DJ was wonderful. He played a variety of music, plenty of what we requested, but also some of his own. My family loves to dance, and I think at one point everyone was on the dance floor having a great time :)

It was such a pleasure working with you and your team. I meant to also thank Pat from Cravings for the beautiful cake and the flowers were just PERFECT!!! I know I probably did a vague job describing what we wanted, but you guys got everything right on :) It was great!

Again, thank you so much for everything you have done to organize our beautiful wedding! You helped make this experience a really positive and easy one. I will share our pictures with you as soon as we have them.

Elizabeth & James Grayson
Olowalu Plantation House October 25, 2011

Hi Gabrielle

Yes, we were so happy with all that you did. We absolutely loved the flowers. I wanted to bring them home! Jeanette was able to enjoy some of them at her honeymoon condo. The rest of the flowers stayed at the house for the next group. And the food was the best. Jeanette was so happy with it all (as well as the rest of us) everything was so beautiful when we came back from the ceremony...you had transformed the atmosphere...and it was all we could have dreamed of. We love your staff they were so friendly and welcoming and professional and attended to our every need. All our email communications and "distant" planning were worth every minute of it. It was an absolutely beautiful evening for all of our family and they were all so impressed by how well everything turned out. And you were right, we had tons of food! Next time (we all decided...but don't know when there will be a next time...) we will do all appetizers and that wonderful salad. We all filled up on appetizers, they were sooooooo good! But we did enjoy the other food the remaining two days at the house, and I was happy not to cook. Thank you again from our hearts it was a splendid evening.

Marcia Barrett: Mother of the bride
Wedding reception dinner: November 2, 2010
Serenity of the Seas in Lahaina Maui

Dear Gabrielle and Sally,

We just wanted to send you a little note to thank you for the extraordinary bouquets you made for our Wedding. I know it was a small order compared to the larger weddings you fully coordinate, but you wouldn't know it as they were still exquisite and beautiful. Thank you so much for interpreting my inspiration into such gorgeous bouquets. I love how they are so fresh and lively with an air of sophistication. They really made our wonderful day even more beautiful. I have attached some of the photos that highlight the bouquets. Also Sally, a special thank you to you for helping my Sister with some amazing flowers and Orchids to use for our table pieces. With your help our small budget really bloomed!

Thanks very much,
Heather and Dan Des Sosa
Haiku Maui: February 2010

Dear Gabrielle-

Thank you so much for making our day so special! It really went as smoothly as promised and I can't tell you how many people have commented on what a wonderful time they had, how great the food was, how beautiful the flowers were, etc. Given it can be a tad stressful, it really was a relief knowing that you were running about (and very covertly I might add) ensuring that things were happening. Michael and I agree that hiring you was one of the best decisions we've ever made. We also wanted to offer ourselves as a reference for you should you need one in the future. We'd be more than happy to tell any of your prospective clients what a pleasure it was working with you.

Mahalo!
K & Mike
Olowalu Plantation House

Hi Gabrielle,

Now that the holidays are over and we have acclimated, we just wanted to take the time to send a most sincere thank you! Our big day was truly an incredibly special day and we will never forget you along with your fabulous staff helped create that moment. The flowers and cake were absolutely beautiful and my bouquet was so stunning that I actually had personal thank you cards made with a photo of the bouquet on the cover! The food was unsurpassed and we received nothing but compliments from all of our guests. Robie Price, our photographer was amazing, he was so much fun and unbelievably talented, he captured the most intimate moments that we will always cherish. You left no detail untouched and created an atmosphere and backdrop that left us and our guests wishing to stay forever! Thank you for ALL that you and your staff provided us, we will have these memories with us always.

Sincerely,

Sandi & Alan Gordon
Redondo Beach, California
Olowalu Plantation House Maui: December 12, 2009

Hi Gabrielle,

I just wanted to thank you so much again for such a wonderful evening last night. Haydn and I were beyond impressed with every detail and the whole day was better than I ever imagined in my head! I still have a smile from ear to ear :) and thank you again for such a magical and an absolutely flawless wedding. Just amazing.

