For her attire, Chandler wanted to wear something “beautiful yet simple and suited my style,” she explains. “I wanted my look to be in line with how I normally express myself, so I opted for minimal everything.” The bride found herself drawn to Australian brand KYHA and ordered a strapless gown she saw online. “Luckily, it fit perfectly!” She would later change into a lace Fleur Du Mal dress to dance into the night. As for the rest of her look, the bride decided to do her makeup herself, wear earrings she wore every day, and have her friend Jonah Cruz style her hair. The groom kept his look relaxed yet elevated in a tan suit, white button-down shirt, and, of course, no shoes. As a final touch, both the bride and groom wore leis created by their friend, Ivana Burbage.

The morning of the wedding began with family and friends, who all came out to help set up tables and décor for the reception. “It was so special,” recalls the bride. The event began as guests, the wedding party, and the groom took a boat out to the Secret Island. Chandler would take another boat after with her parents for a grand entrance. “The ceremony was beyond our wildest dreams. It was raining a bit as my parents and I walked down the aisle and as I got to face Travis the rain disappeared and the sun came shining down on us,” shares the bride. “It was truly magical.” Travis’s brother, surfer Koa Smith, officiated the ceremony. “He’s probably spent the most time with us as a couple and knows us so well that we were so happy when he agreed to do it,” says Chandler. “Koa’s speech was the perfect mix of sentimental and humorous.”

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and all their guests boarded a boat back for the reception all together. “There’s nothing like having everyone who’s been a part of both of your lives all together. It’s a really surreal feeling,” remembers Chandler of the ride. While guests took a bus to Kualoa Ranch for cocktail hour, the bride and groom rode a custom e-bike gifted to them by Super73 adorned with a “just married” sign and Juneshine cans: “Travis’s drink of choice!”

The reception took place beneath string lights in the breathtaking valley. The couple ensured the party would have a casual feel with an open bar and buffet so guests could spend most of their time on the dance floor. “One of the most special moments of the reception was our friend Louis Solywoda surprising us with a song he wrote just for us called ‘Dream Girl,’” remembers Chandler. “He wrote it with a little help from our friend, musician Ziggy Alberts. Everyone circled around us as Louis sang to us the most special song and gift we could have ever imagined. I think we were all crying.”

Looking back on the day is definitely “bittersweet” for the bride. “Part of me was happy I don’t have to plan another wedding ever again, but it was also the best day of our lives and it all happened so fast,” she says. “I do wish we could do it all over again.”

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

The Maui Fire Department is expected Wednesday to explain exactly how the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century was sparked last year.

The historic Maui town of Lahaina was destroyed and 102 people were killed the disastrous wildfire. Several agencies have investigated the fire, detailing the poor conditions — including hurricane-force winds and emergency response missteps — that contributed to the tragic outcome. But so far, those reports have stopped just short of analyzing the fire’s origin and cause, leaving that to the Maui Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Maui Fire Department asked the ATF to help with the cause and origin investigation last year, and the ATF’s findings will be included as an appendix to the department’s report.

What is already clear: Many things went wrong before and during the disaster. The National Weather Service gave advance warning that a hurricane passing far offshore would bring strong winds to the island, dramatically raising the fire danger. But an investigation by the Fire Safety Research Institute for the Hawaii Attorney General’s office found “no evidence” that officials prepared for the fire danger despite the warning.

A Hawaiian Electric power line fell early on the morning of Aug. 8, sparking a fire in overgrown brush near the edge of town. Fire crews responded and stayed for several hours until they believed the fire was extinguished. After they left, flames were spotted again and though firefighters rushed back, they were no match for the wind and flames.

Communication between the police and fire departments was spotty, cellphone networks were down and emergency officials did not activate the emergency sirens that might have warned residents to evacuate. Power lines and poles had fallen in many locations throughout town, and police blocked some roads to protect residents from potentially dangerous power lines. First responders also had trouble getting a firm answer from Hawaiian Electric representatives if the power had been cut to the area.

The blocked roads contributed to gridlock that left fleeing people trapped in their cars as the flames advanced. Others died in their homes or outside as they tried to escape. The death toll surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise.

In the months since, thousands of Lahaina residents have sued various parties they believe to be at fault for the fire, including Hawaiian Electric, Maui County and the state of Hawaii. The defendants have often tried to point fingers at each other, with Hawaiian Electric saying the county shouldn’t have left the first fire unattended, and Maui County contending the electric utility failed to take proper care with the power grid. Exactly who was responsible for clearing brush and maintaining area has also been a point of contention among the defendants, along with the utility’s lack of a public safety power shut-off program.

A few days before the one-year anniversary of the wildfires, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced a $4 billion settlement. That’s the amount the defendants — including Hawaiian Electric, the state, Maui County, large landowners and others — have agreed to pay to settle claims.

But the deal is tied up in court, awaiting a decision from Hawaii Supreme Court on whether insurance companies can go after the defendants separately to recoup what they’ve paid to policyholders. Lawyers for people seeking compensation fear allowing insurance companies to sue Hawaiian Electric and others will subvert the deal, drain what is available to pay fire victims and lead to prolonged litigation. ___

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.