Laurie,
"Now that we are back at work and have left paradise – at least for a while – we wanted to send you a formal note about all of the happenings surrounding our wedding.

First of all, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making the celebration such a memorable one. The ways in which you helped us are numerous, but the most important were your recommendations regarding the location, suggestions about Kinga, the use of video, the dinner afterwards, the help with Anna’s dress, and your patience in dealing with me and my incessant questions. And then there is Al !!! What can we say? His soft voice, caring demeanor, brilliant use of humor, and his intimate knowledge of what makes Hawaii so special left us speechless. More importantly, the way he spoke to us during the ceremony made us feel as though we had known him our whole life. He seemed to capture the essence of what our relationship has been about and what we were feeling, and express it in his own unique manner. In the end, we could not have planned or envisioned a more perfect ceremony!! We are not alone in our opinion. Our friends, Raymond and Beverly, both came away with the overwhelming opinion that the setting was magical and the ceremony complimented it beautifully.

In the end, our faith in your knowledge of the business, the settings, and the people was rewarded beyond our wildest dreams.

As people involved in business dealings every day, we can see that the combination of your detailed planning coupled with Al’s unique personality and tremendous way with people gives you an advantage over your competition. To that end we invite you to use us a reference to anyone who may be contemplating some of the same issues we were facing. We would be willing to recommend Makena Weddings to anyone seeking to get married in Hawaii.

In closing, please know that we will never forget you and Al and are forever grateful to you for making the first memory of our life together one which we will relive forever!"
Sincerely, Your friends forever - Tim and Anna

Hi Laurie,
"How are you and Reverend Al doing? I was just thinking about you since yesterday was our big 6-month anniversary - how exciting!

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, but we just got wrapped up in our busy everyday lives.  We enjoyed our time in Hawaii very much and our wedding was no exception. You and Reverend Al helped us to make our day very special!

Laurie, you were like a mom, a best friend and a maid-of-honor to me the day of our wedding. You took such great care of me and Jim! Our wedding was everything we dreamed of. Reverend Al was everything we could have asked for in an "out-of-town" minister. It's so scary to make arrangements for your special day when you are thousands of miles away and you've never met the people who will take care of your most treasured memories. Reverend Al was kind, caring, compassionate and just a very wonderful Christian minister. The love of the Lord is definitely in his heart and it shows! We loved his ceremony and his Hawaiian touch.

The musician, photographer and videographer were also fantastic! Thanks for selecting such warm, caring, professional and talented people. Everyone helped to make our day a very special and memorable wedding day for us. We would definitely recommend you and Reverend Al to anyone who would choose to have their wedding in Maui."

Thanks again for your Hawaiian hospitality!
Mahalo! Jim and Joalan

Aloha Laurie,
"I did want to let you know that you arranged for the most wonderful wedding we could have imagined. You really went above and beyond with helping us with our pre-wedding scatterbrains and nuptial needs. You were incredibly resourceful and over-the-top accommodating to our friends and family as well. And Al - well, Joe's dad wants all the boys to be married by Al. He did the most amazing job in the ceremony and really kept everyone engaged, smiling and even crying.

I also wouldn't change a single one of your vendors. Everyone was absolutely fantastic! I was wanting to send you some pictures but some I ordered that we took haven't come in yet, but I wanted to get back to you and let you know what a wonderful time we had. We are already looking forward to our next trip to Maui and look forward to seeing you again while we're there. Everything was really magical, thanks to Makena weddings."
Much love xoxoxoxoxoxo Marta LaMonica

Laurie,
"I can't thank you enough for all of your help in planning our wedding! We are thrilled with how everything turned out, from your wonderful husband to the flowers and the musician. Everything was so beautiful and I think that everyone there had a great time. It was an unforgettable day! You made everything completely effortless and stress free, and I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate that. God bless you and Al...you are a beautiful couple who we feel blessed to have had the chance to meet."
Much love, Kat & Chuck

"Thank you both SOooooo much for what was truly a day we will never forget. I keep remembering Al telling us to "remember this day" "remember this day"...and we do. I close my eyes and can feel the warm sun, smell the beautiful flowers around my neck, see the many happy faces of family and friends and hear the ocean breaking over the rocks. It was so wonderful and beautiful and we could not have asked for a more perfect day.

