I am trying to plan a simple "just the 2 of us wedding" on Kauai and wanted to be close to the airport so we could marry in the morning and take a helicopter tour following the small ceremony. I am really just looking for a beautiful setting with Palm Trees, Beach and Mountains in the background. For those of you have stayed here - is this a nice place to take photos of a wedding couple?

That afternoon we plan to spend the next 3-4 on the North Shore at Secret Beach Hideaways and have a special beach dinner set-up for us at the Princeville Resort. - If anyone has done this dinner - I'd love to hear how you liked it too.

No, It's on the Bay. Pick a better spot.

Wait, the grounds in the back are nice. Up on the cliff. Do you know which exact spot you will be married at?

Aloha Nancy, and best wishes on your impending nuptials! You couldn't have picked a better place in the world for your wedding ceremony, and I know you and your soon-to-be husband will find Kauai quite memorable and special as my husband and I have for the past 14 years! For my money, I would recommend Ke'e Beach, all the way at the end of the road in Haena State Park on the north end of the island. I am quite partial to this location, so much so that when my husband and I go to Kauai in 10 days for our 25th wedding anniversary, we will be renewing our vows right in that spot, where you have the stunning NaPali cliffs on one side, and secluded beach on the other. This is my favorite place on the entire island, but that's me...I'm sure you'll get many other opinions, but in any case, best of luck to you both and congratulations!

If you are thinking of a "beach" wedding- not the Marriott.

We got married on the Beach in front of the Princeville Resort, under a flowering Banyan tree, with Hanalei Bay and the Bali Hai mountain range behind us. It made for excellent photos. As many as three people a day get married at this site, though we were the only ones there in Feb. 2002. There is also a heliport near Princeville Resort. I can help you with a wedding coordinator if you are interested. ;-)

Yes, JohnD's suggestion is also a fine one - I can picture that setting, it would be lovely, and IMHO, much better than Kalapaki Bay, where the Marriott is situated.

Thank you for all of the quick responses. Do any of you know of this place? http://secretbeachkauai.com/intro.html

The photo on the front of this looks beautiful. With the palm trees and ocean in the back ground.

If I'm not mistaken, I think Secret Beach is in between Princeville and Haena on the north shore, but I'm not positive...

JohnD:

Yes, I would like to have suggestions about a wedding coordinator. Also did you pay a fee for the Princeville or Not? And what time of day so the water is blue? Morning? I am not interested in a sunset wedding.

The Helicopter is not recommended by the tour books so I want to take one out of Lihue which means after the wedding ceremony we would have to drive down there or take a limo - which could be expensive.

Margot55: Secret Beach is on the NorthEast shore near the lighthouse. It sure looks pretty. I don't want too many people looking on as we marry. Kauai Marriott has some beautiful garden pictures and the new magazine I got from Kauai Visitors Bureau has a wonderful photo on the front of Kalapaki. But want to get all of you that have been there's opinion. I like some of the far North beaches but they are too far to turn around and drive back to Lihue for a private heli-tour. So, I'm looking for something within a short drive from the airport there.

Hi Nancy, here is the website with photos of the Princeville location. http://www.hshawaii.com/vacplanner/k...ali/index.html
The coordinator was Marcia (phone# listed on above website), her email address is [email protected]. I do not recall paying a fee for the Princeville location, but Marcia handled everything well at a very reasonable rate, she even held our personal camcorder and videotaped the whole ceremony at no charge. She got us a photographer for about $100, who took excellent photo's and we managed to convince him to give us the negatives so we could enlarge and reprint the photos we liked back on the mainland.
We got married around 11 AM and the water looked very blue and so clear you could even see the occasional underwater lava rocks. Marcia also provided us with a wedding cake. I highly recommend her for a stress free wedding. Marcia also can let you choose from other wedding sites. Best Wishes! ;-)

You could get married at Fern Grotto in Kapaa, ~ 15 min. north of LIH. The Smith's, where the luau's are held, have beautiful grounds and many weddings a week are held there -- definitely need to reserve, probably pricey.

From what I recall, they say Captain Kirk (a.k.a. William Shatner) got married in the grotto. >-)

Some friends of ours arrange weddings with a romantic dinner on that beach past the Hyatt - not Poipu --- the other way. I forget the name. My husband didn't think it was cheap though. There's a hill, but it isn't lush. It's a pretty location though.

I think that beach past the Hyatt that you're referring to is Mahaulapu Beach (sp.?) - it is a nice beach, not lush, but very dramatic just the same, with the caves (where there are ancient petroglyphs on the walls inside) and cliffs. Not a bad spot...

My daughter and her husband got married two years ago on Shipwreck Beach next door to the Hyatt and had their pictures taken on the grounds of the Hyatt. The Hyatt has some of the most beautiful resort grounds and I have seen anywhere in the world.

We used Affordable Weddings of Hawaii out of Oahu and they were absolutely wonderful. They met us in Honolulu on our layover on the way over and finalized all the details. They were on Kauai right on time and performed a wonderful ceremony, provided the flowers, photos, videos, gave the bride a makeover and hair appointment at the Hyatt, the groom a massage at the Hyatt, a rental car for two days and a wonderful dinner at one of Kauai's best restaurants.

And they met us again in Honolulu on our layover on our way back to the states to give us the photographs and the video.

We could not have been happier with the whole thing!!

You could get married on the lush north shore and then take a helicopter ride out of the Princeville Airport.

Secret Beach is OK but it's a long, steep hike down and there is always to possibility of having naked company at your wedding.

I have seen many weddings at the Marriott. If you go to the far end of the beach (to the left if you are looking at the ocean) there is a beautiful lawn near the sand. Nice spot. There are also lots of great photo ops on the Marriott grounds.