All the best,
Kelsey Hayden
Olowalu Plantation House: October 17, 2009

Dear Gabrielle

I wanted to thank you again for all your help in making Mika and Russ's wedding on Feb. 28th a really wonderful, memorable occasion. All the guests commented on how great the entire setting was, and how beautiful the whole experience was. We deeply appreciate all your work to make this such a success. Again, our deepest thanks for all you did. We love the photos on your website.

Best wishes,
Phil Gabriel
Wedding: Mika & Russ
Olowalu Plantation House February 28, 2009

Gabrielle,

I am Jennifer McDaniel's mother. Her wedding was Oct. 11, 2008 at the Blue Sky Villa. Scott Hughes was the photographer. I just had to write and tell you how absolutely wonderful his work is. I can't thank you enough for the beautiful wedding and now the awesome photos which capture the events of the day perfectly. He is the most talented photographer I have seen. Everyone who has seen the photos are amazed at how beautiful the wedding was and how beautiful the photos are. Thank you very much. I hope when my son decides to get married he will want to come there and we can do this again. Thank you for all of your help.

Kim Meeks

Hi Gabrielle,

This email comes long overdue.......Ravi and I had a very busy summer moving into a new place..........but I have been meaning to get in touch with you for quite some time now, to thank you for everything that you did, along with Carol and your staff, to make our wedding on May 24th at Olowalu so spectacular and special. We never imagined things would turn out so magnificent........from the flowers to the tent to the huppa to the food and cocktails to the music and entertainment.......it was all so perfect......!! The site that evening was just breathtaking and I will never forget how blown away I was when I walked on to the property at Olowalu to get ready for the evening and looked out at the backyard to see things dressed up. Several people commented that it was the most picturesque and beautiful wedding that they had ever attended.....like a "fairy tale".....We are sincerely so grateful for your hard work. You made it so easy for us along the way, and you were incredibly patient throughout the entire planning process. Thank you, thank you, thank you Gabrielle!!!!! Please give our best to Carol and your staff and let them know how much we were touched by their involvement in the wedding. Of course we will recommend you highly to anyone we know who may need your assistance in Hawaii or Los Angeles!! Also, I truly apologize for not getting in touch with you sooner to tell you how much we appreciated everything that you did for us!

My best,
Dana
May 24, 2008: Olowalu Plantation House

Hi Gabrielle,

I wanted to thank you and your amazing staff for the wonderful, wonderful wedding that you helped create for Maile and Jon last weekend. It could not have been more perfect for them. I think all of us who were there, really felt that it truly captured the aloha spirit and was just the best wedding ever. Everyone we worked with was great---from Carol and her wonderful kitchen crew to the valet parking gentleman. Julie was wonderful with the rehearsal and making sure that we all knew what we were doing and then making sure that it happened perfectly on Saturday. Please thank them all for us and let them know how much we appreciated all of their help.

If you ever need a reference, please feel free to have other families contact me.

Carol Cooper: Mother of the bride
Makena Estate
July 19, 2008

Gabrielle

Thank you for making our wedding experience so wonderful. Everything was as we imagined except it was all the more amazing and just absolutely beautiful. Your staff was wonderful! The food was phenomenal! Please thank Carol for us. I don't know how you remember all of the details, but you sure do! It was a pleasure working with you. Between you and Jill I don't know what I'd have done without you two. Together you made it amazing and seemed to enjoy it too! All of your recommendations were awesome. I love Monique! The flowers were beautiful…. Billy was great! Reverend De Rego was the perfect choice. He was such a warm spirited man and made the ceremony seamless and perfect. It was perfect. Thanks again and best wishes

Sincerely
Rachel and Jeff Bishop
Olowalu Plantation House
September 22, 2007

Hey Gabrielle,

This is Bethany VandenBos (Delk). Tyler and I wanted to let you know how awesome you and your staff are! You guys truly are amazing! I really cannot put into words how thankful we are for all you and Carol did for me and Tyler! You made the planning so easy and stress-free! I love your attention to detail and your true, heartfelt concern with making everything exactly how the bride and groom want it. It truly was the wedding of our dreams and then some! Me and my family and friends are still talking about it! Everything was perfect from the planning, the rehearsal, the big day, and everything in between.

