olowalu plantation house maui wedding | carson + cat
I don’t even know where to begin with this one you guys. So many feelings to share! For one, my whole life I had told my Dad I would figure out a way to get to Hawaii for work, my most favorite place. Cat and Carson made that goal possible – check!! Thanks guys : ) Then there is the whole added element of Darby, the hurricane turned tropical storm that was barreling at the islands with an arrival time of wedding day. I was prepared with rain gear, and a backup shoot plan if needed and a giant smile on my face because no matter what – I knew that I was going to be amongst some really amazing people as they got married regardless of what weather came their way. I arrived to the gorgeous Olowalu Plantation House on Maui in between morning rain storms. I had to smile because this side of the island looked a lot happier than the side I had come from so I was already feeling better. I had all of my trusty weather apps loaded up and my sweet family would send me any updates they were getting from the news so I could pass it on or help with logistics on timing and setup. I started with Cat’s gorgeous details inside the house as the girls got ready to the sound of light warm rain falling. And then it happened. The rain stopped, the sun crept out from behind the clouds and we ran with it! 
I loooove, love, loved all of the paper goods Cat had picked out and put together!
You girls were too much fun to get to photograph! 
This dress – ahhhh Cat just rocked it! Couldn’t get enough!
Fiiiirst look time! These two super earned this moment after the morning that was thrown their way : )
I love you two and how much love you have for each other – it’s 100% contagious. 
So gorgeous Cat!!! You two just make my heart happy : )
Then it was time to get married!!! The weather rocked it for a bit longer and allowed these two to have a perfect ceremony outdoors with a killer backdrop.
Seriously these two are SoMuchFun.
Marrrrrried!!
I mean guys, there are waves crashing in the background – how perfect?!?!
I was a little obsessed with the florals and gold details – so gorgeous! 
The plus side of tropical storms heading your way, awesome waves crashing up : )
First Dance :: Earth Angel, The Penguins 
A few words from the Bride + Groom on their wedding planning + day : )
“Always prepare yourself mentally, physically and emotionally for the unexpected! Carson and I stayed apart on Friday night before the wedding and had no intention of seeing or even speaking before the first look. Although we didn’t see each other, as most of you know we had a Hurricane Darby hit a surrounding island the night before. This caused torrential downpour the morning of our wedding. After watching the news claiming a category 5 hurricane and our wedding planner asking to move our wedding until Monday I knew the only person who could calm me down was Carson. We briefly spoke and he basically said he would be there rain or shine and not to worry! As if I didn’t already know, during these chaotic moments, I was 100% reassured this was the person I wanted through the best and the worst!!!
During these crazy times rely on your friends and family, they truly are there to love and support you. My parents and Carson’s parents had a red flag meeting during the storm. Although none of us can predict or change the weather, the unity of our families was a priceless moment I’ll remember forever. We luckily have the most AMAZING support system and they were there to make sure we had the wedding we dreamed of.
The other good thing about storms can be the insane sunsets you can get, on top of the everyday awesome sunsets that you get from Olowalu. This one was incredible – it changed every couple minutes with more colors and more vibrance!!
YA KIDDING ME!?!
Like you guys, this is real…..
Sometimes the tropical storm gets closer and the power goes out everywhere around you besides your DJ’s tunes. This can be a bummer, but this also means you might get to see the milky way….. Which due to high winds is still hard to capture even when laying a camera on the ground : )
Cat + Carson!!!! You guys, I love y’all and cannot get enough of you two together. You being together makes the world a little better. You guys give off some seriously happy vibes and getting to capture the love that you have for one another was a dream come true! The fact that we were in Hawaii for it was a total bonus : ) Thank you, thank you so very much for having me there to rock through Darby and capture these beautiful memories with you guys!! It was the best day : ) Congrats and thanks so much again – XO, Laurie 
Venue :: Oolawalu Plantation House, Oolwalu Maui /// Centerpiece Flowers :: Sunya’s /// Bridesmaid Bouquets :: Made by family /// Catering :: CJ’s Deli Maui /// Wedding Dress :: Martina Liana /// DJ :: Ace Beats /// Hair + Makeup :: Melissa Brooke /// Welcome Bags :: Chris McDaniel PUSH Tactics /// Hairpiece :: Brides + Hairpins /// Groom + Groomsmen :: Tommy Bahama