Features
Marin Magazine
January 2009
Julie Hoffman & Billy Bremer
Olowalu Plantation House, Maui
Julie Hoffman and Billy Bremer wanted a destination wedding that reflected their relaxed approach to life. So they decided to go straight to the epicenter of all things mellow: the Hawaiian island of Maui, where the slower pace of life is perfectly in sync with their laid-back outlook. The fact that they had never been there—nor would they ever visit their wedding spot until the weekend of the event—didn't faze the couple, who trusted not only fate but also the judgment of their wedding planner. The Mill Valley couple – she's a schoolteacher originally from Texas; he's a commercial real estate banker who grew up in Marin – left the job of finding the venue to Marin – based Barbara Gerraty of A White Orchid Wedding, who led them to Olowalu Plantation House, a private estate overlooking a rocky beach with island views.
The whole celebration took on the feeling of “island style.” Traveling guests arriving on Maui were welcomed with a luau-style dinner and spent the next day hanging around the pool. “It was just fun,” says Julie. “We got the see everybody and it took the pressure of the wedding.”
On the wedding day, 65 guests gathered on a grassy area near the estate to watch the couple walk down the aisle- Julie in bare feet and Billy in Khakis- to a guitar-plucking Hawaiian version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. “We love the beach. We’re hikers and swimmers, and it was really important for us to get married outside,” says Julie. After the ceremony, guests lounged on outdoor couches as the sunset. A few traditional rituals found their way into the reception: a cake-cutting ceremony and a bridal father daughter dance.
Even though they had never been to Maui, says the bride, it turned out to be the setting for a dream come true. “ I remember looking out at my friends and family and thinking that everybody I loved and wanted to be here came.”