When I stepped off the plane in Maui, I knew I had nothing to stress about because you and Carol had everything under control. That was a wonderful feeling! On the big day, Carol was so great about calling and checking up on me and reassuring me that if I needed anything, she was there to help me! And she even gave me permission to call at 2 a.m. to ask questions or to just talk to calm my nerves before the big day. Though, I never took her up on that because I knew that we were in great hands. The Olowalu Plantation House was breathtaking and exactly what I had imagined. And the food was amazing! Some members of my family even said that the food at our wedding was the best food that they had on their whole trip! Wow! Delicious! I would definitely have to agree! Noreen was so awesome! The cake was so yummy and gorgeous! And the flowers were just absolutely amazing! So vibrant and beautiful! They matched my sister's bridesmaids dresses exactly. And Stewart Pinsky was totally perfect! He is so talented and awesome to work with! He made our day that much more special. And Rev. Kimo was so great! He was the best! I love his great sense of humor and how you can tell that he truly cares for the bride and groom. He was perfect! And the Hawaiian Duo were so awesome! And Billy was great! He was the best DJ for our wedding. I feel like I cannot say enough! I truly am so thankful to each person who made our day so special! Gabrielle, you are an amazing person to work with. Without you and your guidance, I don't know what our wedding would have looked like. And Carol, thank you so much for all you did for me, Tyler, and the rest of my family on rehearsal night and the wedding day! You are so fantastic! I mean that from the bottom of my heart! You are the best! You made me and Tyler feel so special. Thanks so much for making our big day and birthdays, January 31, 2007, (Yes, we share birthdays and we got married on our birthdays!) the best day of our lives! Thanks a million Gabrielle, Carol and Staff!

Bethany VandenBos (Delk) and Tyler
January 31, 2007

P.S. I will email you pics from the wedding so you can see how breathtaking it turned out to be! Thanks again!

Reference letter from Lisa Loggia to inquiring groom
Lisa's wedding: Olowalu Plantation House 9/16/06
Lisa's Rehearsal Luau Dinner: Jade Estate 9/15/06

Hi John
Would love to help! I did not get married at the Jade Estate but did throw a couple of parties there during my wedding festivities (as well as stayed there). We had Gabrielle, Carol & crew do everything from food, decorations, flowers, etc. Could not have imagined it going better than it did. I didn't lift a finger while we were in Maui!

JADE ESTATE:
If you haven't visited the Jade Estate, I can't say enough things about it! It is THE most beautiful home on the BEST beach in Maui...we were all SO sad to have to say goodbye to it...you will NOT be disappointed. Inside and out it is one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen (as it should be, since its not cheap! WORTH THE $$) We had a number of our friends stay with us at the Jade Estate and every single one of them raves about it still. It is also right next door to the KAANAPALI VILLAS which are a little dated but very reasonably priced, roomy and the staff is great so your overflow guests can stay there and walk a minute down the beach to the Jade Estate. Also, we had 17 people stay at the Estate and could have had more, all the rooms are beautiful and there is a ton of extra sleeping space in the media room and other areas.

FOOD:
Carol (gabrielle's sister) catered 4 days of events for us including a welcome party for our guests, a luau (for which Blue Sky provided GREAT entertainment), the wedding day and a Farewell brunch. Because there were no tastings since I live on the mainland, I was a little nervous about the food...NOT ONE COMPLAINT about the quality or taste. Honestly it was BY FAR the best food I have ever had at a wedding (not just because it was mine). Carol is so sweet and honest, she makes great recommendations and did a separate vegetarian menu for me and the other "veggies" present. I did not have a wedding cake though so can't help you there...we did a dessert buffet that was delicious!

FLOWERS:
I cannot say enough about the florist...the flowers were so fresh and vibrant...exactly what I pictured for a tropical wedding. We had LOTS of flowers (for both the luau the day before and the wedding day, which was at the Plantation house) all of them were gorgeous. I attach some pics to give you guys a better idea.

PHOTOS:
I used Robie Price, thru Blue Sky for the photos (luau & wedding). He was great...only thing is he IS pricey and I would have asked for more images in the beginning if I had to do it over. We did NO posed photographs and Robie did a great job of still capturing the day.

