Back to square one! Any help with a Hawaii wedding would be helpful!

[AZKimberly]

Hi all!

Well, we decided a couple of days ago that we are no longer getting married in Cabo, we are now going to get married in Hawaii. We have gone from Hawaii to Cabo, now back to Hawaii.

SO, back to square one with all of this planning. ANY ADVICE or input on Hawaii weddings would be greatly appreciated.

Has anyone used White Orchid Weddings?

Which island is the best to get married on?

-We are looking at a May 2012 wedding possibly in Maui.
-We reeeeally wanted a toes in the sand wedding with chairs, arch, etc. however I am finding out that this doesn't sound possible in Hawaii
-We would probably have 60-75 guests.... so a dinenr at a resort, restaurant, beach house, Where do we have the reception?!?!
-We want to stay as far under 10 grand as possible (if that is even possible?!)

Thank you all in advance!!!!

 

xoxo
Kimberly

[Nicole119]

Hi Kimberly,

 

Congratulations on deciding on Hawaii!! I think Maui is the best island to get married on but I might be a little biased since I live here on Maui! A White Orchid Wedding is great and very professional, their weddings are always amazing! A Dream Wedding Maui Style is really good as well and might be a little less expensive.

 

The state of Hawaii doesn't allow "props" such as chairs, arches, etc. on it's public beaches so a beach wedding probably wouldn't be the best idea for your size of group. Fortunately there are many locations overlooking the ocean that would be great for a ceremony and reception! A few are: Gannon's & Merriman's or if you use A White Orchid Wedding their Beach House location is really really pretty. If you did a Gannon's or Merrimans location you could have the reception at the same location and you wouldn't have to worry about renting chairs, china & flatware.

 

Hope that helps, good luck with everything and happy planning!!

 

Nicole

[jennifersyble]

Here's my input. I am getting married in Maui in early August 2011 and am really excited however, I have come to find out that Maui is the most expensive island of the hawaiian islands (for hotels, travel, restaurants, etc) so if budget is your main concern, you should definitely look into Kauai or one of the other islands for options. If I had known that Maui was the most expensive island when I began planning, I might have gone a different direction.

Having said all that: I am really excited to be getting married in Maui and really like the vendors I've selected so far. I am using Cherise from the Perfect Wedding for my coordination and I really like her.

I originally started working with a different coordinator who was pretty bad on response time, and communication and had to switch to Cherise after a couple of months of no communication with the other coordinator. Cherise is great and her prices are extremely reasonable...she also makes a point of getting back to you relatively promptly via emails and she returns phone calls quickly. 

If you do decide to have your wedding in Maui, definitely check out Gannon's Restaurant (especially molokini lookout) & also Merriman's restaurant. Both of those places seem very reasonable and have wonderful views. You could also get married on the beach and then just have the reception at one of those places.

I think it may be difficult to stay within your budget for 60-75 people in Maui so good luck!

[BeachBound2011]

Here's what someone sent me. We picked Oahu because of the ease of transportation, it's a lot cheaper then Maui, and it had Pearl Harbor.  We're  going to honeymoon for 4 nights on the Big Island because we want to see the volcanoes.

 

Here's a look at the primary islands and their major attractions:
 

Hawaii Island

Hawaii Island is commonly known as the Big Island for good reason. It's larger than all the other islands combined. But aside from Hilo (the county seat), Kailua-Kona (a popular visitor destination) and the luxurious resorts along the Kohala coast, it retains a rural flavor.
Major Destinations on the Big Island: the Kona coast; Kailua-Kona; Hilo; Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with two active volcanoes (Mauna Loa and Kilauea); Mauna Kea (the world's tallest mountain).
Big Island Attractions: If you're into the outdoors, this is the place for you. Attractions include sandy beaches in shades of green, red and black; beautiful coral reefs; snorkeling; deep-sea fishing; gorgeous flowers, including most of the orchids for lei made in the state; cattle and horse ranches; horseback riding; mesmerizing landscapes; cascading waterfalls; golf; watersports; and hiking. Nightlife and shopping are limited.
 

Kauai

Kauai is the oldest and northernmost of the inhabited Hawaiian islands. Nature is its biggest draw.
Major Destinations on Kauai Island: Waimea Canyon, Kokee State Park, Poipu, Lihue, Napali Coast, Princeville, Hanalei.
Kauai Island Attractions: Mountains; valleys; waterfalls; spectacular beaches; hiking; fishing; golf; whale-watching; kayaking and sailing; bird-watching; ziplining; and snorkeling, surfing and other watersports. Shopping and nightlife are limited.
Lanai

The smallest of the main islands is quiet and uncrowded. It is almost completely owned by Castle & Cooke, the parent company of Dole Pineapple. But commercial pineapple production has stopped, and tourism is now the mainstay of the economy.
Lanai Island Attractions: Sailing, fishing, golfing, ocean rafting, hunting and back-road exploring.
 

