Wedding Photographer Implores Brides in Maui to 'Be Patient' amid Fires: 'Extremely Tone Deaf for What Is Going on'

Reyna Edmonds tells PEOPLE brides whose weddings have been impacted by the devastation in Maui need to have "empathy"

The day after the fires broke out across the Hawaiian island of Maui, Reyna Edmonds felt helpless as her sister Shanyn Kiesler — a wedding videographer at Portola Wedding Films in Maui — dealt with bride after bride asking her for their non-refundable deposits back as she grappled with the devastation impacting her community.

Life on the island has come to a standstill, with at least 110 people confirmed dead and countless homes and businesses destroyed. Local first responders called the situation "apocalyptic" when recently speaking with PEOPLE.

"From a vendor's perspective it’s frustrating,” Edmonds, who also works in the wedding industry as a photographer in Seattle, Washington, tells PEOPLE. "These people have no empathy for what the island is going through and what these [wedding] vendors are going through. Like yeah, my sister didn't lose her home but she knows people who have and her friends still have family that are missing.”

Edmonds says that she's noticed a trend in how brides have treated the wedding planners and vendors on the island who have had their community and livelihoods destroyed. This anger only grew after watching social media videos of travelers complaining about how their vacations were impacted by the fires.

Related: St. Louis Honeymooners Escape Maui Fires, Donate to Help Residents

“When [my sister is] out there trying to do everything she can to help her community, the last thing she needs to worry about is an inbox full of brides who are like, 'Oh, well, can I just get my money back?' " Edmonds adds. 

Earlier this week, Edmonds had posted her feelings about the situation on TikTok. In the video she explains that while she sees why people planning on getting married in Maui are feeling overwhelmed, she hopes they can try to be more understanding of the situation.

"While I realize to brides this is the most important day of their life, it is extremely tone deaf for what is going on on the island of Maui," she says in the Monday TikTok. "Please be patient, please give them their time that they need to figure out what is going on and only reach out if you're actually willing to help."

Edmonds tells PEOPLE she suspects unhappy brides may not realize the severity of the fires, which now have the distinction of being the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years. 

“I think that . . . everyone wants their beautiful wedding day, and [brides] can sometimes be a little bit selfish without realizing they are and in this case, I felt like it was really happening and I just felt like I needed to say something on behalf of my sister,” Edmonds says. 

Although Edmonds doesn’t live in Maui she's helping from a distance by connecting with wedding vendors on the island to provide alternative services for their clients. At the moment, she has a list of multiple photographers, wedding planners and a few florists who’ve offered their services for free. 

Related: Woman Recalls 'Gasping for Air and Losing Consciousness' Alongside Neighbor in Ocean to Survive Hawaii Fires

This way, she says the money the clients paid stays in the pockets of the vendors on Maui.

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“At the end of the day, we’re just trying to stay afloat,” Edmonds tells PEOPLE. “So everyone knows what it’s like to have requests for money back when for the people of Maui this is going to impact them severely for a while.”

She adds, “Obviously, I couldn't imagine planning your dream wedding and then having this happen but I think that like everyone just needs to have a little bit of empathy."

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