VIDEO:
The video guy was Angel de Armas, and my wedding video is absolutely beautiful! Not cheesy at all and very well put together.

I attach some pics to give you guys a better idea of how everything turned out...some are from wedding at Plantation house, some from luau at Jade Estate...Hope this helps. If have any other questions feel free to contact me...be happy to help! CONGRATS on the wedding...you will not be disappointed using Gabrielle!

All the best...
Lisa

Dear Gabrielle and Blue Sky Wedding Staff,

Thank you so much for a fabulous day! Everything was perfect...better than we could have dreamed of. The presentation and excellence of everything, from the flowers to the food to the luau was awesome! Carol and Norene were truly amazing to work with. We can't even express in words how great they were.

Reverend Lewis was unbelievable and Tracy Teagarden was not only great to work with but also his talent with our wedding photos was more than we could have asked for.

Sincere thanks for making June 27, 2006 a day we will never forget.

Barry and Karry Lehmann
June 27, 2006
Blue Sky Villa

Reference letter from Holly Manning (January 10, 2006 Olowalu Plantation House) to inquiring bride

Hi Katherine,

I couldn't possibly say enough wonderful things about Gabrielle. She made my wedding planning process so much easier and at our rehearsal and the actual wedding day, she helped so much to keep it all running smoothly -- which helped me keep my nerves in check.

Gabrielle is extremely approachable and she's very available. I called 4 other wedding coordinators and she was the only one who actually answered her phone - everyone else I had to leave messages for and two of those it took a while for them to call me back and I think one NEVER called me back. Gabrielle almost always answers her phone straight away and she always emailed me right back.

My guests RAVED about our wedding and reception (both held at Olowalu House) and in particular, the food. The food was exquisite. The house itself is a perfect location. Nice big lawn area for the ceremony and the perfect perfect perfect backdrop. Having the reception there was great because guests got to enjoy a cocktail hour (one of our options) while we took all the photos - and the big lawn area meant the children who were our guests could run around and have fun the whole evening. I couldn't have asked for a better location and when I watch our wedding DVD, I'm amazed by how perfectly beautiful it was.

Olowalu is located a pretty easy drive from Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kihei - Wailea is a little further, but still very doable.

I didn't feel like there were a lot of extra expenses. Gabrielle was very up front w/ me about costs and totally willing to help me scale back when necessary. I think we had about 55 guests, which was smaller than we'd originally paid for, so in the end, we were able to bump up the quality of the meal and appetizers.

I could go on and on and on about how great the whole experience was and Gabrielle made it easier than I even hoped for. Please feel free to email me back w/ any other specific questions. Good luck!

~Holly Rios-Manning
January 10, 2006

Dear Gabrielle:

Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! Tom and I want to thank you for our dream wedding!! It was the best wedding and you made our dreams come true!!

Everything was perfect!! In fact, one of my friends said she wish she could do her wedding over and do exactly like our wedding. The Blue Sky Villa was so beautiful!! The food was awesome!! People are still talking about the crab cakes and shrimp. They said the crab cakes were the best they had ever had and the shrimp were the biggest they had ever seen. The cake was exactly like I imagined and tasted so good!! I really liked the carrot cake. The tables looked great and, wow…the flowers were out of this world!! My bouquet was the BEST!! Our ceremony/reception was perfect including the minister, Kimo, the Hawaiian duo, all of the food, the photographer, Stuart Pinsky, the DJ, Billy Arbour, absolutely everything!! I could go on and on….everything was perfect!!

Thanks again for all of your hard work and coordination of our Big Day and making it so easy to plan out!! If it wasn't for you, I don't know if we could have had a perfect day. Everything went as planned and turned out better than we imagined.

And, I would also like to mention a Huge Thank You to the wedding day coordinator, Noreen. She was the Best!! As soon as we met her, we knew our big event was in the best hands possible!! Noreen was totally awesome!! She made us feel so special!!

We are forever grateful to you, Noreen and your staff!! As my grandma said that day, it was one of her best days in her 89 years of life and Tom & I feel the same way. It was the best day of both of our lives thanks to you!! You're the Best!!

