This Barefoot Surfer Wedding in Hawaii Was a Celebration of the Couple’s Community
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Real estate agent and property manager Chandler Mae-Jean Thomas first connected with Travis Smith, the owner of the organic café chain The Sunrise Shack, by chatting smoothies… virtually. “We met in 2020 during COVID through Instagram,” shares Chandler. “I had posted a green smoothie I was making from Dr. Gundry’s recipes and Travis messaged me saying, ‘That looks like shit.’” She jokes, “So, I have my mom to thank, as she introduced me to Dr. Gundry!” The Hawai i-based duo shared smoothies, surf trips, and more over the next few years as their relationship grew.
On July 3, 2023, Travis popped the question while the couple were on a trip to Tahiti. “We had been staying in Teahupoo for a big swell Travis was surfing, but we went to Moorea for one night to stay in the bungalows on the water,” explains Chandler. “We were having the most lovely afternoon on our patio about to go for a swim and Travis asked to take a photo. I should have caught on right away because he never does this.” After setting up a tripod, Travis got down on one knee. “He captured our video quite hilariously because I am in absolute disbelief,” she says. “It was so magical—everyone on the beach was clapping.” Chandler calls it: “The most special moment.”
The goal for the wedding was to have a big barefoot party that “didn’t need to be outrageous” and could allow them to express their creativity. The pair decided to host the big day on June 22, 2024, on O ahu, beginning with a ceremony on the Secret Island in Kaaawa, followed by a boat ride to the reception in the valley of Kualoa Ranch. It made perfect sense for Chandler and Travis to tie the knot in Hawai i, as it allowed them to be surrounded by their community. The pair even called on friends and family to help bring their wedding vision to life from conception to set up the morning of.
“It was a true labor of love,” says the bride. “Travis’s mom, Jill Smith, does natural dying with plants, so she was able to do so much—from the wedding invites to the tablecloths to everyone in the wedding party’s outfits. My mom hand-stitched our welcome sign with beads and I made little ceramic vases for everyone to take home as a thank you.” In addition to support from Travis’s mom, the planning team of Forever Amour Events helped execute the day. Says Chandler, “Angelica and Kimberley were so amazing and made our wedding day so seamless and beautiful.”
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.”
Photo: Kim Raaf1/76Travis picked our ceremony location because he attended a Jacquemus fashion show there a few years prior and thought it was the coolest, most beautiful spot.
Photo: Kim Raaf2/76My mom hand-stitched this sign with tiny individual beads that we hung by the entrance to the reception. I love it so much and now have it hanging over a window in our bedroom!
