Earthy Elegance in Hawai’i: A Sunny + Sophisticated Wedding Full of Wild, Organic Details

If you looked up “living the dream,” you might just find a picture of Nicole + Connor. Nicole is a floral designer, Connor owns a coffee company, and together the newlyweds live on a stunning palm tree-filled property on the north shore of…*drum roll*…Maui.

Flowers. Coffee. Hawai’i. What more could you want?

With their gorgeous piece of paradise as the perfect venue, Nicole + Conner collaborated with planners + event designers from Elements by K.H & co. to plan a wedding that felt elegant yet organic.

A deep love and respect for the earth—for the natural beauty of their land—motivated a lot of the day’s design. “We were very focused on having sustainable items incorporated into the day as much as possible, including the food, paper used for the invitations and fans, flowers and foliage,” says the couple. 

There were sunny, earthy floral arrangements. There were creative, foraged details. There were timeless wedding day looks. “We wanted things to be unique and us and sentimental,” Nicole + Connor say, and one look at the beautiful photos from Melia Lucida will show that they absolutely pulled it off.

Getting Ready

On the morning of the wedding, the bride got ready at the lovely Haiku House—a nine-bedroom estate in the town of Haiku, Hawai’i.

Mai’a Media was the design mind behind these creative, minimalist wedding day paper goods. LOVE the fan shape of the ceremony program. Such a perfect way to keep guests cool under the Hawai’ian sun.

Look through our guide to salt + pepper diamond engagement rings and our favorite unique engagement rings if you’re inspired by the non-traditional elements of Nicole’s gorgeous jewelry.

“This was a hard part about living on an island in the middle of the Pacific; not many options to choose from,” says Nicole of her wedding dress shopping journey. “I flew over to Oahu with some girlfriends and went to a few different bridal shops. I really wanted something classic that I would look back on and always love. I knew when I tried this dress on it was the one by how good it felt on my body. We found it at Bijou Bridal. I wanted to add a little sleeve to it, so that was something we added on with the extra fabric that I cut off the train since we were having a backyard wedding, and I didn’t want to be dragging all of the debris around with me all evening.”

We are obsessed with the button back details of Nicole’s gown. So classic + elegant. If you’re into the simplicity of Nicole’s bridal silhouette, check out our list of the 39 best simple wedding dresses for a stunning bridal look.

Bride + floral designer Nicole often works with the team at Mandy Grace Designs, so it only made sense to leave all of the wild + whimsical floral design for her wedding day to them! This green + ivory bouquet was a perfect fit for Nicole’s classic-yet-earthy bridal vibe.

The First Look

We are marveling at the bridal hair + makeup work of Meili Autumn Beauty. Nicole’s neutral glam look and intricate, textured updo are the definition of organic elegance.

A “first look” moment is such an intimate time to exchange private words with your partner. Love the idea of sharing something from the heart on your special day like Nicole + Connor did? Dig into our guide to writing your own wedding vows!

The Ceremony

Lush + drapey mosses transformed this beautiful tree on Nicole + Connor’s property into an ethereal + organic ceremony backdrop.

Our Favorite Memory
Watching Nicole walk down the aisle. Our dance when we were announced. Connor's sister, Casey, officiating. The toasts. Seeing Wayne do the worm on the dance floor. 

Musician Marvin Tevaga serenaded Nicole, Connor, and their guests on the ukulele throughout the ceremony.

Environmentally-conscious decor decisions were a big part of Nicole + Connor’s planning. Fresh cut flowers can have a big environmental footprint, and we love that they went with a naturally lush + beautiful ceremony spot that didn’t need much transforming.

We’ve got you covered with ways to keep the earth in mind on your wedding day in our list of eco friendly wedding planning ideas.

Nicole’s gold floral statement wedding earrings added the perfect amount of metallic shimmer + shine to her classic look and balanced her off-the-shoulder neckline + bridal updo perfectly.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Your Song" Elton John (piano instrumental version)
Recessional
"Lovely Day" by Bill Withers
First Dance
"Don’t Go Breaking My Heart" by  Elton John and Kiki Dee

Conor’s breezy light neutral linen wedding suit was an excellent match both for the climate and for the day’s airy aesthetic. If you’re digging his wedding day style, check out a similar suit look from Bonobos. And maybe add a green botanical print button down shirt as well!

The Reception

“Our escort card table had a seating chart that was made from a fallen Koa tree on the property,” remembers Nicole. “Connor and his friend Tim milled the wood.” Event designer Kimiko Hosaki of Elements by K.H & co. worked closely with paper goods creator Mai’a Media to incorporate the original piece into Nicole + Connor’s day and embrace the running theme of utilizing the spot’s natural resources + beauty.

Guests sipped from refreshing freshly opened coconuts provided by The Catered Coconut to start the cocktail hour off right.

If you love the idea of putting a creative + memorable spin on your cocktail hour like Nicole + Connor did, take a look through our collection of cocktail hour do’s and don’ts.

Accel Event Rentals and Refinery & Co. outfitted the couple’s tented reception with the rentals that gave it its sophisticated + natural vibe. Loving the round-backed wooden guest seating!

Those place cards? Another clever foraged detail! Each card was created out of pieces of bark from Melaleuca Paperbark trees on Nicole + Connor’s property.

Guests enjoyed a fabulous feast provided by Cutting Edge Catering.

Not only did Garnish Craft Cocktail Catering keep the delicious wedding cocktails coming throughout the celebration—they also garnished each drink with citrus from Nicole + Connor’s trees!

Guests showed up dressed to impress in bold + citrus-tone looks for Nicole + Connor’s day. We’re especially loving that vibrant print Dress the Population Women’s Ariyah Fit and Flare Maxi Dress and the chartreuse halter neck Margot Ankle Dress by Cleobella.

Light + neutral napkins from BBJ La Tavola were a beautifully simple backdrop for each place setting’s unique place cards and minimalist menus.

Okay. We are OBSESSED with this sunny yellow floral hanging installation and all of its greenery and wooden chandeliers.

Look through our collection of creative tent decor ideas if you’re on the hunt for unique ways to bring a tented space to life like Nicole + Connor did.

Coffee tinted stemware added a earthy-yet-modern vibe to the reception tablescapes.

The couple worked with friend Mark Allen Design Co. to create a custom logo for the wedding and for the property, rebranding it as “Hanley Ranch” for the day in honor of their “I Do’s.”

The massive celebration space that Sperry Tents Hawaii assembled allowed for a best-of-both-worlds indoor/outdoor vibe.

Full Flavor Band and Island Encore Entertainment were on hand throughout the reception to keep the danceable tunes coming.

Explore our semi-formal wedding guest attire guide if you want to get on Nicole + Connor’s guests level style-wise for your next event.

Our Advice
Having your wedding at a place like your house or a non-wedding venue is more work. Worth it, but definitely more work. 

Congratulations, Nicole + Connor, on your elegant, organic, and eco-friendly wedding day! GWS wishes you both all the best!