Sincerely,

Chris Miller (Larson) and Tom Miller
April 28, 2006

Thank you again!! You are the best!! And, I loved working with you!! And no, I don't mind if you put my letter on your website.

Also, if any of your future brides need a reference, they can call me or email me. Anything to spread the word of how wonderful you and Blue Sky Weddings were to work with!! You made it stress free and I got to do everything that I wanted to do!!

Thanks again!!

Chris

Gabrielle

Thank you for putting together a beautiful wedding! All of our guests had a wonderful time and everything worked out great. It was truly a dream wedding come true! Martin and Kevin were great. We saw Martin's photos before we left the island and they were beautiful! Marci's hair and make up were beautiful. Everyone absolutely loved the flowers and the tent!! The twinkle lights and tulle were definitely worth it.

Please thank Carol for us for putting together a great wedding on Saturday. Carol and Argee did a wonderful job!!

We will definitely recommend your services to any friends who want to get married in Maui!

Thank you again for everything, Gabrielle. You and your family put together an absolute dream wedding that we and our family and friends will never forget!

Showshan and Mike
May 27, 2006

Dear Gabrielle,

Craig and I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and planning that went into making our wedding so magical. All of our family and friends can't stop talking about how wonderful the wedding was from the flowers, setting, food, ceremony, photography, music, etc. All of your recommendations were fabulous.

We really had an amazing day and are very happy that we choose your services. We will not hesitate to recommend your services to our family and friends in the future.

Thanks again for everything. We had such an amazing day!

Best wishes

Lori and Craig
Feb 25, 2006

Gabrielle,

I don't know how to begin to thank you properly. From the first time you answered the phone till the moment we said goodbye at the reception you were just wonderful. I can't stress enough what a benefit your calm, collected personality is. From the start I was so comfortable trusting your judgment and you definitely lived up to that. The wedding was 110% exactly what we both wanted. On a scale of 1 - 10 it was an 11. All our friends and family commented on how exceptional and perfect everything was and I owe so much of that to you. I cannot thank you enough - our wedding was absolutely everything we wanted it to be. We were thrilled beyond our wildest expectations.

Oh and the food and flowers were just over the top.

With much gratitude,

Mahalo and Aloha

Steve and Holly Manning
January 10, 2006

Reference letter from Traci Widen who was married at a private Makena ocean front estate

Hi Caroline…

Well, we haven't gotten married yet - but I have to say, up until now, I couldn't have asked for anything better as it relates to the wedding planner. We have had a few issues along the way…our own issues (not Gabrielle's)…and have had to change quite a few things at the last moment INCLUDING the entire wedding date and Gabrielle has not only been accommodating, she has been sympathetic, understanding and flexible. Everything is going as planned because she has been able to juggle it all. I know I have asked a lot from her, and have had more changes than there should ever have to be, but she has been there for me, and I just feel fortunate that I found her.
I researched a long time for a Hawaii Wedding coordinator and in my opinion she is different from the rest - but in a good way. The others are all from the same mold as far as I am concerned. If you are looking for someone unique and special you have found the right place. I have no problem whatsoever telling you that I recommend her 1000%

Good luck!
Traci

Hello Carol, Gabrielle, Sally and Arge:

Johnny and I just returned home after a very memorable time on Maui. Our thanks to all of you for your collective work and good energy in making our wedding the highlight of our trip, as well as setting an amazing foundation for our lives together!

Everything from the music, the lighting, the flowers, and the food was perfect! Please share with Noreen that the vocalist and ceremony musicians had our guests clamoring for CD's! (You wouldn't happen to know if she has a CD, do you?) And the choices for the entertainment were perfect! The keiki dancers were great and Johnny loved the fire knife dancer!

Gabrielle, thank you for working so diligently with us from afar to plan everything down to the last detail, as well as for your expert recommendations on various aspects of the ceremony and reception. In particular, thank you for choosing Rev. Kimo to perform the ceremony, we thought he did a fabulous job of making us feel relaxed, as well as being mindful of our guests, while creating an atmosphere of love and celebration!

Carol, the meal was excellent, and our guests loved the appetizers, dinner and the desserts! We so appreciate your saving appetizers especially for us! We were initially a bit sad to think that we had missed out!

