Photo: Ashley Camper
Matthew caught Jessica's eye as he zoomed past her at break-neck speed on a Las Vegas race track. The love between the professional race car driver and public relations maven took off just as fast—Matthew proposed two year's later on the couple's couch, presenting Jessica with a bouquet of flowers and a diamond ring "right before he had to leave the next day for a race across the sea," the bride now recalls.
With 70 guests coming from across the world for the couple's March wedding, Hawaii's Maui island "seemed like the perfect place for everyone to meet," Jessica says. "We wanted our guests to feel as though they were on vacation and enjoy themselves—to remember the weekend as fondly as we will."
The couple selected Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea as the venue to host both ceremony and reception. As guests arrived at the waterfront resort, they were greeted with welcome bags filled with pineapple candy, candles, snacks, coconut water, baseball hats, flips flops and more.
Photo: Ashley Camper
The bride chose silver peep-toe Jimmy Choo pumps for the big day.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Jessica's lace Monique Lhuillier gown had a delicate, scalloped halter top and ever-so-slight train.
Photo: Ashley Camper
The bride bedazzled the dress' otherwise understated bodice with a crystal embellished belt. Her aunt gifted her blue earrings, while the bride's "something borrowed" was a diamond cuff bracelet.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Bridesmaids donned three styles of coral knee-length dresses. The dresses' soft silk "blew perfectly in the Hawaiian breeze," the bride recalls. Single stems of protea—a tropical flower native to Hawaii—made up the girls' bouquets.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Jessica carried a round, white bouquet of lilies and orchids.
Photo: Ashley Camper
While the groom donned a deep gray Dolce & Gabbana suit, groomsmen took their look a few shades lighter in complementing J. Crew attire. To their lapels, the men pinned New Zealand-grown silver ferns.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Fans in hues of lime, fuchsia and tangerine awaited guests on bamboo Chiavari chairs set up for the the couple's outdoor ceremony in the resort's fragrant plumeria garden.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Escorted by both her parents, the bride descended the aisle on a bed of white lilies and orchids—the same blooms found in her bouquet—as a violinist played the classic Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Moments before, Jessica's three-year-old goddaughter and flower girl wore a soft pink bow and big smile as she dropped the flowers onto the grass aisle. "She melted everyone's heart with her sassy personality and adorable smile," the bride says.
Photo: Ashley Camper
The couple exchanged their vows beneath a bamboo huppah draped in sheer fabric that swayed with the ocean's gentle breeze.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Pink and blue paisley-patterned pashminas awaited guests on their Chiavari chairs at the couple's reception. While the wedding's color palette was soft—white, cream and coral were the couple's main colors—the pashminas and even the bridesmaids' bouquets brought in pops of color throughout the day.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Guests found their seat assignments on sand dollars stuck into sandboxes. Their names and table numbers were scrolled across the shells in coral-colored calligraphy.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Florist Bella Bloom Floral Boutique decorated long wooden tabletops with glass vases that held white hydrangea and giant elephant ear leaves. "Common themes and symbols our wedding were the beach, candlelight, stars, energy, love, and friends and family," the bride says. "Our wedding combined the island flare of New Zealand with the chic Upper East Side of New York, creating a romantic, intimate soiree."
Photo: Ashley Camper
Cream-colored, monogrammed table runners topped the tables. Modern white dishware was placed at each setting.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Though the couple's reception was set up on the resort's ocean-front lawn, when rain threatened the outdoor event, "we had to make a last minute call," Jessica says. "The Four Seasons team had to bring everything inside and re-set up the entire reception." The indoor site provided a more intimate, candlelit setting for the couple's event.
Photo: Ashley Camper
The couple's decadent, three-tier cake contained layers of hazelnut filling and was adorned with fresh flowers.
Photo: Ashley Camper
The bride and groom marked their chairs with traditional Hawaiian leis, For dinner, guests enjoyed a fresh sushi bar, salads made from locally-grown greens and fruits, and short rib and sea bass entrees.
Photo: Ashley Camper
Guests could also indulge in a candy buffet that offered up pink and red sweets in glass apothecary jars and open dishes.
Photo: Ashley Camper
When Jessica took to the dance floor with her father, it "was a very special moment in my life," she says. "We're very close, and being able to share that time with him in front of our family and friends meant a lot to me."
Photo: Ashley Camper
As guests danced to popular hits played by world-renowned DJ Lora, the couple sliced into their white wedding cake. "Play a huge part in planning your own wedding," Jessica advises brides-to-be. "It makes it so much more personal and special to see everything that you imagined come together in the end."
Photo: Ashley Camper
The weeks after Jessica and Matt's wedding "have been a bit of a blur," the bride says, " as it's the most exciting time in our lives. Having friends and family from across the globe all seeing you come down from the excitement is a tremendous feeling of happiness and exhaustion all at the same time. We feel so blessed to have such amazing people in our lives."
—Jillian Kramer
Wedding Planner: Ophihi Love || Ceremony Venue: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea || Reception Venue: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea || Bride's Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier || Bride's Veil: Panache Bridal || Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo || Bride's Accessories: XIV Karats Ltd. || Bride's Wedding Ring: XIV Karats Ltd. || Groom's Tux: Dolce & Gabbana || Groom's Wedding Ring: XIV Karats Ltd. || Bridesmaids' Dresses: Alvin Valley || Groomsmen Attire: J. Crew || Mother of the Bride's Dress: Donald Deal || Flower Girl Dress: Fleurisse & Leon || Florist: Bella Bloom Floral Boutique || Caterer: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea || Stationery: Janice's Invites || Cake Baker: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea || Favors: Zico coconut water, Popchips, Ecoya candles, Bovary & Butterfly baseball hats, Knock Knock sticky notes, Joico shampoo and conditioner, and Laura Mercier lotion || Rentals: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea || Entertainment: DJ Lora || Photography: Ashley Camper