This gorgeous Steeple House at Kapalua wedding was one that I was looking forward to for months. I knew this wedding was going to be special for several reasons:
First, Sam and Jason have this amazing energy together. They’re the kind of people you meet once and you leave wanting more time to hang out with them.
Second, farm animals. Sam loves animals. So they wanted to share her love for furry friends with their guests. How many weddings have you been to where the cocktail hour had actual animals? It was so unique to their wedding – it’s definitely something their guests will remember for years to come (including myself!!).
Lastly, the wedding party. These guys were a BLAST. So fun and willing to do whatever I told them to do – and then be super extra about it, which I loved.
Thanks to our vendors for making this day happen:
Coordination: Christy with In Bloom Hawaii | Flowers: Sunya’s Flowers | Venue: Steeple House at Kapalua | Hair and Makeup: Maui Makeup Artistry | Catering: Threes Bar and Grill | Animals: Maui Animal Farm
Sam helped me out by answering some questions for me to help future brides planning their Maui wedding!
1. Tell me about your thoughts leading up to the wedding, did you think about it growing up, did you plan it together? How did it feel to make your choices and marry one another?
Tell me about your thoughts leading up to the wedding:
We were excited, nervous, and so stressed out! We packed up and moved to another state (Phoenix, AZ) the week before the wedding, and after traveling to 3 different locations for weddings (LA, Vancouver, Portland) before heading straight to ours on Maui. We were very scatterbrained. We were planning all the way up until the last minute. In the end, though, the day was perfect.
Did you think about it growing up:
Sam was never the kind of girl who would daydream about her wedding since she was little (though she wishes she did because it would’ve made the planning part a lot easier with a vision). Sam planned the wedding with the help with Christy (our planner) and Jason who stepped in to help when he was able.
How did it feel to make your choices and marry one another?
It felt great; we were living together for 2 years prior to getting married so we had a chance to get to know each other well. We love each other very much though we met 12 years ago and neither of us could have predicted this outcome. Life works in funny ways. In the end, we know that we couldn’t have found a more perfect life partner than each other.
2. Why did you choose the venues/town you did?
Sam studied for a summer during college on the island of Oahu and fell in love with the island, the people, and the aloha spirit so she always knew she would be back to live there one day. There was also no doubt in her mind that she would be married on one of the Hawaiian Islands when the time came. The Steeple House was perfect because it is located in beautiful Kapalua but also because of its location, the wedding party can go past 10 pm which is rare for a wedding venue on Maui. During our search for a venue on our popular wedding date of 8.18.18 six months prior, most places were already booked. One of the venues that were still available would have required us to turn off the music and be quiet after 8 pm, so we were considering silent disco as an option at one point! (can you imagine??). Thankfully, Steeple House was newly renovated so it was still a bit under a radar and still available for our date, we got lucky!
3. What was your favorite part of the day?
We have a few! One favorite part of the day was the ceremony even though Sam ugly cried throughout the whole thing and also the speeches where Sam got to roast Jason for an entire 10 minutes.
Jason’s favorite was the presence of the animals, the speeches, and having all of our friends and family to share in that moment with us.
4. What were your favorite details and why? (dress, suits, flowers, etc)
Our favorite details of the day were the chopped coconuts and the live music by Marvin, which perfectly set the romantic island tone for our Maui wedding.
5. Why did you choose me as your photographer?
ANGIE, let’s first talk about your charm and charisma that we, along with our family and friends loved! But what ultimately made our decision easy in picking you was a few things 1) your artistic eye in capturing unique shots 2) your ability to capture a variety of emotions throughout the day 3) your candid photos (and truthfully, I usually hate candid photos of myself) 4) and your vibrant landscape shots which captures how beautiful Maui is. We appreciate your willingness to stay with us to capture once in a lifetime moments through the speeches even though we were running late. Thank you for bringing 110% of yourself and your energy to our wedding. It didn’t go unnoticed and we are so grateful.
6. Do you have any wedding advice for couples getting married in the future?
1. PLAN AHEAD. Plan and do everything as far in advance as possible. We were planning and completing minor tasks all the way up until the ceremony which made for a very stressful experience. Carve out some time for you to be by yourself before the ceremony just to breathe.
2. Brides: I was the most indecisive bride in the history of brides. I had a million questions and could not make up my mind about anything. My advice is to go with your gut with all decisions esp your dress! Taking in too many opinions can get really confusing. And besides, you can’t go wrong with your gut. You know what you want and also what looks good on you!
3. Lastly, be present, and take in the moments because it will all pass so fast.
