I used this board so much in my planning, that I definitely wanted to give back in the form of reviews. I know how helpful a review can be...so here they are.
Wedding Coordinator- Sandra Wagner from A Maui Wedding Day: B-
I worked with Sandra since
the beginning of my planning process, so around 2 years total. In the beginning I would email her here
and there and although she took a while to respond I understood because my
wedding was far out. However, as
the day drew closer, I would have to email her the same email 2-3 times before
I would get a response. And even in her response, she would only respond to
half of my questions. This was quite frustrating. On the day of the rehearsal,
she seemed quite flustered as if she doesn’t do this all the time. My wedding party left the rehearsal
more confused than they came. She was also very soft spoken, and since we were
outside most of the wedding party could barely here her talking. In talking with her on rehearsal day,
she started to scare me a bit because when I asked her specifics that I had
paid for (a babysitter to watch my sisters twin infants) she responded with a puzzled
demeanor and did not remember I hired one. I had to show her on the contract where it was. And then, she told me about the layout
of the day, and she informed me where the buffet would be…that would be great
if I had a buffet. I had a sit
down dinner service. These little
details worried me the day before my wedding but I assured myself she was just
stressed because she had another wedding the day before mine (which is also
nerve wrecking). On the day of the wedding she had most of the things under
control. With the help of my
bridesmaids, she was on the right track with most of my DIY items I
brought. However, when it came to
some of the vendors that she hired for me, I was very dissatisfied (see
following reviews). I allowed her
to choose my officiant, the rentals, the music, and the DJ.
Officiant-
Pia Aluli: A
I only met Pia right before
the ceremony. He explained how
everything would go and calmed my nerves.
At the ceremony he did a great job projecting his voice and doing a
wonderful Hawaiian chant. He was very kind and did a great job.
Rentals
I am unsure who did our
rentals, as they were booked through the coordinator, but they did a great job
with the setup and layout of the lights.
However, I was supposed to
have a mic for the ceremony, and there was not one. My coordinator later informed me that it didn’t work when
they set it up. This was upsetting because it made it difficult for the crowd
to hear us.
Live Music:
Junior Siqueria: A-
For the ceremony entrance,
Junior played live on guitar. I did not hear most of it as I was like the last
one down the aisle (obviously), but I did hear the song I wanted as I walked
down the aisle. However, the same
cannot be said for my bridesmaids or my exit song. I specifically created a
list of all the songs I wanted played, and it is my belief that he never
received this from my coordinator.
Therefore, I am not downgrading him very much for it. He did a great job playing throughout
the cocktail hour as well.
DJ- I do
not know his name as he was booked through my coordinator: C-
I was VERY upset with how
the DJ worked out. I did not hire him myself, and I would NOT suggest him to
anyone. I am sure, once again, my
coordinator played a role in his downfall, as I had set songs for all my
dances, and I don’t think he ever received the list. I also do not think he received my request list for the
dancing hour. LUCKILY, I had a
very special mix for our first dance, so I had burned a CD with all our songs
on it. He used it for the first
dance, and then he had to have one of my bridesmaids listen to the CD so she
could tell him which ones to play for mother/son and father/daughter
dance. If I did not bring my own
CD, I would have not had those dances (very sad, in my opinion). When it came to cake cutting (which my
coordinator insisted I do before dinner- didn’t make much sense to me) he
didn’t even announce it to the family, so no one was even watching us cut. I had to purposely stop cutting, and
wait for him to get the clue to announce it. The night was almost over and I
still did not have a money dance.
I had to go remind him, 5 minutes before the reception was over, that I
wanted one (I have no idea where my coordinator was for that). Also, the songs for bouquet toss and
garter toss were definitely not what I had chosen. Basically I wasted a lot of my time picking those songs for
nothing.
Food-Food
for the Soul Catering: A ++++++++++++ !!!!
I CANNOT GIVE ENOUGH GREAT
REVIEWS for Food For the Soul.
Tina was awesome to work with, and had I known, I would have had her
coordinate my whole day! She was so sweet over the phone and walked me through
every step. I had some picky
eaters and she helped me out and made sure they were happy. I never even had a chance to meet her
the day of the wedding, but I know she was working hard behind the scenes. Her staff was so courteous and my
family loved the service. They
also cannot stop RAVING about the food.
I was so nervous and excited I couldn’t eat, but once I tasted the food,
I MADE myself eat!! The appetizers, the food, the cake…. ALL OF IT was
awesome!! The food was great and I cannot recommend them enough. This was one of the few things I booked
on my own, and I am very happy that I did.
FFTS also took care of the
bar. I had one signature drink,
wine, and beer. I bought all my
alcohol ahead of time at Costco, and for about 50 people I spent around
$400. I feel this saved me a ton
of money.
Venue-Olowalu
Plantation House: A ++++++++++++!!!!!
Since I planned this entire
wedding from California, I was hoping that Olowalu Plantation House would be
everything I had hoped and dreamed of … and when I finally saw it in person, it
was all that and more!!! It is such a gorgeous venue, and its beauty will just
blow you away!! If you are unsure about having your wedding there, don’t be! It
is worth every penny!! People are telling me daily about how it was the best
wedding venue ever!! The plantation style porch was perfect for enjoying the
morning and getting ready, and then the outdoor beachfront grass was the
perfect spot for the reception and ceremony. I would choose this place over and over again…it is PERFECT.
Hair and Makeup- Karine Cummings, Bridal Hair on Maui: A
After searching the boards
to find a cheaper alternative for hair and makeup, I came across Karine and was
happy I did. She charged much less
than other people I quoted for hair and airbrush makeup. She had her assistant, Cherie, help
with the makeup while she did the hair.
This was my first airbrush experience and I thought it came out very
nice. I absolutely LOVED my
hair. Both ladies were very
nice. Karine makes some very funny
comments and jokes while she does your hair, so just be prepared 
… but
overall she made for a great fun time.
This was another item I booked on my own, and I am happy that I did.
Photography-
Melissa McClure at Melissa McClure Photography: A +++++++++
Melissa is amazing! I found
out about her on this board originally, and since she was from San Diego, not
far from me, I hired her right away.
She did our engagement shoot, and I loved the photos. On Maui, we did a Trash the Dress
Shoot, and she took us to MANY amazing locations. It was so much fun.
She also made sure to get the underwater shots I wanted. On the day of the wedding, she was like
a photographer, a coordinator, and a personal drink lady! She was awesome and
always on top of it!!! She would tell me where to be, what to do, and then she
would bring my husband and I drinks! She was on top of it all night. I am so THANKFUL for how amazing she
is, and the GORGEOUS work she does.
So far I have only seen teasers, but I can’t even stop looking at
those. I know the rest will be
just as gorgeous. And, even though
she got injured while at the wedding (a bee stung her!) she put on her tough
girl face and acted like it didn’t hurt and pushed right through shooting
photos! That, to me, is serious talent.
And…she was much cheaper than Maui photographers. She is a great photographer overall and
anyone interested in her should just contact her!
Overall, I had an amazing
wedding. Although almost none of
my songs were played, I never let that get to me and I still danced the night
away and had a great time. Most of
the things that could have been improved on were minor details, but I feel they
could have been addressed ahead of time with a little bit better planning,
which is why I mention them in my reviews. If you have any questions about
anyone I worked with, I would be more than happy to answer them. I have much more to share, but didn’t
want to put in all the details to make it too much longer.