08/25/2026
Twenty-three years ago, I got married on Lanai with fifty of our favorite people, and I made almost every mistake a bride can make.
No planner, because I was sure I could handle it.
Rentals we didnât know had to come over by boat from Maui. Linens I never had checked that showed up HOT PINK when my whole palette was butter yellow. đ A friend behind the camera instead of a photographer. No videographer at all, so that entire week lives only in my memory.
The flowers were perfect, which feels about rightđż
But hereâs what I wish someone had told me:
Hire the people.
Not because you canât do it yourself. But because you shouldnât have to.
The moment I landed on that island, I let it all go. And because I did, I got to actually be there.
Present. With my people. For an entire week.
And 23 years later, thatâs what I remember most.
So if youâre planning your wedding right now, I hope you give yourself permission to put down the clipboard, trust the people you hired, and actually be the bride.
Whatâs one thing you already know youâd want someone else to handle on your wedding day?đ¤