Maui Resorts & Wedding Info

[TA Dina]

LUXURY RESORTS

Fairmont Kea Lani

Ritz Carlton Kapalua

Grand Wailea

Four Seasons

Westin

Hyatt

 

MODERATE TO UPSCALE RESORTS

Sheraton

Marriott

Maui Prince

Kaanapali Alii

Kaanapali Shores

Embassy Suites

Maui Banyan

Napili Shores

 

BUDGET RESORTS

ResortQuest properties

Maui Sunset

Maui Schooner

Maui Hill

 

Many of these resorts have rooms or condo/suites that may accommodate more than one family. So you get the benefit of sharing the cost between families, but all of the amenities of an upscale resort. Most will have a small fridge or wetbar in them so you can bring back some alcohol for quiet nights out on the balcony (that's not to say you should trek into the Four Seasons with 5 cases of Coors Light ;0). Or keep some snacks or light food in your room for breakfasts/lunch. So it's the best of both worlds if it fits your budget.

 

UPSCALE WEDDING - FAIRMONT KEA LANI RESORT

~All suite & villa resort

~2 & 3 bedroom villas with full kitchens and private plunge pools

~Located on beautiful Polo Beach in Wailea

~Wedding packages starting at $6800

Wedding Locations

~Tropical Gazebo in front of the Royal Fountain Terrace - this is a semi-private area off towards the end of one side of the resort. I saw this set up for a small reception and it was so pretty. The area for tables is set up above the fountain/gazebo so the view when it’s all lit up at night is gorgeous. Can have music out in this area until 9pm. (PM me for pics)

~Pacific Terrace - this area is up by the beach. less private but it sets up on a slight hill so there really is no reason for anyone to be up there while a ceremony is going on. There was actually a ceremony going on while I toured with the WC and it had to be the prettiest wedding set up I’ve seen on any island so far. A flower petal aisle for the bride, white chairs for the guests, tiki torches around the group, a small bar setup at the base of the hill for cocktails and right near the beach so pics can be easily taken before or after the ceremony.

~Polo Lawn - the largest groups can be accommodated here. It’s sort of off to the side of the Pacific Terrace. Buffet-only receptions are held here. Minimum food & beverage costs start at $15K for this location.

~There is backup locations on the 4th & 6th floor alcove for all weddings. Plus ballroom facilities are available as well.

 

MODERATE WEDDING - MAUI PRINCE RESORT

~Great value on the beach

~All rooms newly renovated in July 08

~No resort fees

~Water sports available right on property

~Home of Maui Sunset Luau - great for rehearsal dinners whether you are staying here or not

Wedding Locations

~Pacific Lawn - set closest to the beach, slightly elevated so awesome views. This is the preferred location for oceanfront weddings

~Maluaka Lawn - beachfront oceanfront location. Adjacent to the Pacific Lawn.

~Prince Courtyard - inside the main building of the resort. Koi ponds, waterfalls and lush tropical foliage make this a great location for a garden ceremony and absolutely gorgeous photos. Can rent out this location whether staying at the resort or not.

~The WC at this resort is VERY accommodating and sweet. They will work with outside vendors and are pretty much willing to work with you on whatever requests you may have.

~Guests at the Maui Prince can use the spa/salon over at the Kea Lani for their wedding. I have prices for all of their services should anyone need them. Wedding Hair starts at approx $110.

 

NON-RESORT WEDDING

SEAWATCH RESTAURANT

Located on the Gold & Emerald Golf Courses in Wailea. It is not directly on the beach but the views throughout the site are breathtaking. They have several options for wedding locations depending upon the size of your group. Even the smallest group will be comfortable here. Plenty of backup locations in case of rain as well. Their packages are all listed on their website (Seawatch Restaurant :: Maui Restaurants :: Wailea Fine Dining :: Sea Watch). The Molokini Lookout location is absolutely beautiful and worth every penny. They will work with outside vendors but check with the WC for a listing of preferreds (with the exception of the cake). They can plan every aspect of your wedding so you really do not need to use anyone else. They are very capable and helpful. And even if not for a wedding, it’s a great place for just a nice lunch or dinner with friends and family removed from all of the resort areas. I have their regular daily menu and prices if anyone wants to see it. Just PM me your email address.

[SAM]

Thanks for the information Dina!

[melibane]

Thanks Dina! Your detailed Maui reviews were really helpful. I'm just starting to plan my 10/09 Maui wedding, and after reading your write-up and a little further investigation, you've piqued my interest in the Maui Prince.

 

Couple of questions for you:

 

- Maui Prince WC versus outside WC? What would be the difference? Is there any benefit to going with an outside WC? Am I somehow limited by only using the MP WC?

