The Bride and Groom Created a “Jetset-Era Dinner Club” for Their Wedding on Hawaii’s Black Sand Beaches
-1.jpg)
Hope Gould and Sam Wadsworth might have both been students at the same college in California, but it took a chance meeting in Paris during the summer of 2018 for them to first connect. Hope was in the city for a summer program, while Sam was traveling though Europe with friends. “One night, we ended up at the same club where one of my friends recognized him from a class at USC,” shares Hope. “After a quick introduction that evening, we kept an eye out for each other once we got back to school. As our sophomore year began, we quickly became close friends—and before long, we had fallen in love.” She adds, “The rest is history!”
Their relationship grew over the next six years as they graduated college and began their professional lives, with Hope going into experiential marketing and Sam working for a real estate developer. They would take another step into their futures when Sam proposed in July 2024 while they were in the Hamptons. “Sam set up champagne and flowers in the backyard while everyone was out of the house,” says Hope. “He popped the question by reading me a letter he had written. I loved that it was just the two of us there to enjoy that moment together.” The newly engaged couple then celebrated with friends and family at a big barbecue. Says Hope, “It was perfect!”
Next would come their wedding planning journey. “Deciding where we wanted to get married was the biggest challenge since we live in NYC, are both from the West Coast, and have friends and family flying in from all over the world,” says the bride. “We looked everywhere—on both coasts, in between, and even considered going full destination in Europe.” Ultimately, they settled on a July 12th, 2025, celebration at Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort. “Once we decided on the Big Island of Hawaii, a place near and dear to us, everything fell into place,” says Hope. “Kona Village has always been special to my family—we spent a lot of time there growing up, and later owned a house nearby. Sam and I spent a few months living in Hawaii during Covid and fell in love with the raw beauty of the Big Island.”
To bring together their entire destination wedding weekend, Sam and Hope worked with planner Jennifer Zabinski of JZ Events. “I loved searching for inspiration everywhere and was so blessed to have a remarkably talented and creative designer who could bring my vision to life,” shares the bride. “As someone who works in experiential marketing planning luxury events, it was challenging being on the client side for once. I realized how hard it can be to be the decision maker!” However, Hope notes, “The second we got off the plane in Kona, we knew all the stress of planning was well worth it.”
One particularly fun part of bringing together the weekend’s aesthetic was deciding on their wardrobes. For their beachy rehearsal dinner on Thursday night for a more intimate group, Hope donned a crochet Oscar de la Renta with woven floral details. “Sam wore a crisp linen shirt and pants combination from Slowear Venezia and Sabahs, his favorite casual slippers,” shares the bride. The rest of their guests would join them for a Hawaiian cocktail welcome party the following day. “Friday’s look was a nod to our old-school themes in a colorful vintage Roberto Cavalli silk dress from the spring 2003 collection that I found at Lovers Lane Vintage in London,” says Hope. The groom would dress in linen for the event, wearing a brown suit and white shirt from Boglioli Milano with Stubbs and Wooten slippers.
For the wedding day, the bride wore Danielle Frankel. “I loved the textured fabric, which reminded me of ocean waves, and I customized it by adding straps to make it exactly how I wanted,” she shares. “It felt light, airy, and perfect for Hawaiian black tie.” Hope decided she didn’t want to wear exclusively white, so she swapped her look at the reception to a floral-print Johanna Ortiz gown. “It was less classic but very me,” she says. “I bought it just two weeks before the wedding, and it turned out to be the perfect party dress for the reception.” For her after-party look, Hope designed a custom Clio Peppiatt mini dress with their team, featuring celestial sun and moon motifs as well as Hawaiian details. “To make every look even more meaningful, I paired them with jewelry from my mom and grandmother, which completed the outfits and made them extra special," she says. Meanwhile, for his wedding look, Sam kept it classic in a Ralph Lauren Purple Label tuxedo, black Belgian loafers, and a gold 1960s Audemars Piguet watch with a black alligator band.
More Great Wedding Stories in Vogue
Sign up for Vogue’s wedding newsletter, an all-access invitation to the exceptional and inspirational, plus planning tips and advice
The Vogue Runway app has expanded! Update to the latest version to see all Vogue content, as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz, Group Chats, and posts from Vogue contributors.
Give the gift of Vogue. Send a subscription. Plus, a free tote.
