John & Erica Hartman's Vibrant Maui Wedding
Honored to see this wedding featured on Wedding Chicks...
Since the day they met, it was all about chemistry for erica & John. the couple first laid eyes on each other in 10th grade chemistry class in florida - how's that for the start of a fairytale? After reconnecting in los angeles in 2011, the couple began dating & spent most of their time together all over the globe. John, a former professional touring drummer, brought erica along for shows all over the world. and erica, a destination wedding planner who owns cake and punch productions, was ofter on the move herself traveling to some of the most breath taking locations on earth to make her bride & grooms' dreams a reality.
John & Erica's first date was a trip to the beach, they got engaged on the beach, so it was an easy choice when deciding the type of venue they wanted for their wedding. John wanted toes in the sand and Erica wanted to have a intimate and breath taking location. After a trip for work took the couple to Maui in December 2014, the two fell in love with this magical island and knew that they found their spot! Erica & John began to compile ideas of how they envisioned their day. They wanted to pay tribute to the beautiful island of Maui in their floral & decor choices but also wanted to put a spin on the traditional look. Christina from Cake & Punch ultimately designed the AMAZINGLY vibrant look for the wedding, and from the first glance at the design, Erica & John fell in LOVE with the bright color palette. Every little aspect of their special day was so intentional - and I couldnt have fallen in love with the couple more than i did. They were both so wrapped up in marrying each other - it glowed from the moment she started walking down the beach to the last dance at marrimans. catch All the pretty details & the story behind them at the bottom of the post - its a long one :). Enjoy.
Photography: Natalie Schutt Photography // Event Design: Cake & Punch Productions // Floral Design: Maui Palm Tree Floral // Cake Design: Cake Fanatics // Makeup&Hair: Maui Makeup Artistry // Stationary & Name Cards: Pirouette Paper // Engraved Vows: 43 Layers // Calligraphy: Julie Ha Calligraphy // Venue: Merrimans Kapalua //
special details about the day
invitations: the invitations were hand painted in watercolor tones and personalized with bright calligraphy by pirouette paper. pirouette paper also created beautiful beach inspired escort cards using capiz shells accented with bright pops of color to personalize each of the shells with guest names in calligraphy.
vows: erica & john wanted to recite traditional vows with a twist and enlisted the help from their minister, ernest from maui minister. they opted for a traditional hawaiian christian ceremony- and it couldn't have been a more perfect fit for them. vows were custom engraved on white washed wooden planks by 43 layers. the vow books now serve as a beautiful keepsake that are on display next to their bed as a daily reminder of the vows they promised to each other.
cake: the very sleek white cake was adorned with bright florals and then best part...oreo on the inside of the cake! to say john loves oreo's is an understatement, so he was happily surprised that his wife requested an all oreo wedding cake.
heirlooms: john gifted erica with a beautiful diamond band that was passed down from his grandmother. they were nervous at the thought of having to get a family heirloom resized, but when erica tried on the ring it was the exact perfect size- 6 3/4! it was meant to be. erica's mom surprised her with having her veil revamped from her wedding to erica's dad. erica's mom also walked her down the aisle which was a beautiful walk along the beach down to the cove where their altar was set.
florals: noni and her team from maui palm tree floral took the vision for the florals and executed a look more than anyone could have imagined. in her wedding inspiration research, erica had stumbled upon a rare pale purple hibiscus and absolutely fell in love with its unique color. wanting to exceed the brides expectations, noni found someone on the island with the exact color bush that erica envisioned. maui palm tree floral took this vibrant and fun wedding inspiration, and executed it more beautifully than anyone was envisioning.
merrimans kapalua: not only are the coco loco's & mai tai's delicious, merriman's kapalua is one of the most beautiful dining experiences in all of maui. nestled on the peninsula of kapalua bay, merriman's breathtaking sunset views, scrumptious craft cocktails, and top notch locally inspired menu made it an easy choice for erica & john's wedding dinner. the intimate table allowed for everyone to tell stories about erica & john growing up.
ukulele guest book: with a smaller guest list, erica & john chose to have an untraditional guest book & purchased a ukuele from lahaina music when they landed in maui. it's on display in their family room and john often will strum a tune on it.
lei's: with their parents & siblings traveling half way around the world to attend their wedding, erica and john wanted everyone in attendance to know how much they appreciated everyone's support of their relationship and their efforts to fly all the way to maui to be there. they had noni from maui palm tree floral make gorgeous white lei's that smelled beautiful! it was a surprise during the wedding ceremony to invite each guest up one by one to give them a lei from the bride in groom. an extremely special & meaningful moment for each guest in attendance.