Sally, I LOVED my bouquet and the table arrangements! Thank you for doing such an amazing and tasteful job!

Arge, thank you so much for your hospitality--you made us all feel welcome and at ease from the very beginning, and when we were all stranded post reception due to the accident, our guests felt very reassured and welcome by your allowing us to stay on the premises until the roads opened.

I hope that this e-mail finds all of you well! Thank you again for everything!

In Gratitude,
Johnny and Dana Kawaoka Chen

September 21, 2005

Hi Gabrielle,

We just returned from our honeymoon in Tahiti and are returning to reality. I wanted to drop you a note to tell you how everything went.

I would say overall everything turned out how I had envisioned it and I ended up having a blast at my own wedding. From what I hear not many brides can say that. Robert Gilman was perfect-short and sweet with a touch of humor to loosen us up a little. He did exactly what we wanted. You could feel confident to put him on your list of officiants.

The villa was beautiful once everything was set up. The wind died down right around dinner which kept the floating candles lit for almost the entire meal. Believe it or not, we almost ran out of red wine and it was the hottest day of that week! lushes! The bus was also very handy and worked out great.

We just received the CD from Scott Huges and the photographs are beautiful.

Please feel free to use me as a reference if you wish.

Thank you for putting all this together in such an efficient manner.

Francoise
August 26, 2005

Hi Gabrielle,

Hope this e-mail finds you well. Emily and I are still on cloud nine from the wedding. The entire day was absolutely perfect. Thanks again for all your help. You did a fantastic job coordinating everything on the day ... it really helped make the entire experience for us. We didn't have to worry about a thing. If you have potential clients that are looking for a reference, don't hesitate to forward out contact information.

Thanks,

Nicholas & Emily Miller
August 11, 2005

Hi Gabrielle,

It's been some time since the wedding and it's been a blur since we've been back. It's been so busy! We just received the pix and video from the wedding and we just wanted to say thank you for putting together such a beautiful wedding.

All of the little details came together so perfectly and it is a day we will never forget! Your staff took such good care of us throughout the day, making sure we were happy and that everything went smoothly.

All of our vendors were wonderful...the food was delicious (we loved the artichoke), the dj was professional and kept things low key. The musicians and hula dancer were amazing!!! Our guests can't stop talking about the minister. We can still smell the flowers - the bouquet was incredible!

We could go on and on...but thank you (and your staff) for making this the most amazing and beautiful day of our lives!

Good luck to you and your staff,

Dawn & Mike
5-25-05

Gabrielle

First of all, I have to apologize for the extreme tardiness of this note. It should not have taken so long to tell you a great big “Thank You” for all you did to make our wedding so special. It was such a luxury to know that you were taking care of all the details of planning. I had several people comment that I was the calmest bride they'd ever seen. All your preparations came together to make a truly perfect experience. Mark and I said to each other after the ceremony, “I don't know how that could have been any more perfect.” The flowers were beautiful, the food was amazing and it all seemed to go so very smoothly. It was such a pleasure to work with you and we appreciate how you helped make our wedding truly memorable.

Mahalo, again

With Aloha,
Doney and Mark
May 20, 2005, Olowalu Plantation House

Our dream of a Hawaiian wedding was realized with Gabrielle Longhi and her staff at Blue Sky Weddings. Planning from afar couldn't have been easier with her help. With Gabrielle's extensive knowledge and resources on the islands every little detail was taken care of and we were able to enjoy our time in Maui with family and friends without worrying. The food, the flowers, the music, the setting, it was the unforgettable day we dreamed of."

Leslie and Tim Caron

Gabrielle

Kevin and I want to take a moment to thank you for all your hard work in coordinating our wedding. The beach house was lovely, the food and the wedding cake were superb and all of the details fell nicely into place. As I said to Kevin later that night, it was magical - so magical I wanted to relive it again and again. The staff you hired for the event were fabulous. They were right by my side as well as Kevin's to insure that we enjoyed the food and the festivities!"

Pam & Kevin Gibbs

Blue Sky Weddings, Inc • 888 Front Street Lahaina Maui Hawaii 96761 • 800-362-6851 Toll Free • 808-283-8014 on Maui • e-mail: info@blueskyweddings.com