Both my fiance and I are from Hawaii, but have been living in Portland, OR for the past 8 or 9 years. Anyway, we are having our wedding on Maui in April. We were home for the holidays so we met with a couple vendors while we were there. Here are some initial reactions to the vendors we hope to use for our wedding.
Wedding Coordinator: Sherise Shulman (The Perfect Maui Wedding)We actually hired Sherise about a year ago. From the initial phone conversation we felt Sherise was a good fit, personality-wise. Our biggest concerns were the following:Is she experienced with outdoor weddings.Will she be a good resource for "creative thinking" not just cookie cutter ideas.Is she open to us (the clients) bringing in our own vendors?Can she handle the pressure of a wedding with 200+ guests.Will she be able to handle a groomzilla?
After we met in person, I felt confident she covered all those concerns. What I loved most about Sherise is she is hands-off when we are trying to make decisions and is quick to provide alternatives, ideas, suggestions without being too pushy about it. She also has a "motherly" aura about her that says "im in charge" but not in a bitchy way. A quality that is a MUST for a wedding coordinator.
Venue: Hui No’eau
Being from Hawaii, we didn’t want to have the typical hawaii beach wedding. Most of the beach venues couldn’t accommodate our rather large party size anyway. We also didn’t want to be stuck with a reception at the community center (the usual spot for the locals of Maui - it’s cheap, can accommodate 500+ guests, and you can bring in your own vendors). My fiance and I chose a property in upcountry Maui called, Hui No’eau in Makawao. We especially fell in love with the view overlooking Maui. It’s such a unique venue with seemingly unlimited possibilities. They also seem very flexible with how the property is used. The things we looked for in a wedding venue:Can we have our outdoor ceremony and reception on the grounds?Can it accommodate 200-250 guests?Is the site beautiful enough to where we can minimize decorations?Is parking easy?Is it easy to get to?Can we bring in our own food and beverages?
The Hui accommodates all these things. Done and done. Easy decision.
Photographer: Shaun Mendiola
Who shoots a wedding photographer’s wedding? My very good friend, Shaun will be shooting our wedding. Shaun is a fashion and editorial photographer, not a wedding photographer. This is important to me because I wanted someone with a different perspective. Someone untainted by wedding photography 
There will probably be 3-5 wedding photographer friends there as guests anyway. I wanted someone who had a similar eye for details. The photographer needs to see and think the way I would when I shoot a wedding or a commercial job. The photographer needs to blend in with our guests. Needs to be able to consume alcohol alongside us during the day. Needs to not be weird with the wedding party. Shaun is that guy. Also, he and my fiance get along. Must be because they’re both about 5 feet tall.
Caterer: Threes Bar and Grill
Travis, owner of Three’s is a laid back dude with some damn good food. Since half of our guests are already from Hawaii, we wanted to provide something different from the usual local Hawaiian wedding fare. This is what we came up with for our menu: Passed Hor’doeuvres
BBQ Kalua pork quesadillas- with tropical fruit relish and cilantro lime aioliCoconut crusted shrimp- with spiced mango chutney
Salad
Ocean salad- Kula greens and julienne Maui vegetables tossed in a creamy lilikoi’i vinaigrette and finished with feta cheese and ogo
Entrée
- Fresh Mahi Mahi- edamame and macadamia nut encrusted, finished with lilikoi’i beurre blanc and balsamic reduction
- Chicken Roulade- stuffed with portuguese sausage, spinach, pepperjack and cornbread. Finished with wild mushroom and apple smoked bacon ragout
- Japanese Sticky Rice
- Sauteed Mixed Vegetables with Honey Herb Butter
Dessert
Haupia over chocolate cookie crust
The food from Threes has those familiar flavors of the island, without straying too far from the norm. We also wanted our guests from the mainland to experience a taste of the islands without compromising quality and presentation. They are also providing the bar service and are allowing us to pick up our own alcohol (from Costco). Three’s fit our palettes and our budget. And Travis is just a cool dude.
DJ: Next Level Entertainment
Seemed like a lot of the DJ’s on Maui provided just about the same things. Same unobtrusive sound systems, same lighting, same music, etc. The two most important things we looked for in a DJ was personality and price. We got a good vibe with Joel from Next Level and sometimes a hunch is good enough.
These were some of the vendors I was put in charge of. Will need to get the fiance to do a write-up of the florist, hair and makeup, etc.... Stay tuned!