It’s always a real treat when Maui wedding photographer Wendy Laurel sends a set of photos our way. Being in Hawaii, there’s usually a good story behind the chosen destination (like the ever-gorg Olowalu Plantation House) and the couple—these two met in SF on their first day working at Yelp—not to mention, *all* the tropical blooms. Being big foodies, Rory + Sabrina were all about incorporating Hawaiian cuisine into their day, even choosing their location based on their fave dessert in town. Maui’s Angels helped them pull it all off, including the understated, nature-inspired bougainvillea-filled design:
Love + Beauty Maui created a beautiful natural look for Sabrina.
And her bridal bouquet included garden roses, ranunculus, and greenery. Sweet, simple, and stunning!
They’d seen a bougainvillea-adorned trellis on Pinterest. That, and a sweetheart table were their two major musts for the design… Everything else was about having a laidback celebration with their small guest list of 14 friends + fam.
They’d originally planned to have their wedding the day before (an anniversary of the day they met), but Olowalu Plantation House was only available the next day. But having it on the sixth meant ending a six year chapter in their lives and starting fresh as husband and wife. So sweet!
Fun note about choosing the venue, from our bride… We honestly chose our venue based on the fact that it was across the street from our favorite restaurant in Maui! Leoda‘s has the best pies we’ve ever had and we knew we wanted to have them incorporated into our wedding somehow. After our ceremony, right after we signed our marriage license, we went directly across the street so that we could share a banana cream pie! Leoda’s made it even more special by setting up a table right out front for us which was an amazing surprise.
Last but not least, their love story…
We met when we both started working at Yelp on the same day. Rory introduced himself as, “Hi, I’m Rory. I’m Australian and I live on a boat.” And the rest was history! Almost immediately we started spending every day together.
5 1/2 years later, Rory proposed the day after Valentine’s Day. A tradition of ours is that we always celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 15th so that we can enjoy a great restaurant without fighting the crowds and fixed menus. We’re huge foodies! We also have a strict no gift policy for Valentine’s Day but that Valentine’s Day, at dinner Rory said, “Don’t get mad, but I got you a little something… Close your eyes.” I was so upset because I didn’t get him anything but instantly forgave him when I saw the ring in his hand when I opened my eyes!
Right after the wedding, they both made the big move from SF to NY together. All our best to the happy couple!
Photography: Wendy Laurel / Videography: HiFocused / Venue: Olowalu Plantation House / Floral Design & Planning: Maui’s Angels / Hair & Makeup: Love + Beauty Maui / Cake: Cake Fanatics / Caterer: Maui Ohana / Paper Goods: Sara Verduzco Calligraphy / Love Seat: Signature / Chargers, Napkins & Cocktail Table Linens: Winters Events / Dining Tables, Bar & Lighting: Inspiration Events Hawaii / Bamboo Folding Chairs & Arch: Paradise Event Rentals / Musician: Oren with Barefoot Minded / Lawn Games: Miss B Calligraphy / Officiant: Robert Alamodin / Dress: Alvina Valenta from Lace & Bustle / Shoes: Vince Camuto / Necklace: Mejuri / Groom’s Suit: Indochino / Shoes: Cole Haan / Wedding Rings: La Bijouterie