 

- hotel accommodations. Have you stayed or actually seen the rooms? After reading your write-up, I read a lot of reviews on tripadvisor, and it's kind of a mixed bag. I myself like the sound of the "laid-back, old Hawaii" feel some reviewers spoke of, but yet some made it sound like a virtual ghost town that wouldn't be much fun for anyone with a pulse. We'll have a lot of young families with kids from 1-17. Do you think everyone would be entertained?

 

Thanks again for all the great info!

[azhuskergirl]

melibane-

 

We used the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel & it was very economical compared to the Sheratan (located next door). It is a 3 minute walk to Whaler's Village & a cozy, family oriented hotel. It's not as modernized as the Hyatt or Marriott, but we received no complaints & I would go back again in a heartbeat!

[da.shmoopies]

We had originally wanted to have our ceremony at a public beach, but a new ordinance this year kept us from using the beach we wanted. They won't allow a party of more than 12 people to use the beach.

 

We found a private estate called Kalaeokai'a which is a private estate on West Maui. The fee was $1000 for using the grounds. Our wedding coordinator, Lori (Scott) Lawrence with Tropical Maui Weddings, said that renting out part of their estate helps the family keep their ocean front land. The other private estates near Kihei were way out of our price range for a small wedding of 25 people ($2500 to $5000), so we were extremely happy with our find. Now, we can have a private beach for our photos, and we will be able to bring our own champagne for the guest, since it is not considered a private beach.

 

It's about a 45 minute drive back to Kihei (where we will be having our reception dinner at Sarrento's on the Beach), but it seems worth it. Plus, most of us are from the Bay Area in CA and we are use to the commute!

[azhuskergirl]

I love Sarrento's on the Beach. How nice!

[melibane]

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I can't wait until I actually have made my final decision and booking. This is driving me CRAZY!!

 

Susan - Ka'anapali Beach Resort looks great. I've been to Maui twice, but have always stayed in the Kihei area. I kind of like the quieter atmosphere, but it might be nice to try another area. Was this area terribly crowded? My friends would actually prefer the west side. What site did you book through? Seems as though there are a ton of options that pop up when I Google. Were you bothered much by the time-share people?

 

da.shmoopies - Thanks for the suggestion on Kalaeokai'a. I can't believe I hadn't come across that estate yet in my research. It looks really nice. Great find! I'm acutally going to look into that further. Did you look into holding the reception there as well? Was it terribly expensive to do that? How has your experience been with Merry Maui Weddings? And you're right, what's 45 minutes to us Bay Area folks, piece of cake.

 

Thanks for the great suggestions ladies!

 

Melinda

[da.shmoopies]

Hi Melinda,

 

I actually came across Kalaeokai'a by accident during my researching. I didn't plan on having the reception there since our party is so small, but from the photos I've seen it can be done. I don't know how much of an expense it would be to have the reception there, unfortunately.

 

I'm acutally using Tropical Maui Weddings, and so far my experience with Lori has been great. She's good at replying to emails, and making suggestions, and helping with what vendors to use. She has her own wedding photos posted on her website. Her husband, Jamie, is beautiful guitarist who will be playing at our wedding. He is going to learn an Elvis tune for us!

 

Here is her website: Tropical Maui Weddings provides Maui Wedding Planning Services

 

Here is her website showing a wedding on the Estate we booked: Event Location Ideas from Tropical Maui Weddings

 

Good luck with planning!

 

Deb

[TA Dina]

The WC at the Prince can do everything for you from start to finish. There would really be no need for someone from the outside unless you just found someone else that you preferred. I sat with her for quite a while and she is very capable and experienced. If you have specific questions just PM and I can email her quickly for you.

 

As far as the resort itself, the Prince Hotels always seem to be a bit more secluded and farther out than others on all 3 islands. This one on Maui is the last one down on the main road in Makena, so it is nice and quiet. The total opposite of the Kaanapali area. However, the resort has plenty of activities going on during the day. The watersports activity booth is right on their property & the catamaran to Molokini leaves right from their beach (Molokini is the BEST snorkeling on the island). The luau is right there as well. And you're really only about 15 min down the road from the Shops at Wailea...and downtown Kihei is only a few minutes north of that. So you're not THAT far removed from civilization I've got some pics of the rooms if you want to see them. Honestly, I was expecting not to like this resort that much as I don't care for their property in Hapuna on BI because it is SO secluded, but I was pleasantly surprised.

[mplscold]

What place would you suggest to have either a nice lunch after our wedding (we will be married at 10 am) in south Maui, (we are getting married at Secret Cove) or else an evening dinner somewhere in Lahaina. There will be six people. Thanks for your help.