A warm island breeze filled the air with the sweet fragrance of exotic flowers. Surrounded by their families and closest friends, Lauren Myers-Kaseff and Andrew Schmitz recited their vows under a breathtaking chuppah trailing with white lisianthus, double stock, snap dragon and hundreds of dendrobium orchids. According to the bride, it was a perfect setting. “The old sugar mill is raw and yet refined—the gorgeous antiques and sculptures that were collected from all around the world, including France and Bali—we loved it immediately,” says Lauren. As an accomplished interior designer, she felt an immediate kinship with the property’s owner.
The ruins of the old Haiku Sugar Mill are a magical setting for a wedding. Once a thriving enterprise back in the 1850s, the mill has been lovingly restored over the last twenty years into a kind of secret garden. Tucked away in the lush landscape of Maui’s hills, this is a place that inspires romantic reveries. Girls, young and old, step through the ancient archway and, without fail, an audible sigh escapes their lips. Ornate cast iron columns rescued from the Paris flea markets now stand in the old mill, along with other French antiques that proprietor Sylvia Hamilton-Kerr procured to transform the mill. The combination of the rustic stones and gardens in juxtaposition to the elegant chandelier and antiques aligned with Lauren’s edict of a “raw and refined” celebration.
The bride was radiant in a strapless Oscar de la Renta gown. Lauren fell in love with a baby blue tulle train that she had seen in the designer’s ad campaign, and when she was told it was only made for the ad, she wasn’t deterred. She convinced her mother and best friend Vicky to have it custom made.
The bride's sparkling, delicate heels were the perfect finishing touch to the ensemble.
Dan Sanchez styled Lauren’s hair in a loose, uncontrived look, and makeup artist Liz Javelosa worked her magic
with a flawless complexion.
As a designer, Lauren was highly involved in the details of the day, her personal aesthetic underscoring the wedding theme. Always dressed in a sophisticated ensemble, she has a penetrating eye for detail and a knack for adding just the right touch of the unexpected.
There was never a question that an abundance of flowers would be the order of the day, and Fong Tagawa of Floral Inspirations was the clear choice to conceive of the bride’s vision. She sketched the organic construction of the floral centerpieces which became the focal point of the design. Thousands of white orchids were woven into the vines overhead creating a dramatic backdrop to the head table.
Another major aspect of the design was a group of custom brass Sputnik chandeliers. In her signature style, Lauren commissioned the lights in Los Angeles and flew them in for the wedding to add another exceptional dimension.
Delicate white peonies, Kiera garden roses, ranunculuses, nigella and white dahlias were composed in moss to look as if they were growing down the length of the antique tables, with brass twinkle lights woven among the arrangements for an ethereal touch.
Tropical, hand-illustrated stationery pieces by Hello Gem were mixed with pyrite place card holders, a reference to the lava rocks of the ancient sugar mill. Votive holders were cloaked in translucent white leaves, and the aisle mimicked the tropical gardens of the mill dressed in ferns and white flowers.
It was important to the newlyweds that, above all else, their wedding would be a true family event. Both families share a strong sense of love and loyalty that was evident throughout the celebration.
Maui Executive Catering served an elaborate four course dinner, with Garnish Events providing an impressive array of signature cocktails designed specifically for Lauren and Andrew.
Bamboo chairs aligned with the organic theme— even the bar by Garnish Events echoed the look with its rustic unfinished edge and iron legs.
Andrew's keen sense of style was evident in his choice of attire that day, a stylish navy Burberry suit.
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