Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   United States (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/)
-   -   Hawaii wedding advice (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/hawaii-wedding-advice-557139/)

Shaunna Sep 8th, 2005 11:38 AM

Hawaii wedding advice
 
I'm trying to plan a romantic wedding in Hawaii. My dream is of exchanging vows on a white, sandy beach at sunset. I've only seen pictures of Fern Gratto, but it doesn't look like what I had in mind. Any suggestions? While there, what other must sees are there? TIA.

cmcfong Sep 8th, 2005 11:49 AM

I got married on the Big Island at sunset. The beach is at the Waikoloa resort area. At the time of my wedding it was the Royal Waikoloan. It was a beautiful wedding on a spectacular crescent beach lined with gigantic palms. In the water off the beach we could see the whales cavorting as we exchanged our vows. I wore a traditional Victorian white gown made in Hawaii (and purchased less than an hour before the ceremony up at the Parker Ranch area). My husband and I wore maile leaf leis and I also wore a gorgeous orchid and pikake lei. The maile leaves are dried and in a little bowl in our bedroom. We can still smell a bit of Hawaii when we open the bowl! The minister was arranged by the hotel staff and he was fabulous. My husband and I were with our best friends (we surprised them) and we have never regretted making that most fabulous day a very private personal one. Besides it is entirely in keeping with my personal philosophy to scrimp on every thing and splurge on travel.

I attended a gorgeous wedding this spring in Maui. There were at least seven other weddings going on simultaneously on the beach. Not my idea of romantic. Keep in mind that many of the best spots will be very popular at sunset and on weekends.
Best wishes.

cmcfong Sep 8th, 2005 11:50 AM

PS it occurs to me you might be able to have a pretty private wedding experience on Molokai. It is much less visited than the other islands.

MelissaHI Sep 8th, 2005 12:38 PM

A lot of couples get married at Ala Moana beach park at Magic Island. The sunsets are quite spectacular. To get you closer to the sunset (less obstruction), get married at Ko Olina, on the west coast of Oahu. You can either get married at one of the beach coves or at the Ihilani.

ohanaman1 Sep 8th, 2005 02:25 PM

cmcfong, we also got married at the Royal Waikoloan a while ago ( we used Carlton Bubboltz who we nicknamed The Colonel as he resembled Colonel Saunders to us). Shauna, I second the Marriott that cmcfong recommends as it is magical. Sometimes I look at the pictures of our sunset ceremony and cannot believe it was so perfect. The hotel arranged most of it. The Hawaii Visitor's Bureau can provide you with a list of wedding planners who can help organize some or all of the ceremony. Good luck, let us know where you end up choosing!

kureiff Sep 8th, 2005 02:58 PM

My brother in law got married at the Waikoloa in May. It was beautiful!

janeq Sep 8th, 2005 03:38 PM

We were married at Paradise Cove on Oahu, very pretty setting, but wedding was on the lawn overlooking the ocean not the beach.

Some research suggestions: hawaii-bride.com, order one of their magazines, has lots of pictures and vendor advertisements.

Also theknot.com, they have a hawaii section and message board for hawaii and destination weddings.

Good luck

JohnD Sep 9th, 2005 07:49 AM

We were married on the sandy golden beach near Princeville Hotel, Kaua`i overlooking Hanalei Bay and the inspiring Napali coast (a.k.a. Bali Hai) mountains, which made for great ((P)).
:S-
We used Marcia of Bali Hai Weddings (see ((#))sunset((S)) photo of couple in area near our wedding site, link: <font color="blue">www.bestplaceshawaii.com/kauai/weddings/wedding_coordinators.html</font>)

aprilmay Sep 9th, 2005 09:37 PM

My husband and I were married in April on &quot;shipwreck Beach&quot; on Kauai at sunset. It was very romantic- tiki torchs- just the 2 of us- it was wonderful- very simple but we share very wonderful memories and are planning a trip to one of the islands for our anniversary.

dusty56438 Sep 9th, 2005 09:46 PM

A friend of mine prefers Maui for a honeymoon. He said he has had all four of his there.

CaliNurse Sep 9th, 2005 10:00 PM

If you want to be on Kauai, in the Kapaa area right on the beach at Lae nani condos is a heiau. It's a sacred place...on a little hill overlooking beach and ocean.
If you call Lawe Nani i think they can tell you more. it is public land so no charge to use it.
Things there are SO many gorgeous spectacular sites in Hawaii. This is but one...and not that well-known

dusty56438 Sep 9th, 2005 10:47 PM

Wedding info:

http://www.alohafriendshawaii.com/en...dmarriage.html

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/

http://www.gohawaii.com/


Other Hawaii info:

www.spotlighthawaii.com

www.thisweek.com

www.hawaiiweb.com

www.mauihawaii.org


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:58 AM.