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Meet Steph
If you haven't figured it out by now, Esselle is a play on my initials SL for Stephanie Le. I was born and raised in Hawaii by my Vietnamese parents who immigrated here in the late 80's early 90's. It was through my parents' hard work that I had the experience to grow up in paradise and be a product of their "American" dream.
I stayed in Hawaii my entire life but often took trips back to Vietnam, Asia and Europe with my parents who love to travel. I'm a graduate of President William McKinley High School and the University of Hawaii where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Travel Industry Management.
I have been wedding planning since 2015 and it is an honor to be a small part of your love story. It gives me joy knowing that somewhere along the way, you placed your trust in me as your planner to help make your wedding dreams come true.
To me, this is more than a business deal cut between Bride and Planner. It is a meaningful connection fueled by a shared interest - to bring your wedding to life.
Photo by Courtney Mau, Courtney Mau Visual
Styling by Sarah Gomez Akamu, The First Second Beauty
Meet the Team
(well, most of them)
Our “SL” Team consists of many fun, active, and hands on individuals. Many of us also graduated from President Willian McKinley High School, although in different graduating classes. What can I say? I love to support my local high school.
Our team members are the ones that you see managing the ceremony, cocktail and reception spaces, ensuring that everything is set up properly, facilitating guest movement, and communicating with the vendor team to execute a smooth and seamless experience for all of the guests and vendors. The team can be seen picking up decor, transferring items, and assisting guests throughout the wedding day.
Sarah
Sarah is one of our on-site wedding coordinators and Steph’s assistant. You’ll be seeing Sarah at rehearsals, on the day of the event, and through email as well. Sarah is a go-getter who is quick on her feet and able to troubleshoot many different scenarios. She is a former English major and current Miss Chinatown Hawaii! Sarah is our go-to in touching up make up, hair, and all things beauty. In her free time she’s a dog mama to SIX puppies!
Michelle
Michelle is our seasonal event coordinator. She joins us nearly every summer, winter and fall break for weddings and events. During the pandemic, Michelle took on the task of taking online classes to become privy on all things COVID back when having a “covid compliance officer” was a thing. She’s the strongest female member of our team and isn’t afraid to lift big boxes or move heavy things to get things done. Michelle is ultra reliable and we love having her on event days.
Michael
Michael is our newest SL Team member. You will see him on the wedding day organizing decor, assisting with set up and managing guest movement. Although the girls have to help him “make pretty” in certain areas, he’s a fast learner and ready for his next task. In his spare time, he coaches boxing. Any couples out there looking to get more fit and learn a new sport?
Garrett
Garrett is our muscle man and stand in electronics specialist. Whenever we’re scheduled for larger outdoor events, Garrett is there to help our crew move things into place and troubleshoot all things technical. His background in telecommunications is SO HANDY when we’re trying to figure out electrical plugs, outputs, and whether we have enough power on site for events. Garrett has extreme attention to detail and when you give him a task, he’ll make sure it’s as perfect as possible.
Kiana
Kiana is our most recent intern turned college graduate, and day of wedding coordinator. Her skill sets are in organizing decor, taking care of the Bride, Groom, and always making sure that you look good. She’s ready to jump in and help your photo and video team out to make sure they can focus on their job while she fluffs your dress, fixes your hair, and straightens out your flowers.
Ryan
Ryan is one of our on-call event coordinators. You can catch him from time to time assisting us at indoor/outdoor venues and communicating with vendors and relaying pertinent information to the team when we’re all split up. In his free time, he co-manages a local Lion Dance company. We love working with him as a vendor and also as a wedding day assistant!
Maria
Maria is our on-call events coordinator and former social media manager. She started out with us as an intern from the TIM School at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Although Maria has a “big girl job” as a housekeeping supervisor, whenever she needs a break and wants to do a fun job again, we welcome her with open arms! Maria is ultra stylish and has a keen eye for making things aesthetically pretty.
Julissa
Julissa is our current summer to fall 2024 wedding intern. You’ll see Julissa on the wedding day shadowing either Steph or Sarah. Julissa carries a background in restaurant operations and can be seen directing guests between events and assisting with the finishing touches of your wedding day celebrations.