Chapter 35
35
F leur sat at the kitchen table, her laptop open in front of her, a half-drunk cup of tea cooling by her side. The house was quiet except for an occasional hum of the fridge and the clock ticking on the wall. Clicking to open her inbox, she scrolled past the usual spam, work notifications, and emails she’d subscribed to but never actually read, before landing on the one she was looking for from the hotel in Maui. She clicked it open, her stomach flipping slightly at the sheer officialness of it all. Champo was getting married and it was looking back at her in black and white.
Dear Fleur,
Thank you for completing our wedding questionnaire! We are so excited to be working with you and Patrick to create your perfect Maui wedding. Seeing as you are already staying with us for over a week it’s been easy to accommodate you.
Your responses have given us a great starting point, and based on what you’ve shared, we’ve put together a preliminary outline for your day. Below is a breakdown of the key elements for your wedding:
Ceremony:
Location: Beachfront (as requested)
Time: 4 PM (golden hour—perfect for photos!)
Chairs: White wooden with ivory cushions (unless you prefer something else?)
Arch: Bamboo with soft draping and tropical flowers in your colour scheme
Celebrant: Local officiant available
Reception:
Private oceanfront outdoor terrace at the resort
Seating: Round tables, white linen, candlelit centrepieces
Food: Customisable menu (attached for review)
Drinks: Signature cocktail? Champagne on arrival?
Cake: Two-tier (flavour of your choice—let us know)
Other Details:
Bridal bouquet: Tropical mix of soft greens and whites
Buttonholes: Simple white orchids for Patrick and best man
Hair by the sound of it, the hotel had done it so many times that all she and Patrick really had to do was say yes to things and sign the payment authorisation.
She clicked on the attached menu, her eyes flicking over the options.
Grilled mahi-mahi with pineapple salsa, macadamia-crusted chicken, fresh papaya, and prawn salad. Seared ahi tuna with coconut rice.
She didn’t even need to think about it. It all sounded incredible.
Hi Mia,
Thank you so much for this—it all looks absolutely perfect. I can’t believe how organised you are, this is already so much easier than I expected!
A few thoughts. 4 PM for the ceremony sounds great, the bamboo arch and white wooden chairs are exactly what we want—keep as is. The celebrant—I’d love to do a quick Zoom just to get a feel for him. No rush, just at some point before we arrive. The terrace for the reception sounds perfect. Definitely want candlelit centrepieces. Drinks—champagne on arrival and maybe a signature cocktail for guests? Something tropical but not too sweet.
Food—the menu looks amazing - happy to trust the chef’s recommendations. Cake—two-tier is fine. I’ll have a think about flavours! Hair it was going to be stress-free, easy, beautiful, and like some sort of dream. At least, she hoped it would be. She could but wait and see.