MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii — One year ago, on Aug. 8, wildfires consumed 2,200 Maui acres, killing at least 102 people, destroying more than 2,200 structures, displacing about 12,000 residents, and decimating the local economy. This deadly disaster turned lives upside down across the island.
One Lahaina family, Chris, Sydney, and their daughter, lost everything and had to postpone their wedding. But this summer, they received a gifted wedding at celebrity favorite Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort in South Maui.
This Love Has Weathered Storms
Sydney, originally from Cheney, Washington, and Chris, from Folsom, California, moved to Maui more than eight years ago. Their paths eventually crossed. Chris found himself regularly visiting West Side Bagel, where Syndey worked. Six blissful months after their first date, the pandemic hit, closing businesses and leaving them unemployed. Shortly after, the pair welcomed a daughter, Lainey.
A few years later, wind-fueled wildfires ripped through Lahaina, destroying the family’s home and town. Due in part to generous donations, the family has planted roots in Kihei, Maui, where their daughter attends preschool.
Despite these tumultuous times, they stood by each other’s side, finding solace and strength in their love. Losing so much has only deepened their bond, proving that home is truly where the heart is.
Spreading The Love
“As the largest employer on the island of Maui, we felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to our team members and the community to provide support with wildfire relief efforts, helping to ensure this vibrant destination remained resilient for future generations of travelers,” says Todd Arviso, Hilton’s senior vice president of hotel operations for the U.S. and Canada.
“Our annual wedding showcase, For Your Love, provided us with another opportunity to extend Hilton’s signature hospitality to the Maui community by hosting the wedding of a family who lost their home during the wildfires,” he adds. “We felt incredibly privileged to witness the resilience of their love, and that special moment is something our team will cherish forever.”
Chris and Syndey wed at Grand Wailea Maui’s Seaside Chapel. The intimate architecture, surrounded by lush landscaping and Hawaiian flowers, was the idyllic setting for officially declaring their commitment to each other. Their daughter witnessed their union, serving as a reminder of the family they’ve built and the love that will sustain them through whatever life may bring.
“The vibrant Seaside Chapel, with its beautiful stained glass windows depicting Hawaiian people in nature, was welcoming and sunlit. It was a perfect venue for this hopeful and resilient local couple to celebrate the start of their marriage,” shares wedding attendee Sarah Lyon.
“The authenticity of their Hawaiian wedding was more than I expected from a major resort,” adds travel expert Brandon Schultz. “From the quaint chapel to local dancers and the personalized ceremony by a Hawaiian, nothing felt contrived or performative. And it certainly never felt like I was on a hotel property.”
Not a Dry Eye in The House
As Lainey escorted her mom down the aisle, attendees reached for the tissue boxes in each chapel row.
“You could feel the genuine aloha the couple shared. The way they looked at each other and their ‘ano (character, nature, manner) was so full of love. They were kind and sincere, which made it harder to officiate because I want to cry like everyone else,” recalls Kalei ‘Uwēko‘olani, cultural programming manager and leadership educator at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, who officiated the ceremony.
“The vows they wrote were like a script out of a fairy tale wedding. It was hard not to see how much love they had for each other. Everyone in that chapel cried tears of joy. It was so beautiful to be a part of,” Uwēko‘olani continues.
Their ceremony included the giving and receiving of leis, an integral part of the Hawaiian philosophy of aloha. This culturally significant gift of love and kindness is also a symbol of comfort or healing. As they exchanged leis to celebrate their never-ending love and all they’ve overcome, they vowed to wear each other’s love like a lei.
As a gift from Waldorf Astoria’s parent company, the bride and groom will celebrate their marriage on a honeymoon later this year at a Hilton property of their choice.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
