White sand beaches, neighboring islands, and the turquoise sea…Sydney + Stu knew this would be the perfect backdrop for their destination wedding in Maui, Hawaii. I love that today’s featured couple chose Hawaii as their wedding destination as the halfway point between their home countries of Australia and Canada. Other details not to miss, lush floral arrangements, gorgeous bridesmaid’s gowns by Vera Wang and my favorite, Sydney’s Vera Wang White gown. As Sydney describes, ‘the swirling ruffles’ are reminiscent of the ocean waves. So good!
Sydney + Stu | May 14th, 2013 | Merriman’s Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii
The Ceremony
“Every once in a while in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale…” This quote describes our love story. We are from opposite corners of the world; Stu from Australia and myself from Canada. Fate brought us together when we met on the island of Mykonos in Greece. Five days, three islands, and countless adventures later, we both knew our lives would never be the same. Shortly after, Stu moved to Canada and we began our lives together. Although we wanted to have a destination wedding, we didn’t actually want to get married on the beach. When we found Merriman’s, a gorgeous oceanfront restaurant, we knew immediately that this is where we would tie the knot. Merriman’s has a deck stretching to the shoreline with views of white sand beaches, neighboring islands, and the turquoise sea. Our vision was to be married with this as our backdrop. For the details, we stayed true to our style, which is fresh, clean, and bold with a touch of glamor. This resonated in my wedding dress and the bridesmaid dresses, both from the White by Vera Wang collection. They are so architectural, flirty and fun!
The Reception
After watching the sunset from the deck with cocktails in hand, we had a dinner reception in the restaurant. Merriman’s is elegant and open air, you can still feel the breeze and hear the waves. Our tables were adorned with sparking sequins, frosted votives, and pink flowers, and the guests were served their choice of fresh sea scallops or filet mignon.
Sydney’s Dress Search
I was extremely torn between fantasy of a ballgown, and the sexiness of a mermaid. I tried on many dresses in both styles and could not make a decision either way! That is, until I tried on my dress from the White by Vera Wang collection. The moment I stepped out in front of the mirror, I knew it was the one. The fit-to-flare silhouette was the perfect balance of full and fitted, and the swirling ruffles at the bottom reminded me of the waves of the ocean. I had the neckline altered into a sweetheart, which I believe makes the dress that much more feminine.
How Sydney Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Gorgeous, Romantic, Alluring
Why Sydney Decided To Sell Her Wedding Dress
The thought of my dress stuffed in a box at the back of my closest did not seem right. I thought about doing a “trash the dress” photoshoot, but I couldn’t picture ruining such a beautiful dress by rolling around in the sand or jumping into the ocean. By selling the dress, not only can I give someone else as much joy as the dress gave me, but I can spent the money on something special that I can share with my new husband!
