Intimate Beach Wedding

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I love being a Maui Wedding Photographer because of weddings like this one. There are times when you meet a couple and they just have a spark between them, that look of “Love” in their eyes. I can’t think of anything better to capture on film.

The minister and I met this couple only moments before their Intimate beach wedding but, within a few moments of meeting them we could see that they were meant for one another.

Sometimes, there’s no need for words, the photos say it all. This was one of those times.

Maui Wedding Coordinator: Aloha Maui Weddings

Minster: Fay Hovey

 

 

Vow Renewal Maui

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Nicole and Christian have four beautiful children together and still have that look in their eyes of pure love for one another. I can’t tell you how easy it was to capture these two, it made my job as a Maui wedding photographer effortless. I think the photos basically tell the story of their love for one another. There’s simply not much else to say, except capturing this vow renewal was a pleasure.

 

Rev. Robert Bosco

Maui Wedding Photography: Nicole Sanchez

Lighting Assistant: Trevor Natividad

 

 

 

 

Gannon’s Wedding

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Gannon’s lower lawn, which overlooks the ocean in Wailea, is one of our favorite locations to capture a Maui wedding. This destination has a breathtaking view; with the islands of Molokini and Kaho’olawe in the background of wedding photos.

If you’re in search of a perfect location for your Maui destination wedding, this is defiantly a destination that you’ll want to consider for your wedding; and, as you can see from the photos below, makes a fantastic background for your wedding photos.  Many people also want to do couple-photos on the beach, and the great thing about a wedding here is that you  can easily jump in my car, and I’ll have you done at “Poolenalena” beach within two minutes for your sunset wedding photos, while your family, guests and wedding party enjoy deliouscous appetizers in the restaurant.  You may be wondering about the food at the restaurant…….Well, you’re in for a  treat, as Gannons is owned by one of America’s top Chefs “Beverly Gannon”, who also has popular and award-winning restaurants located upcountry, called Hali’imaile General Store.

This recent wedding was with Joe and Christina who decided to enjoy their special day at  Gannon’s. As you can see by some of their wedding photos, this venue is one to be considered for your special day.

 

 

 

New Friends

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I had the pleasure of meeting the Del Rey family while they vacationed in Maui recently for a family portrait session. I always have a great time with my clients, but there was something just special about this family! I loved them instantly.

Erika and Alberto live in Whitter, California, which isn’t too far from where I used to live, in Anaheim Hills. Since we are both from California, we kind of instantly bonded. Their son, Carlos, was a total cutie and had the best attitude of any kid I’ve ever met. When I asked him if he wanted to climb a tree, he replied with, ” Yeah”. When I asked him if he wanted to jump, he said, ” Yeah”. The kid was just happy to be here, and it didn’t matter what I asked him to do, he just got super excited and said, ” Yeah”. What kid does that? Only Carlos!

It was really nice to meet such great people, and to be able to capture their memories on Maui was an incredible experience for me. I pinch myself everyday, and I am so grateful to live and to be able to call the beaches of Maui my office. I am a so happy to be a professional photographer in Maui.

 

Beach Wedding

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Many couples have decided that the pressure of a big wedding is just too much to deal with and opt out to just elope.  The advantage of an intimate beach wedding is that you can do things at you’re at your own pace and you don’t have to worry about who to invite and making all the arrangements such as the food and decorations. 

When I have the opportunity to learn more about why couples are doing more intimate beach weddings I’m all ears. Some reasons why couples consider a destination Maui wedding for two is that they are looking to save money and starting a new marriage without the debt of a big wedding equates to less tension and stress for newlywed couple. 

 There are several things to consider for your beach wedding, you can dress up the occasion with a musician and flowers or keep it simple and straightforward with just the ceremony, and Maui photographer to remember the day by. Whatever you decide is best for you and your partner is defiantly what you should do, just like this happy couple who recently tied the knot in Wailea, Maui.

 Maui Minster: Fay Hovey

Wedding Coordinator:Aloha Maui Weddings

Wedding On The Beach

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This lovely couple traveled to Maui for their dream wedding on the beach all the way from Switzerland. The contacted Fay Hovey, from Aloha Maui Weddings to help coordinate their destination wedding and they decided that Makena Surf #1 was the perfect location for their beach wedding. We assigned one of our team photographers, “Ian Shepherd” to capture the couple’s intimate wedding and as you can see by the wedding photos he did a spectacular job capturing their special day on film.

