no frills wedding Kapalua
 

We want a very basic ceremony on the beach at sunset, may consider some photography, will have with us four witnesses and our infant. Can we just hire a JP, or should we consider a "planner"? Will be in Maui the last week in April and are completely flexible. Has anyone done this? Any suggestions? Thanks.

We were married on Maui in 1991, at the Iao Needle. What you need is a JP who is willing to meet you at the location of your choice; not all of them will do it. We just went to the courthouse in Wailuku, which is the county seat, and located a judge who had no problems meeting us when and where we asked him to. He even brought his two assistants, who acted as our witnesses, and one of them took pictures during the ceremony with our camera!<BR><BR>Are you aware that you need to call and get the necessary forms (so that you can complete them ahead of time) and that the bride must have a rubella shot before the wedding? (At least, that's how it was in 1991.) They'll send you a form for that, too, and your doctor will sign it when he/she administers the shot.<BR><BR>Once you're on Maui, you must locate a "marriage broker," who is usually a woman working out of her home. The broker checks all of your paperwork to see that it's all in order and then, if I remember correctly, issues your marriage license so that you can proceed. She'll charge you a small fee for her services. I'm pretty sure we got a list of marriage brokers along with the rest of our paperwork before we left home; it's just a matter of calling until you find one who is available to help you when you need her to.<BR><BR>Best of luck to you--ours was a no-frills wedding, too, but it was magical and we'll never forget it!<BR>

Two years ago, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with an 8-night stay at the Sheraton Maui. The surprise I had up my sleeve the anniverary night was having our vows renewed right on the beach at Kapalua Bay. I spent months researching on the net various companies to do the renewal and selected the Rev. Charlie Hull of Dolphin Dream Weddings (www.dolphindreamweddings.com). I wanted the ceremony to be simple and not costly since the two main ingredients for this ceremony was the location and the surprise for my wife of doing this. Through my many contacts with wedding consultants, I found Charlie to be the most personable and deciding to go with him was an easy decision. The total cost was $195 for the renewal, $45 for a haku for my wife and $100 for Charlie's wife to shoot two rolls of film. After the ceremony (which included a rainbow!), we had a choice table at The Bay Club restaurant (a hundred feet away) at the Kapalua Bay Hotel where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Good luck with your plans...our experience was memorable!

There is no longer any requirement for a rubella shot in Hawaii, nor any blood tests or waiting period or residence/citizenship requirements. All you need is $50 for the marriage license, and you can take of that once you arrive (on the day of the wedding, if necessary). My wife and I used a planner for our no frills wedding on a beach on Kauai 3 years ago, which cost $195.

ttt

Warren....Where did you find a nofrills in Kauai? website?