Having the two of you there made it just that much more special for us. You are wonderful people and obviously have a true love and passion for what you do. Blessings to you both and our deepest appreciation for everything."
Mahalo! Brandon and Cheryl

Minister Al,
"What can you say about an absolutely fabulous man who brings such heart and warmth to the most memorable day in a couple's life. From the moment we met Al, he enveloped us with kindness such that we felt that he knew us for a lifetime. Our experience was a joyful one filled with memories that we will cherish always. Al's sense of humor added that special touch that we tell all of our family and friends not only did we get married in Hawaii but we also had so much fun doing it! Al's joy in his heart transfers to the couples he marries - what a wonderful soul this man has!"
Cal and Genine Balliet

Laurie,
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Lauri made our experience one of the best ones we could have ever imagined. From start to finish, we were taken care of. More importantly, she really cares about a couple and truly takes pride and joy in the work she does. What is more amazing is it doesn't seem like work for her. I felt like I had one of my closest friends looking after me and it was just wonderful!"
Cal and Genine Balliet

Dear Laurie and Al,
"Thank you so much for making our day a dream come true! Laurie, you have been so amazing every step of the way. You don't know how much I appreciate everything you did to make our day happen and so perfect. You really know your stuff!!

Al, thank you so much for making us officially The Kessler Family! The ceremony was so very special to us and my family. We can't stop looking at the video! You are both very special people and I will miss talking to you Laurie! Stay in touch! Thank you sooooooooo much!"
Love, Jeff and Melissa Kessler

Laurie,
"I was just talking about you last night. In fact, I was boasting. Working with you for our wedding was the one of the best experiences I have ever had. You are calm and gentle and the level of professionals you team with is just extraordinary. I am very blessed to have found you to create our perfect day. The pictures bring tears to my eyes every time I see them. Thank you Laurie. You are a special person and an amazing professional. If I ever know of anyone thinking of a Maui wedding I won't just refer you I will insist!"
Jenny

"Our vow renewal ceremony was amazing ~ more than what I could have imagined. I was trying hard to keep it as casual as possible and have just a simple ceremony to share with a few friends and family our love for one another. When we arrived at the cove Laurie had recommended, I knew this was going to be spectacular! How personable and friendly Al was; how the words he spoke were exactly how we were feeling and were a gentle reminder of what love brings; how the guitar music was so beautiful it brought tears to our eyes; were all examples of what made this day so special. Casual it was not, but stress-free it definitely was, thanks to Laurie!"
Mahalo, Kari-Lyn and Shawn Owen

"I knew the moment that I came across Makena Weddings website that I wanted Laurie to co-ordinate our wedding and Reverend Al to marry us. Our ceremony was followed by a fully catered dinner, bar service, solo vocalist, photographer , videographer ,and our guests were all greeted with lei's upon arrival. The greatest thing about our wedding day was the sense of peace and happiness that was felt not only by us, but all of our guests too. Reverend Al had us laughing and kissing during the ceremony, Laurie had every detail taken care of to perfection, the dinner was outstanding , the flowers were gorgeous and we were blessed with a great sunset. The photos have captured every moment and I am so happy that we upgraded our package to include more pictures. Our friends and families still say that they can't even believe what they experienced that day and that it was truly First Class all the way. Thank you Al and Laurie for giving all of us that day in our lives."
Kim & Dwayne Donnelly

Aloha Al & Laurie,
"We are so appreciate The beautiful ceremony and all the planning you did for Shannon & Brett's wedding last year. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen we were so pleased with everything! Al..you had us laughing one moment and crying the next...your words were so meaningful and you involved both families and made everyone part of the ceremony. Many Mahaloes to you both The beach was perfect and Laurie the flowers were gorgeous and the very best photographer ever. This is why we are all so very happy to recommend you to others just so they can have the perfect day too! It must be very satisfying to you both to give others so much pleasure"
Mahalo and Aloha, Patti and Bruce Stone

Dear Laurie and Rev. Al,

With all our hearts ~ thank you. First for helping us plan our wedding here on Maui and then for all the support and guidance while I changed my mind, and then changed it again. Your calmness and love helped us to stay calm too.

We had a dream of what we wanted our wedding to be like and Rev. Al far surpassed anything we ever thought possible. He brought a loving humor and a deep sense of spirituality that made the ceremony memorable for every single guest that attended. When we think of our wedding from now until we are old and gray, the two of you will be a part of our very special memories.

Thank you again ~ We love you both,
Stephen & Mary Peacock

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