Maui

Maui is the second most-visited Hawaiian island, after Oahu. It is also the most expensive to visit. Lodging, meals, and activities seem to be more expensive on this island. But, to me, it is the most beautiful. However, you cannot avoid a car rental when visiting Maui as you can in Oahu.
Major Destinations on Maui Island: Haleakala National Park, Hana, Ka'anapali, Kahului, Kihei, Lahaina, Wailea, Wailuku, Kapalua.
Maui Island Attractions: Wonderful beaches; calm ocean bays; stunning mountain and volcano vistas; sugarcane fields; highland ranches; twisting mountain roads; whale-watching; golf; hiking; ziplining; sailing and other boat excursions; deep-sea fishing; and watersports such as snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing and parasailing.
 

Molokai

This rural island is best suited for travelers who want to see the old Hawaii and unwind quietly. You will find seclusion on this island.
Major Destinations on Molokai Island: Kaunakakai, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Halawa Valley.
Molokai Island Attractions: Isolated beaches, mountains, waterfalls, deep-sea fishing, history, hiking and relaxing.
 

Oahu

Oahu is the political, social, economic and population hub of Hawaii. It attracts the most visitors of all the Hawaiian islands. This island is much more commercialized than the other islands and has the largest airport.  The transportation system in Oahu is such that you do not have to rent a car to get around.

Major Destinations on Oahu Island: Downtown Honolulu, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay, the North Shore.
Oahu Island Attractions: City life, including theater, opera, museums, shopping, nightclubs and fine dining; lush greenery; beautiful beaches; great historic sites; sailing; surfing, windsurfing, kayaking and other watersports; golf; and hiking.

 

You certainly won't have trouble finding things to do in Hawaii; in fact, you may have trouble paring the list down to something manageable. There truly is something for everyone.

 

I recommend that you decide which island best suits your vision of the ideal Hawaiian vacation and concentrate on it for your first visit.

 

Most first time visitors who have limited time choose Oahu because of ease of transportation and it's not as expensive as Maui. 

[HBStudios]

Hello! I dont know if you are stuck with May or not, but I am a wedding photographer in the Lake Tahoe area of California and I will be in Kauai or Maui (have not decided yet) on vacation in January. We have been looking to do a destination wedding and would be happy to do it for free as long as we could use the images on our site. Check us out...

Handlebarstudios.com

 

In everything you do though, I wish you all the best luck. As for which island... I am partial to Kauai. 

[AZKimberly]

Wow, your photography is amazing! I love it! I wish we could get married in January and have you as our photographer, that would be so great... however we need the extra time to save up for our wedding. So... we are kind of stuck with May still :/  Thank you so much for the sweet gesture... that would have been a dream come true!

[maui2012]

Hi Kimberly,

We are doing our wedding at Merriman's in Maui, February 2012. We have the same size guest list as you and we are having a hard time keeping the wedding under 30k. One way to save a little money is to do the leg work yourself and not hire a coordinator. Merriman's comes with a coordinator and she had a list of "preferred vendors" to look at. I am going with some of her vendors but others I have found myself.  I would think that a lot of the venues have the same thing unless you are going for on the beach. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Kauaiorbust]

We are starting from square one too!  We focused on St. Martin for a few months and ran into so many obstacles that we reevaluated and are now looking at Kauai... with a lot more success!  We are looking at Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville for our March wedding.  Lots of good advice on here so far.  Would love to hear any more thoughts... Nervous about tent rentals and catering at the moment. 

[Eleven6ElevenAJ]

Hi Kimberly-

 

I'm planning our wedding on Maui for this November and am using Makena Weddings.  Laurie Terry is the WC and her husband Al is the Hawaiian Minister.  They have been awesome to work with!  They are quick to respond to emails and have great prices on packages.  We chose a package that includes photography, flowers, coordination, etc.  The inclusive package is really affordable compared to other WCs or hotels.  They help you choose from public beaches to private areas and can help recommend places for the reception (and they work with Gannon's/ Merriman's).  They specialize in South Maui and that part of the Island is a desert climate and less likely for a chance of rain.  Hope this helps!  So far they've made wedding planning a breeze for us!

[MindyB17]

Hello Kimberly,

 

My fiance and I are actually looking to do a wedding in May of 2012 as well.  I am trying to figure out what would be the cheapest way for us and our guests of around 30.  Most of our guests including us wil be leaving from AZ tool.  Just wondering if you stumbled upon a wedding coordinator, that you like or any other information that may be helpful.  It would be much appreciated.  Maybe we can tag team a coordinator to get a better deal!