Lisa Juco to Hunter MacLean April 21, 2012, Olowalu Plantation

Love knows no bounds, as Lisa Juco and Hunter MacLean can attest. Less than six months after a wistful, long distance courtship
between Hunter in Seattle and Lisa in San Francisco, the couple was met with a unique opportunity. Lisa was offered a dream
job in Hong Kong as a planning manager for a luxury retail company. Rather than let oceans part them further, they decided to
take a leap of faith and wade the waters together, forging their professional careers (hers in fashion, his as an IT consultant) and
allowing their love to flourish in the expansive breadth of Hong Kong's urban skyline. In July of 2011, while home in the states, the
avid runners took a morning jog in Angels Vista, California, near Hunter's parents' home. To Lisa's surprise, at the top of the trail
awaited a romantic picnic for two, complete with champagne and flowers, where Hunter professed his love and proposed to his
beloved. She, of course, wholeheartedly accepted. Hunter's thoughtful expression of love continued once they returned home,
where their family members were waiting to celebrate the exciting news of the newly engaged couple. After two years, their bond
had already moved both mountains and seas, proving theirs to be a truly serendipitous union.
It seemed preordained when the couple recalled driving past the Olowalu Plantation House years prior while vacationing in Maui
in 2010. They already had the perfect place in mind once a wedding on Maui became their shared vision. “I loved the idea of
a beachfront wedding in a garden style setting, á la Olowalu Plantation House. It allows you to have the beautiful ocean setting
combined with elegance,” says Lisa. Inspired by the iconic Hermès orange, the couple hoped to infuse the natural beauty of
the island with artistic, modern touches in shades of khaki, grey and white, accented by elegant coral hues. Belle Destination
Weddings & Events coordinator Jane Park unified the couple’s unique style to create their dream wedding. They also enlisted
the help of Aloha Catering for a delicious, island-inspired meal, Garnish Events to create mouthwatering specialty cocktails and
photographers Rebecca and Jonathan Adkisson of Tamiz Photography to capture every moment of their special day.
Bliss
Lisa Juco to Hunter MacLean
April 21, 2012, Olowalu Plantation House, Maui
p h otogra p h y b y ta m iz
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te x t b y ja d e s n ow
When their spring wedding arrived in April, the couple was nostalgically revisiting memories of past visits to the island paradise
as they began a new journey there together. They awoke feeling calm and content in their Olowalu villa, and forgoing tradition to
delay seeing one another, Lisa and Hunter set out on their typical morning run. The sweet reprieve offered them each a moment
of reflection and what they both describe as a “really peaceful” start to their day. They each spent the rest of the afternoon getting
ready with their bridal parties. The groomsmen donned matching khaki J.Crew suits and vivid coral ties to echo Hunter’s timeless
look, distinguished by his vintage Hermès tie, a slight departure from the rest. Meanwhile, Lisa’s bridesmaids traded beautiful
vibrant robes for delicate, sweeping chiffon in the same subtle khaki shade, brightened by cream and coral floral bouquets and
dainty Chinese umbrellas. True to Hawaiian style, the entire bridal party adorned their natural waving hair with a striking cymbidium
orchid. Standing in a beautiful lace Monique Lhuillier gown, Lisa breathed in the tender moments before she walked down the
aisle. Tied gingerly around a delicate array of white hydrangea, peonies, lisianthus and gray succulents was a subtle detail dear to
her heart: a pendant given to her late grandmother as an anniversary gift years before. Inscribed on the gold disc was a quote that
read, “I love you more than yesterday, less than tomorrow”. Carrying it on her wedding day was her sentimental way of keeping
her grandmother close to celebrate the day with her. Her father whispered words of love and encouragement to her before they
walked towards the setting sun, where awaiting guests sipped pre-ceremony peach sangrias from small mason jars.
As she walked down an aisle of rose petals, the groom was overcome with emotion at the sight of his lovely bride. “It was definitely
surreal. Nothing had prepared me for that moment,” he begins. “I remember seeing her walk down the aisle and it hit me all at
once. I just tried to keep my composure as best as possible.” After exchanging heartfelt handwritten vows, the couple sealed their
love with a kiss and officially became husband and wife.
Their elegant celebration commenced amidst exquisite chandeliers, white and Lucite
chiavari chairs, artful baroque frames and delicate metallic linens that transformed
the seaside setting into a luxurious modern dreamscape. Greeted for the first time as
Mr. & Mrs. MacLean, the couple began their first dance to an unexpected rock song
specially chosen by Hunter: Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Hard to Concentrate", written by
lead singer Anthony Kiedis as a wedding proposal for bassist Flea and his new bride.
In Hunter's words, “This song perfectly describes one's feelings in a marriage—it was
an unconventional choice but lyrically expressed everything in my heart.”
The evening continued with a breathtaking ocean view, while one hundred of the
MacLeans’ dearest friends and family sipped signature cocktails dubbed “Lisa's
Lychee Martini” and “Hunter's Hurricane” and enjoyed delicious appetizers and a sushi
bar. They spent the evening dining family style on a menu inspired by the flavors of the
islands, showcasing Aloha Catering’s masterful use of the freshest local ingredients
from macadamia nut crusted fish to Asian braised short ribs. Set to the beautiful music
of famed music group, Barefoot Minded, guests breathed in the true aloha spirit under
a clear night sky. And as a nod to their many years of family visits to Maui, the couple
chose to celebrate their wedding with a traditional hula pie in lieu of wedding cake. By
night's end, Lisa and Hunter were overcome with gratitude for the abundance of love
in their midst, knowing they had traveled the world to bring them to this blissful moment
in paradise.