An Intimate, Beachfront Wedding at Olowalu Plantation House in Maui, Hawaii

Kelley Paulick (28 and an event planner) and Ekahi Casino's (28 and a physical therapy aide) beachfront ceremony was a long time coming: The couple had met two decades earlier in elementary school. They fell in love in Maui and married at Olowalu Plantation House in Maui, Hawaii, near where it all began. “Through high school, a long-distance college relationship and growing up in the real world, it was a wild roller-coaster ride, but we made it through and are still smiling,” Kelley says. The day incorporated elements from both of their families, who came from both coasts for the big day, including sea-glass escort cards, lanterns and Hawaiian pineapples. Little other decor was required, but a bamboo arch with a protea garland served as their altar. Friends and family offered marriage advice in lieu of readings. Kelley wore a tulle skirt over her Watters gown for a more formal look during the ceremony, then removed the skirt for the reception. She carried a bouquet of garden roses, ranunculus and proteas with two lockets of her grandfathers. Her bridesmaids wore comfortable and flowy Amsale dresses in different silhouettes and colors. Ekahi and his groomsmen wore blue suits and suspenders with Hula Girl socks. The reception was also outdoors, with dolphins in the background, and table settings included whitewashed lanterns, flowers and linens. Table markers used the Hawaiian alphabet, which was one of many nods to the setting. Guests dined on fresh seafood, doughnuts for dessert and the couple’s signature cocktails: the Berry Hugo and Dark and Stormy. Ekahi’s sisters performed a hula dance while the wedding party channeled the film "Step Up" with a flash-mob dance. Kelley says of her big day: “I remember looking over and asking Ekahi, ‘Could this day have been any more perfect?’ He just shook his head and kissed me.” —Caroline Eubanks