There is an enchanting, dreamlike quality to the Hawaiian Islands—the stretch of fine white sandy beaches and undulating ocean waves, the abundant vivid flora and fauna, the serene pace of daily life and the gracious aloha spirit of the Hawaiian people. It’s no wonder that Kayla Miller long dreamt of marrying her first love Kenny VanSickle along the shores of Maui. “I always pictured myself barefoot on the beach in a simple ceremony,” says the bride. “I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful place.”

After hearing the news of Kayla and Kenny’s engagement, Kayla’s sister gifted the couple with the latest edition of Pacific Weddings magazine to inspire a destination wedding. Kayla opened the pages to find a call to enter the magazine’s “Escape to Maui Wedding Contest”. The grand prize? A ceremony and reception at Maui’s beachfront lounge, Timba, replete with a dream roster of wedding talent and a honeymoon stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui. “I thought it would be fun to share our love story, but never imagined that anything would come of it,” recalls Kayla.

Before long, the down-to-earth couple was making headlines in their community, with two television appearances on the local news announcing their chance to win the wedding of their dreams. Kayla and Kenny’s romantic story captured the hearts of Pacific Weddings magazine readers across the country. To say that the young sweethearts were surprised to learn that they had, in fact, won the “Escape to Maui Wedding Contest” is an understatement. “We were over-the-moon with excitement!” exclaims the bride. “It was so wonderful to see all the love and support from our family, friends and community.”

Kayla first laid eyes on Kenny at a high school football game in their hometown of Spokane, Washington. “I instantly had a crush on him,” Kayla recalls of the quintessentially teenage moment. She was in the sixth grade, after all. Four years later, their friendship turned decidedly romantic when Kenny spontaneously appeared at Kayla’s bedroom window at dusk. “At that age, I thought a boy knocking on my window was the most romantic gesture,” she says. “We spent our first date walking around the neighborhood in our small town.” The couple soon became inseparable.

Kayla and Kenny share a great love of nature and outdoor adventure, from fishing and hiking to camping in the Pacific Northwest. When it came to the proposal, Kenny knew that a summer camping trip was the perfect occasion. While the details of exactly how he was going to pop the question were unclear, spontaneity is something that comes naturally to Kenny. “I was taking a class in Geocaching at the time— a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek boxes in nature,” he says. “It was just the way to surprise her.” Kenny led his girlfriend toward a scenic river with the prospect of finding a tucked-away treasure. To Kayla’s astonishment, the hidden treasure was an elegant engagement ring. “I walked over to see what was inside the box and there was Kenny, down on one knee with the ring in his hand,” she says. “I of course said yes!”

Minimalist is often a design style that is synonymous with weddings in Hawaii. After all, Mother Nature does most of the decorating. The bride simply advised wedding designer Robin Williams of Event Masters to adorn the casual soiree in a cheerful palette of hot pink and lime green. Stacey Nomura, lead designer of Bradley & Lily Fine Stationery, created a letterpress invitation suite to announce the island nuptials. On April 3, 2011, an intimate circle of friends and family gathered on a beautiful crescent-shaped Lahaina beach at sunset. Kayla walked down an aisle of shimmering sand in a strapless chiffon Jasmine Couture dress, carrying a vibrant bouquet of lime green cymbidium orchids. Groomsmen wore pale green Tommy Bahama silk shirts with Hawaiian ti leaf lei. In a touching ceremony, the bride and groom recited vows from the heart, inviting family members to join them in a group blessing.

Celebrants adjourned to a reception in Timba’s private lounge overlooking the Pacific Ocean off Lahaina’s historic Front Street. Talented florist Della Peacock of Dellables adorned the long tables with lush arrangements of bright green tropical orchids with white ceramic sea urchin vases and starfish tucked among the flowers. Wedding designer Robin Williams, the mastermind behind the contest, proved to be invaluable according to the groom. “The whole reception for me was incredible. The atmosphere felt intimate, everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves and the dinner was excellent,” says Kenny. After savoring the main course of pan-seared mahi mahi glazed with a wasabi beurre blanc, guests mingled and danced until closing time, pausing their revelry only to sample the delicious cakes created by Patricia Pimentel of Cravings Bakery. Maui photographer Amity Mason captured the lighthearted celebration from start to finish.

According to Kenny, the bridal party experienced “the celebrity treatment” within moments of arriving to the island. Their fabulous Maui escape included a spectacular dinner at Tommy Bahama Wailea, a beach barbecue in Ka‘anapali and a sunset sail aboard Trilogy Excursion. “Every single moment exceeded our expectations,” says Kenny. The bride fondly reminisces, “We knew that Hawaii would be a beautiful place to start our lives together. We cannot wait to share this story with our children and grandchildren some day!”