The Bride and Groom Created a “Jetset-Era Dinner Club” for Their Wedding on Hawaii’s Black Sand Beaches

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.