In some isle of isles

WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards 2012 for Blue Sky Weddings

Lahaina Maui Hawaii– February 9, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Maui based Blue Sky Weddings has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Wedding Planning and Design The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Blue Sky Weddings was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients. 

Blue Sky Weddings is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year. 

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Gabrielle Longhi and Blue Sky Weddings for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Blue Sky Weddings is one of the very best  Wedding Planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012. 

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at www.blueskyweddings.com To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

 

Top Ten List: To Do One year from wedding date

Engaged. Now what?  Getting Started Time line Wedding Planner

Top Ten to-dos: Eighteen months to one year out to wedding date

 1:   Work out your budget. Decide how much you have to spend and find out if your families will contribute and how much. It is a good idea to know what you have to spend before you start your research. You can adjust up later should you choose to but if you want to stick with a dollar amount decide what that number is and finds ways to work within your budget.

 2:   Start putting together your wedding party. If you decide you do not want a wedding party then you are off the hook here but do inform friends and family of your decision so no one feels left out.

3:   Work out your head count, the lower the head count the more you will reduce costs. Many reception venues price by guest count and catering and bar services price per person.

4:   Hire a wedding planner especially if you are planning a destination wedding. A planner has relationships with venders and venues as well as ideas and experience so if you decide to work with a planner hire one immediately as this will benefit you in the long run. Call us for Maui wedding planner and Hawaii wedding planning advise

5:   Decide your wedding date as well as a few back up dates in case your wedding venue is booked on the day of your choice. If you have to have a certain day then you should be prepared to be flexible in your ceremony and reception site choices. Call us for great ideas for Maui event locations.

6:  Decide the look and feel of your wedding. Do you want a traditional religious wedding?  If you do this will dictate ceremony venues and style.  If you want a destination wedding will the nuptials be formal or casual? Will you host your wedding in your home with a back yard reception or do you want a unique & quirky unexpected venue to host your wedding and reception. Options open to you are many so think about what you want and the cost of pulling it all together.

7:  Find and book your wedding venues.  Decide if you will have the wedding ceremony and reception in the same location. Your wedding planner should be able to assist you in finding the right venues.

8:  Book your officiate

9:  Start researching vendors and remember that your planner can provide a list of proven professional vendors, as they will have contacts with excellent sources. The first vendor to book is your photographer; get a list together and start looking at on line portfolios. Get ideas from your planner as well as friends, on line research and recommendations.

10:  Book is your photographer. Also start to research caterers, florists and music

 

 

Wedding Color Trends: Orange Creates a Perfect Palette.

It seems orange has been an extremely popular choice for brides and Maui Weddings over the past few years.  Maybe Hawaii is just a good place for an orange palette. Orange shows up so nicely in photographs and stands out against all that blue sky, colbalt ocean and green grass as it pairs beautifully with rich turquoise and citron. We have worked with tone on tone orange palettes from pure vibrant  orange to subtle shades of nectarine and mango.   Orange also mixes well with pink and yellow, chocolate brown or copper and green, basically warm tonal blends.  Have a look at some stunning images from recent weddings featuring this vibrant color. 

Above bright orange circus roses, tangerine roses, mango mini calla lilies and orange freesia.

 

  

Embellishments such as buckles, antique pins and crystals fitted into the handle of the bouquet or ribbon add a unique touch to a bridal bouquet.

  

Bird of paradise, orange pin cushions, macara orchids, orange lilies and belles of Ireland fill in the center of the table set off by a chocolate brown taffeta runner. Bamboo canopies draped with sheer fabric are a nice way to create an intimate space for dinner and can be lit with white or colorful lanterns. I like to set the canopy on the grass but as close to the ocean as possible.  This table seats 40 and can be made longer or smaller depending on the number of guests at table. Find more orange weddings here for your Hawaii Wedding or Maui Wedding.

Trade Winds Photography Maui

Tracy Tegarden is one of my favorite photographers working on Maui. Now that he also offers images on CDs he is a great value to any bride's wedding day. Tracy began Trade Winds Photography in 1998, became a professional in 1996 and has pursued his interest in photography since the early eighties. His work is a constant evolution as his inspiration comes from a variety of sources, but most importantly, from each and every client he photographs. His work has been seen in several publications, including the front cover of the Maui Wedding Planner. At Blue Sky Weddings we love working with Tracy. He is relaxed and calm yet creative and always professional. Tracy Tegarden delivers excellent images with a true journalistic feel. Below I have included some of Tracy's images from past Blue Sky Weddings.

 

  
 
 

My Favorite Maui Wedding Photographers

While working in Hawaii wedding planning for the past 10 years I have had the pleasure to meet and work with many talented photographers who live in Hawaii.  I cannot even begin to choose my favorite and end up with a short list of several excellent choices competing for the top spot. I would love to share my favorites with you so I will feature the work of a selection of the best photographers on Maui over the next month.  

Hughes PhotoGraphics as among the top professional photography studios shooting Maui weddings. Hughes PhotoGraphics is Scott Hughes and Teruko Terry who shoot as a team and deliver a true journal style capturing the emotions and moments of the day. They also produces gorgeous books. I always recommend Scott and Teruko when excellent images are a top priority.  Here are some images by Hughes PhotoGraphics from a Blue Sky Wedding at a private beach side house in Lahaina Maui.  More weddings by Hughes PhotoGraphics please look here and here. Venue featured is  Blue Sky Beach Villa Maui, see more photos here

 

Destination Maui: Nothing But Blue Sky Weddings

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Destination Maui: Nothing But Blue Sky Weddings

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Today we are featuring a beautiful destination wedding and rehearsal dinner on the island of Maui. The events were designed by wedding planner, Gabrielle Longhi, the creative mind behind Blue Sky Weddings, who grew up surrounded by a family that appreciates fine food and art. The Longhi name is well known in Hawaii, and Gabrielle’s father has passed on his legacy and knowledge of fine food, wine and etiquette. 

Vibrant Green: Exotic Orchids for a Winter Wedding

This year we have had amazing flowers to work with and some inspiring design ideas. Vibrant green and white striped lady slippers, green orchids with orange tints and pale green roses pop the brides bouquet below. Green cymbidium orchids were chosen for the maids bouquets. A collection of white phaleonopsis orchids,  pure white cymbidium orchids, small heart shaped green antheriums and antique hydrangea were used in the centerpieces on the table for this February wedding.

 

Have a look at more weddings featuring green flowers and green orchids...here: green weddings