where to hold reception?

[thanda]

Seawatch is not booking anything after August 19, 2009 but our wedding is not til Feb 2010. Has anyone been to a reception at the Marriott or Hyatt or know of anyone who will be having their reception at one of the resorts?

 

Also, is February a good time in weather wise to get married?

 

Thanks!

Thanda

[PaddleAddict]

Hi Thanda,

 

I am a wannabe SeaWatch bride. We want to book late September. I am researching other options at this time, including the Marriott, the Five Palms restaurant (in Kihei) and the Fairmont Kea Lani. We really want SeaWatch, though, so I am going to wait just a tiny bit longer to see if the bookings open up.

 

Sherry posted a great review (under Wedding Reviews) of her wedding in Maui. She had the ceremony on the grounds of the Wailea Marriott and the reception at the SeaWatch.

 

The weather in Hawaii in February will be wonderful, but be aware that it is "high season" so prices for flights and accomodations for your guests will be very high. The reason we booked late September is because it is considered "low season" (after Labor Day, before Thanksgiving) and the prices for flights and hotels/condos are amazing!

[SAM]

The Hyatt which is in West Maui is a great place. The WC is very nice.

[thanda]

hi paddleAddict,

 

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! Do you know when Seawatch is going to open up their bookings? Mine is not until next year so I have some time, but don't want to miss out on booking at the Marriott if Seawatch doesn't open up. How far is Seawatch from the Marriott? Do I need to shuttle families and guests? Wondering if it would be easier for guests to stay in one place.

[PaddleAddict]

Hi Thanda,

 

The Marriott is in Wailea, which is where SeaWatch is located. I believe they are pretty close. However, I feel the same way that it would be easier to have the cermony and reception all in the same place, especially since we want to pick our guests up (shuttle) and take them home after to avoid any drinking and driving.

 

SeaWatch has told me that the hold up is due to renegotiating a lease agreement, but they have not been able to tell me when the bookings will open up. Someone else (on The Knot) said that Susan at the SeaWatch told them it would be two to four weeks before they would be able to book (this was last week).

 

I have found when researching my other options that places are not booking up as quickly as I thought they would. Right now, our wedding is about seven months away and all four places I've contacted still have our date available (and it's a Saturday, too). For me, we are going to wait a few more weeks before booking. I am not too worried that we will be unable to find a place. SeaWatch is our first choice, but we will have to book something eventually, and if they are not accepting bookings soon we may choose something else.

 

An option I like is the Five Palms restaurant. I've been speaking with the events coordinator, who is very nice, and they allow you to get married on their lawn (oceanfront) without any fees other than chair rentals. The reception would be inside the restaurant or on their patio. We will only have 25 to 30 or so guests, so this would work out well for us. The food looks pretty decent and the prices are similar to the SeaWatch.

 

My parents are taking a trip to Maui in two weeks and they will be checking out all four venue options and taking pictures, so I'll let you know what they learn while they are there.

[Erika J]

I went to a wedding at the Westin in Kaanapali and it was wonderful.

[dcnetworks]

Just a reminder: Do you want to have a beach ceremony? If so, there is a small government fee now and the permit only allows you in certain part of Maui. The fee is really dumb but it is what it is. Be sure to check with your minister. It is generally included along with the ceremony fee.

 

If you do not care to have your ceremony on the beach then Seawatch is excellent and the Marriott is beautiful.

 

The Seawatch is located by a golf course and is only a short drive from Keihi and Wailea. If you have guests that can drive/carpool then it is not necessary to reserve a shuttle.