Our wedding photographer, “Ian” has a unique eye and his photography talents surely come across in their wedding photos. A big thanks to Aloha Maui Weddings for choosing us at Behind The Lens Maui to work with your wedding clients.

If your looking at Maui as your wedding destination and are still looking for a wedding photographer who will listen to what you want and work with you to capture your vision, look no further. Our staff of Maui photographers are experienced with shooting in the harsh Maui sun and know how to deal with the elements of the beach. We also work with some exceptional wedding planners such as “Fay” at Aloha Maui Weddings who care about you and making your wedding day special.

Wedding at the Hui

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We met a little over 3 years ago online and haven’t been apart since. A year ago, he accompanied me on a visit to the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao, HI (Maui) for a work trip, and there he proposed to me under one of their two large monkeypod trees. The Hui and those trees were so special to us, that we knew a year later we wanted to be married under the same tree where he proposed. Della Peacock of Dellables draped our tree in hanging orchids. White phalenopsis orchids were used as centerpieces, boutonnieres and in the bridal bouquet. All paired with the dark navy linens and natural chairs.

 

We had 44 guests join us from all over the mainland, all parts of California, Wisconsin and Texas for our destination wedding. Many of whom this was their first trip to Hawaii. We shuttled our guests upcountry for a 10:00AM wedding performed by the most wonderful officiant, Tino Rosete in a Christian/Hawaiian style, followed by a brunch buffet catered by Bev Gannon’s Celebrations Maui, instead of your traditional plated dinner. We replaced the need for DJ and dancing with a wonderful ukulele player and two dancers that performed for the ceremony, all arranged for by Celebrations Maui. Taking photos with Nicole and her team  from Behind The Lens Maui was so much fun! She laughed with us throughout, carefully worked with our family, and produced exquisite wedding photos that really captured how wonderful this day was. My bridal portrait, is simply a work of art!

 

The best part overall was we laughed, through our handwritten vows, the family photos, and every moment of the wedding reception. After the shuttle took everyone away, my husband and I remained for our limo to arrive and caught a private moment to share our first dance to Pixar’s “Someone to Lava”.

 

A Second Chance at Love

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After my seventeen year marriage ended in divorce, I thought I would never marry again.  I never thought I’d laugh, trust, or love again.  What I didn’t know then was that I hadn’t even met my true love yet. I didn’t know that he was out there going through the same sadness, and waiting without knowing that he would one day, too, cross paths with his true love. In the first five years of my divorce, I dated, and even kissed a few frogs, never did I think there would be a second chance at love. I was mostly over it, until one day when my daughter’s best friend was dropped off at the mall by her father who was also recently divorced. I thought nothing of it when he asked for my phone number so that he could have pizza delivered to the girls that night. After that pizza night, and many more of them, I had to ask what he was thinking – and that led to our first date. That was almost five years ago. About nine months into dating Scott, I remember thinking that THIS is what love is supposed to feel like. I feel whole, safe, and part of something awesome when I am with him. I thought it was dumb that I had imagined, or pretended, or did what everyone else thought I should do for so long; but that was until this man walked into my life with a pizza.

I thought then, and I still think now, that God, or Karma, or some crazy force of the Universe brought this man into my life to teach me so much about life and love. Life and love and forever for us now means sharing our lives, our business, our families and our hearts. It means dancing in the kitchen, fishing at the levy for “date night”, sticky notes in the most random of places, and words of love painted on our clients’ homes and photographed for posterity.  It means lots of laughter and silliness, and it means loving unconditionally. From the beginning, Scott said he’d marry me on the beach on Hawaii one day, but being a bit pessimistic, I never dared to dream it could happen.

On Thanksgiving Day in  2014, Scott got down on one knee and asked me to marry him in front of our parents and my children, and of course I said YES! He reminded me that day that he had promised to marry me on the beach and told me that I should better get to stepping with some island planning. After some research, we chose the island of Maui and Kapalua Bay Beach, as our wedding destination. After a bit more thought, and with our children’s blessings, we decided that this week was going to be spent alone; just the two of us, celebrating the years it took us to get to this point and taking the time to indulge in the love we found in each other. We planned a week on island in which we’d make memories to last a lifetime – and it was amazing!  We stayed at the Aston Mahana, in an amazing ocean-front condo that became a home away from home. From our lanai we watched the surfers, the snorkelers, the humpback whales and the sea turtles play. We did what we do on Sundays and cooked breakfast for dinner – and we danced in the kitchen. We pretended not to be afraid of sharks and enjoyed the most amazing snorkeling trip on the Pride of Maui!

