We are so lucky to have worked with Darren for our Feb 2024 wedding, and we cannot express enough gratitude for him and his team!! We met with a few planners but ultimately chose Darren for his professionalism and warmth- he’ll execute your vision (with as little or as much input as you want) but also keeps the planning fun and stress free! What is special about Darren is that he was born and raised in the area, so his relationships with all the vendors run deep- he was able to get contracts quickly and so many vendors told us they love working with him, which gave me a lot of confidence that everyone would be invested in making the day a success!

On the day of, everything ran seamlessly- we didn’t feel rushed, we didn’t have to worry about anything and could relax, be in the moment and enjoy the day to the fullest.

Our guests are still raving about how beautiful and well-executed our wedding was (Darren was really great about sticking to our budget and maximizing impact- some guests thought it was a 6 figure wedding when it was nowhere near that), and we owe it all to Darren and team. We all felt so much aloha spirit that day, thank you so much for the best day of our lives! 🙂
PS- Florals were also done by Darren!
Photographer: Melia Lucida

Where to start...Darren might be one of the kindest souls I have ever personally met. Darren made the process of wedding planning from 4000 miles away incredibly stress-free. I was drawn to Darren and his team first because of the incredible floral arrangements on his insta, just stunning. I knew I needed those flowers and what amazing luck he was also a wedding planner! PERFECT. We began planning probably March 2023 for our wedding in January 2024 - but I really don't remember having to do all that much. The teams Darren partners with for food, lighting, decoration, and furniture are all also top tier quality on Maui. Darren was incredibly responsive through emails, Zooms, texts and calls. His suggestions were always something my husband and I loved; he has an uncanny ability to understand your vibe and goals just by meeting you. He made the day of the wedding so incredibly wonderful. He made sure I had a drink, or a snack, he held my bouquet when I was taking wedding photos, he always took that little extra bit of time to ensure the best day of my life truly was the very best day. I can't help but be sad my time working with Darren and his team is over, but I hope this review helps so many others find Darren and enjoy his outstanding professionalism, his passion, his kindness, and his amazing talent for wedding planning and floral design. There is no one else to consider.

Darren and his team did an incredible job for my wedding in Maui. The flowers were beautiful beyond out imagination. Darren truly went above and beyond and has been super helpful throughout the entire process. We truly believe that his work took our wedding to a whole new level!

Darren and his team are masterful, wonderful people who helped us put on the wedding of our dreams. Four months out from our perfect, blissful event in Maui, we cannot stop thinking about how incredible it was and how grateful we are to him. Starting with long-term planning, he helped us prioritize and focus on every step in the right order, while providing an immense amount of flexibility and creativity in planning and solving issues as they came up. He knows every vendor and always presented us with great options, but he was not hesitant to help us make smart choices and lead us towards the things that mattered the most. His absolutely incredible “bedside manner” in the weeks and days leading up to the event was a godsend as last-minute plans came together. This was particularly crucial because we were planning from California, and could only visit the property a couple of times before the big day. Not only did Darren plan our wedding, but he designed it, proposing layouts, colors, décor, lighting and-- most significantly-- florals, which blew us away . His incredible eye helped us in ways that both relieved our planning stress AND made the event absolutely lovely. Finally, if that wasn’t enough, we - and many of our guests! - couldn’t help but notice how perfectly his team handled everything on the day of the event, all the way to the end of the night. We cannot recommend working with him enough on a wedding or any event.

It is really impossible to find all the perfect words to say about Darren. Planning a destination wedding during COVID can be very hard and stressful. In fact, all of my friends and family told me that it must’ve been the most stressful time of my life. They were wrong. What they didn’t know was that I had the most incredible wedding coordinator that any bride could ever hope for. Darren was extremely easy and so pleasant to work with. My husband and I are from California and we had never met Darren in person nor did we see our wedding venue before we decided on both. We spoke to several wedding planning groups and knew Darren was the one after the very first conversation. He’s local to the island and his knowledge about the industry is truly unmatched. We were working with Darren for just about a year and a half before our big day came. From the communication to the organization, to the small details and sentimental touches, Darren and his team were able to make our special day everything that I could ever imagine since I was a little girl. Darren was kind, considerate, respectful, genuine, and more! He puts you first and all of your ideas and concerns before anything else. I can’t think of one thing that made wedding planning stressful, all thanks to him. I really had the best time planning because he made it all so fun! We met him in person about six months before the wedding. He walked us around the venue, showed us how the layout would be organized and after, we went to lunch to discuss some of the smaller and larger details. We instantly trusted him and never once doubted him because we knew that he would make everything just so perfect. Our wedding day completely proved that. Not once did we have to worry that something wouldn’t be done. It was impossible to be “Bridezilla” with Darren on your side.

From the moment we arrived at the venue to the minute we left, Darren took care of every single thing. He made sure that we were always having fun, that we always had a beverage in our hand and that we were fed. He consistently checked in while coordinating the entire day (don’t ask me how he does it). He was so considerate of our time with our friends and family and really blew everybody away with all the magic he was able to create. Not only was Darren our wedding coordinator but he was also our florist. Hands down, best decision we have ever made! The florals were absolutely breathtaking. I shared my visions with Darren and he made everything I ever wanted come to life. The colors, the style, and type of flowers was everything I dreamt of. All the arrangements were as if you took it from a magazine or movie. They were so picturesque and vibrant.

