Destination wedding dreams come true at this Maui must-see. Lesley Murphy of The Bachelorette marries the man of her dreams at this fairytale day planned by Mauna Creative. Utterly romantic blooms designed by Asa Flowers will have you head over heels in love, and every picture perfect moment is elegantly captured in exquisite imagery by Chris J Evans Photography. You won’t want to miss a single detail inside the full gallery.
From Lesley Murphy… It’s funny to think that a decade ago, I went on The Bachelor to try and find love. While it didn’t work out, it did set me on a path that would eventually lead me to Alex. Cut to 2018 when we were both living in LA and I had a broken drone (that a previous boyfriend flew into a palm tree! Truly, every circumstance that happened in my life was so purposeful, leading me straight to a path for Alex). I DM’d a drone pilot in LA, and he ended up messaging me back saying that he could meet the next day to try and fix it. Even though he couldn’t repair it, he lent me one of his to use for my shoot (because he knew I’d have to come back and return it; thus seeing him again!). I think it was our 9th date when we traveled to Norway together for my work. To this day, that trip is still one of my favorites after almost 30 countries together! Here’s a write-up on The Story of Us, and here’s the proposal with a drone, a United plane, and the ring box.
We’d dated a year and a half before he proposed on February 4th, 2020, with a drone (an ode to his work, of course), a model airplane (an ode to my work, of course) and a ring box – a month before the pandemic began. Thankfully, we’d spent most of February in New Zealand which doubled as a celebratory trip and a work trip. We hadn’t booked anything by the time the world shut down which I was really grateful for. Alex hails from Australia, a country that had one of the strictest shutdowns in the entire world. We decided that we wanted our favorite people by our side during our special day, so we waited… And waited… And waited some more until the world opened back up and we could begin planning! Where do a travel blogger and a drone pilot who span two continents get married?! The search spanned 8 countries and after thinking long and hard (and even canceling some plans and a planner in Argentina), we decided it made the most sense to meet halfway between Little Rock, AR and Sydney, Australia: Maui, Hawai’i at a property we knew and loved so much: the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. Back in 2016, I went on a press trip to this exact property. I brought my mom as my +1. On the trip was a drone pilot named Adam. Cut to 2018 when I was living in LA with a broken drone. I texted Adam to see if he could help me troubleshoot. He said he couldn’t, but if I was in LA to DM a drone pilot named Alex. Adam was our matchmaker on that fateful day, and had I not traveled to the Ritz Carlton Kapalua for that press trip, I never would have met Adam, nor would I ever have met Alex. With that being said, plus the fact that this hotel was our daughter’s very first trip in 2021, we decided it made perfect sense to say our vows on the property that meant so much to us. What was the best part of planning? I loved being able to plan my wedding side by side with my mom. I had no idea what I was doing, but she’s always been my rock. My weakness is her strength – she is so decisive whereas I’m incredibly indecisive. It’s a character flaw, but we got there in the end with Jennifer’s amazing help! She had so much vision and presented great options for our island wedding. Every time I felt anxious about a decision, her calm and confident demeanor came through and immediately I felt better. What memories from your day were unexpectedly amazing or those you hold most dear? What stood out? So much about October 14th was unforgettable. I’ll never forget seeing the ceremony and reception setup for the very first time. During the planning process, I always had a really hard time picturing it because a lot of what we had planned had never been done/built before including the canopies over the tables. Seeing it for the first time took my breath away. It was a scene out of my dreams! When it came time for everyone to walk down the aisle, I was worried if my 20 month old daughter (at the time) would walk with her cousins or not.
I remember Jennifer saying the day before during rehearsals that whatever happened, happened! She laid the groundwork that no matter what Nora decided, everything was going to work out. When push came to shove, Nora wouldn’t go with her cousins. I looked at my Dad, he looked back at me. I bent down to scoop her up, like it was supposed to happen this way all along, and he said in his enthusiastic tone, “Here we go!” It wasn’t the moment I’d always pictured, but it was perfectly us and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll never forget looking over my shoulder during the ceremony towards the sea. It was golden hour. The sun was setting. Sea mist was in the air. Islands rising tall in the background. It was jaw-dropping scenery out of a storybook and truly perfect weather. What was really fascinating about the weather that day was around 8pm when everyone was on the dance floor, it started to sprinkle. I got so nervous that I grabbed Alex’s hand and headed for the photo booth. I think I was looking for a distraction of any kind. We didn’t have any sort of tent or cover that night. If it rained, the reception was ruined. When we got out of the photo booth, the sprinkling had stopped and all was well. What I didn’t know until the next day was that just a few hundred yards away at the hotel (we were down on the beach lawn), it was pouring rain! I thank my lucky stars that it decided to skip over us on the beach lawn that evening. One last standout memory was when we were all seated for dinner. I was in the center of the entire set up with our guests on either side of me, my family next to me, and the band in front of me. I sat there stunned for a few seconds, taking it all in, creating a memory. I wanted to live in that moment forever. Any vendor experiences worth noting from your team? My wedding planner, Jennifer Pletcher, from Mauna Creative, deserves so much praise for bringing this wedding to life! I couldn’t have done it without her direction and guidance, and for that, I’m forever grateful. Asa Flowers, my florist, just got it. Without having to overly explain myself, he knew exactly how to execute what florals I wanted and where. The venue and the staff from The Ritz Carlton Kapalua are topnotch and can’t be replicated. Chris J Evans Photography is the definition of PRO. Jordan Kahn Orchestra- Walton Stout Band out of Dallas is the best wedding band that money can book! If you’re in need of an elite team in Maui, these are your people. Then honestly your wedding to me meant so much because you three were already a family the moment Nora was born, but became official that day which I thought was so special, if you want to close with your feelings on that and your family? I think society tells you there’s a proper order to life. “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage.” I absolutely love that we started our family in the middle of a pandemic when we couldn’t have a wedding anyway! We would’ve been waiting three years to welcome a child otherwise. The fact that she was earthside and could be a part of our special day as our flower girl made all the difference. I will cherish the moment she walked down the aisle on my hip and the moment we all became the Kavanaghs!
Photography: Chris J. Evans | Videographer: Wes Larsen Media | Event Planning: Mauna Creative | Floral Design: Asa Flowers | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Invitations: By Invitation Only | Reception Venue: Ritz Carlton Kapalua | Hair And Makeup: Maui Makeup Artistry | Officiant: Ealae Weddings | Ceremony Music/Rehearsal Dinner Entertainment: Manutea Nui E | DJ/Cold Sparks: Maui DJ Services | Day of Papery: Miss B Calligraphy | Photo Bus: Maui Photo Bus | Reception Music: jordan kahn orchestra | Rentals: Accel Rentals Maui | Rentals: Artisan Events