There was great breakfast, awesome BBQ lunch, drinks, and the coolest snorkeling adventure (even for this first timer). We spent the evening before our wedding attending the Old Lahaina Luau where we were surrounded by the authenticity, history, and heartbeat of Hawaii.  The dancing, our waiter Tim, and the food are all very special memories that traveled home with us. Our wedding day brought with it rain and wind (I called it a typhoon in my panic), but I was assured of a “plan B” and “possible clearing” by our wedding coordinator, Tara of Your Aloha Wedding Company. After a few pre-wedding tears and more panic, sure as promised the skies cleared in time for me to meet up with our Maui wedding photographer Nicole and her assistant Trevor at the beach. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful wedding!  Reverend Kimo Kirkland, in all his Hawaiian glory, was hands-down the best man for the job!  He understood our inability to be serious at all times and indulged our need to laugh and enjoy our special moment. His traditional Hawaiian ceremony was simply beautiful and its words and chants touched our hearts like nothing else could. Photos with Nicole and Trevor prior to, and following the ceremony, only made our ceremony that much more memorable. Finding it hard to pose as directed, Scott and I often took to kissing and laughing instead; likely making their job a difficult task, but they were definitely up for it! Encouraging us to just be who we are, they captured our special moments in photos that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. What made us really happy is that we left feeling less like we paid someone we didn’t know to take photos, and more like we had family doing it!  Couples photos were followed by the BEST dinner at Merriman’s where we were treated like it was, in fact, our very own special day and then a walk along the ocean in the rain. Yes, I must say, I married my prince that December 8th, and it could not have been any better. Our first day as husband and wife was spent walking and shopping throughout Maui. At sunset we joined the exceptional crew of the Teralani for a sunset cocktail cruise. Beach boarding and rough waters only added to the fun that the crew was insistent that we have! We met other couples from all over the world and shared a toast with a couple who were onboard  celebrating their twentieth anniversary. This trip was truly a highlight of our trip – the crew making it most memorable and fun. Lastly; before we sadly had to depart for home, we decided to spend our final day on a hike with a Hike Maui guide to see the rain forest and the East Maui waterfalls.  Although I was not prepared for water crossings and the sea of mud I encountered (boy was I glad I made Scott stop for water shoes at Walmart!), it was one of the most spectacular hikes I have ever taken!

The beauty of Maui was ours to revel in for several hours, with plenty of photo-op stops and lessons on native plants and vegetation. Our guides were experts in navigating the trails (and the not-so-trails) and when it came time to jump into that BIG ole waterfall, THEY were the ones to show us how it was done!  (No, I did not jump– I took pictures of Scott taking the plunge in the event that our insurance company questioned his death!). Hike Maui took us to, and from, its special entrance (via a van that picked us up) onto privately owned land and prepared quite the lunch for a bunch of hungry hikers. Had we not done this particular event, I think we would have missed experiencing another piece of the heart that is Maui.

Home now, I am feeling blessed to have met the amazing people we met on Maui: The people we hired to photograph us ( Behind The Lens Maui), coordinate us, and entertain us – who turned out to be the best of the best; the people we met and became friends with as we spent our nightly cocktail hour in the hot tub at the Aston – and for the same that actually took  time out of their own vacation to show up on the beach, in the rain, to witness our marriage and support our union;  the people that introduced us to the joy and the heart of the island of Maui, and for the friends we made and the ones we had to leave behind. Maui and its people will always hold a very special place in our hearts! I hope that anyone reading this long-winded letter of love will opt for Maui when searching for just that right spot. Love comes to Maui, I think, but it leaves Maui much bigger.