It has been almost 2 months since the wedding and until this day we are still getting compliments and people asking to do it all over again because it was the best wedding they had ever been to. As a bride and groom, hearing your guests say your wedding was the best wedding they have ever attended is the utmost, best compliment you can ever receive. Not only do you want to feel like your wedding day was the most special and perfect day of your life, but to hear your guests communicate it makes everything a million times better. We can honestly say that thanks to Darren Keala, our wedding day was truly the BEST day of our lives. We can’t say it enough but we really wish there was a rewind button! All in all, Darren gave us more than we could ever ask for and we will forever be grateful. The memories continuously replay in our heads over and over again and make us smile every time we think about it. Our wedding day felt like a true fairy tale. In the end, we also gained ourselves a life long friend! If you’re looking for an event coordinator, Events by Darren Keala will be the best decision you ever make, you have my word.

Planning a destination wedding can be a daunting task, to say the least. We have said it time and again, there is zero chance we could have planned our dream wedding without the help of Darren Keala and his incredible team. Darren's team brings a wealth of knowledge and value by being from Maui and living on island. His vast network is unparalleled. His attention to detail, creativity and originality is extremely rare. He captured our complete trust and confidence after one meeting. This was only further validated as the planning process went on. Darren's not only gifted at this craft but he's one of the kindest and most decent humans on the planet.

Working with Darren was hands-down the best investment that we made in our wedding planning process. I firmly believe we would not have been able to have our dream wedding weekend (4 days of events!) without him.

We got engaged in December 2019, and started working with Darren in May 2020, to plan our August 2021 wedding in Maui. My then-fiancé and I were located in Boston and were planning our wedding from afar. We had a blast getting to know Darren over many Zoom & phone calls before we got the opportunity to meet him in real life in December of 2020. Over those early months of planning, we were able to secure the venues and vendors of our choice, all from afar thanks to Darren’s support.

I was one of those indecisive brides who didn’t have a pre-conceived vision of our wedding day prior to starting the planning process. Darren took the time to get to know me, my family, my now-husband, and his family. He asked thoughtful questions, provided us with many options to choose from, and was supportive of our choices each step of the way. He was also transparent and forthcoming with information, which we really appreciated. Darren was so knowledgeable about the vendors on Maui and the industry ~ he is also extremely well connected (and beloved!) within the wedding & event planning industry. These relationships benefitted us, as a couple who got to work with Darren.

When we travelled to Maui in December 2020 to meet Darren & our vendors for the first time, it felt like we were meeting with old friends. Darren, our photographer Anna Kim, our videographers Ohana Films, our Hair & Make-up Team Maui Make-up Artistry, and our Chef/catering team Cutting Edge Catering all treated us with so much aloha and really embodied that ‘joy’ feeling that we were seeking for our wedding.

Planning the wedding during COVID did add additional stress & Darren was there at every turn to listen, provide advice, and create back-up plans (which we thankfully didn’t end up needing). In the final months leading up to the wedding, Darren made sure that we were on task, and successfully navigated working with our very large blended family through the final stages of planning & executing our dream wedding. During our wedding week, he and his team were present in every moment of need, anticipated our needs and did it all with a positive attitude that was contagious.

Throughout the wedding planning process, the spirit of Aloha was braided into each action. Looking back, it is so obvious that Darren is not only an extremely capable professional, he loves his work, and truly cares for his couples. We are lucky to have been one of them. Perhaps, best of all, I found a friend, and human who was so genuinely happy to share in celebrating our love! Mahalo Darren & team !

Thank goodness for Darren! To say that Darren SAVED THE DAY would certainly be an understatement. We were nearly down to the wire and the tent wasn’t set up, lighting wasn’t ready, the wedding coordinator demonstrated no knowledge of the necessary skills to perform coordinating duties, the wedding arch wasn’t put together, the music coordinator didn’t have the songs in order for the processional and Darren stepped into action and made it all come together! He went into “action mode” like the “Energizer Bunny” and literally within the hour, Darren pulled it all together and made it happen, beautifully and on time! Please keep in mind, Darren’s only responsibility when he arrived at the venue was to set up for floral arrangements and deliver the bridal party flowers. He could have taken one look at the chaos around him and “fled the scene” But, Darren didn’t Rather, he did a quick assessment of what needed to be done and got to work, gave clear direction, took charge, calmed the bride and before we knew it, it was SHOWTIME!! The bride’s immediate and extended family was filled with gratitude for Darren’s help. BUT, did she stop there??? NO Darren returned at the end of the evening to make certain that all had gone well and give final directions and guidance to close the event. He was a saving grace!

It goes without saying that Darren Keala is TOP NOTCH! He is truly passionate about his craft and he delivers quality products and service. I highly recommend Darren, owner of EVENTS BY DARREN KEALA.

There are not enough words to fit on a page to describe the amazing service we received from Darren. Not only does he provide the most amazing floral arrangements, he goes the extra step to make sure your wedding is as special as you planned it to be. My wedding wouldn't have been a success without Darren and his professionalism. He is kind, thoughtful, and efficient. I can not recommend him enough. Any bride would be lucky to work with Darren as either a florist, wedding coordinator, or both.

Darren is absolutely incredible! Because he is extremely talented and knowledgeable, he made the entire wedding process so effortless on our end--the advice and tips in all things wedding made working with him so wonderful. The day of our wedding, we were absolutely blown away by the magical evening he had created; from the tropical arrangements that adorned our ceremony arch, to our breathtaking reception that had amazing garlands and a topiary wall, to lastly our dance room that was the perfect mixture of whimsical fairy tale and swanky dance club--a very fine balance that he walked perfectly! He is a genuine person that truly cares about you as a person--using his connection with you to deliver on your vision for your event; honestly, I will miss speaking with him so regularly. I consider him a friend and will always be recommending him to anyone and everyone. He has gone far above and beyond my expectations and delivered a night for my husband and I to remember always. Much Aloha Darren and A Hui Hou!
Malia & Jordan