 

 

 

Destination Wedding

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We are from Calgary, Canada, right near the Rocky Mountains. We share our home and life with our furbabies, Roxy & Chloe. Together, we have checked off many bucket list items such as dogsledding, ziplining, white water rafting, bungee jumping, and going for helicopter rides. Over the past 6 years we have traveled to many amazing destinations including Mexico, Europe, Hawaii, California, Las Vegas, and Southeast Asia. On our first trip to Maui in 2012, we fell in love with the beautiful island, friendly people, and Hawaiian culture. We always talked about a destination wedding, and wanted it to be someplace special that we knew our family and friends would love. We knew instantly that Maui would be the location for our wedding, and planning ensued. During a dream visit to an elephant sanctuary in Northern Thailand, with elephants playing in the river beside us, we got engaged in November, 2014. Along with 34 of our favorite people in the world, we traveled to Maui to have a sun and fun-filled vacation away from winter, and to celebrate our wedding! It was on our 6 year anniversary that we said “I Do” at the beautiful Olowalu Plantation House, surrounded by our loved ones on November 26, 2015! The day turned out as magical as we had always dreamed it would, thanks to our amazing family and friends’ love and support, and the wonderful team of vendors who helped make our day so special!

 

 Vendors

Officiant: Kale Fit

Videographer: After Glow Maui Weddings

Florist: Dellas Dellables

Ceremony Music: Marvin

Hair and Make- up: Maui Makeup Aristry

Entertainment: D.J. Dan

Wedding Photography: Behind The Lens Maui ( Nicole Sanchez / Ian Shephard

Lighting Assistant: Trevor Natividad

Catering: Food For The Soul- Cook Rob Digman

Wedding Coordinator : Tina Digman

Six Tips To Enhance Your Trip To Hana

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You’re vacationing on Maui and the day has come for your first trip on the “Road to Hana,” but other than some promotional material, you don’t know what to expect. Read all you can about what to expect so that your experience is a memorable one, and for the better at that.

Here are just six tips that can enhance your trip to Hana so that you don’t leave disappointed. Some are simple suggestions, while others are highly recommended.

Start Early and Leave Before Dark

The “Road to Hana” is a big tourist attraction and therefore expect the road to be busy, especially with all its curves and one-lane bridges, not to mention the slower driving so they can see the views. Therefore, it is highly suggested to leave early in the morning to avoid these crowds. Another idea is to start at the back end and see the sights as you work back. As others are coming your way, you will be going in the opposite direction.

To get even more out of your trip, check to see if the back way to Hana is open and go that way to see the countryside, and then hit the “Road” on the way back. Also, since it gets very dark in Hana, leave early to avoid driving the curvy road in the dark.

Photography

Hana is not like any place you may have been to before, so be sure to bring a camera with charged batteries and one or two memory cards, or film, because you’ll go picture crazy. After all, you and your party will be out of your norm and you’ll want that captured for prosperity.

If you really want to enhance your photos, and have everyone in them, look into hiring a Maui photographer. A Maui photographer is an expert at the best sites of Hana to take in photo shoots. They possess the knowledge of how shadows, the sun and how the weather will affect Hana and your pictures.

Road Closures

Do your due diligence before leaving for road closures as you will be sorely upset if you make that long drive, to only run into roads that are closed. Since Hana is a tropical rain forest, it is common for the occasional landslide due to excess rainfall, thus causing the closures for safety purposes. For road closure information, call 808-986-1200.

Van/Coach Tours

There are several advantages of taking a van/coach tour compared to taking your own or rental car while traveling to Hana. First of all, the money you spend on the service is about the same amount you probably would spend on gas anyways. Add in the guaranteed air-conditioning and just the knowledge that your driver/guide has of the area alone is worth it. Let them worry about the twists and turns, as well as the one-lane bridge crossings while you sit back and enjoy the view. Have you ever notice that when you drive, you are the one that misses out? In addition, the guide knows the best points of interest.

Another advantage is that since there are no real places to eat, most services include food and they’ll pick you up and bring you back to wherever it is you are staying.

Yield Signs serve a Purpose

Not only does Hana have about 600 curves to its road, it also has 54 bridges. The bridges that you’ll encounter in Hana are just wide enough to fit one car, regardless of what direction you are heading. Therefore, for your safety, pay attention to the yield signs; bridges or no bridges. These yield signs are in place for a purpose, your safety. Abide by all road rules and help keep Hana in its natural beauty and keep your trash in your car until you find a trash receptacle or until you get back home or your hotel.

Leaving Valuables in the Car

Don’t be fooled that just because you are in the land of paradise, that theft does not exist here. When visiting Hana, or anywhere on Maui, refrain from leaving your valuables unattended in your car. Although Hana is known for its natural beauty, that same natural habitat of vegetation and bushes make great places for thieves to hide and wait for tourists to leave their cars attended. Seeing broken glass in the lots are just one indication that you are parked in an at risk area.  Rental cars are very easy to identify, so do yourself a favor and leave your belongings at home.