klalaw

Hi all - I'm new to this board, but hoping that some of the more seasoned members can help me sift through all the information that's out there as I try to plan my wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii. My fiance and I have just tentatively set a date for April 10, 2005, and are currently focusing on the islands of Maui and Kauai. We're having a very small wedding, with just a handfull of close family members in attendance, and are looking for something scenic, obviouisly, and at least semi-private. We're not as interested in having the wedding on the beach, but would prefer a location with lots of flowers, water, and mountains - perhaps a waterfall setting? We'll need accommodations close by for family, including my 84-year old grandmother, but also want to be able to escape and have privacy after the wedding - we're not looking for a family honeymoon! Hanalai Beach seems to get good reviews for the scenery, but I'm troubled by what some seem to suggest is the relative lack of things to do there or on Kauai in general, compared to other islands... How far is it from one end of the island to the other, and how easy is it to get around? What about traveling to other islands - is it possible to do a "day trip," or is too much travel involved (obviously geography is not my strong point - I don't have a good sense of how close the islands are to each other). Is it feasible to have the wedding on one island, and then honeymoon on one or two others? Any suggestions for wedding locations, options for a very small post-wedding dinner or reception (luau?), and places to stay (mid-range - we want someplace nice, but don't want to blow the whole budget on lodging) would be much appreciated!! I'll be hitting the bookstore this weekend for guides, but nothing beats first-hand experience - Thanks!

here_today_gone2Maui

I found this place a while back and wish I had knoen about it when I go married. http://www.pualea.com I visited there a few months ago and it was fabulous, with the flowers all in bloom and grown over the old mill. No waterfall though.

The Keali`i Botanical Gardens is another great spot on Maui and there is a waterfall. I was at a wedding there this past summer. Are you looking for a coordinator? Ellen at asimplyelegantwedding.com did a fabulous job for our friends, booking the location and handling the incidentals asllowing the bride to actually enjoy her bog day.

You should get a copy of Pacific Rim Weddings. Lots ofd info and locations in there as well. www.pacificweddings.com

Much aloha!

myst

I have my wedding planned for March 2005 at Seawatch on Maui in Wailea. Not too expensive and looks very scenic for my group (35 people). Check the knot.com for more info on the topic. Also got good priceline rates for Maui Prince Resort. Check biddingfortravel.com for good rate advice board on hotel and airlines

turn_it_on

Wanna know what we did on Kauai? Not nearly enough, there were so many more things we wanted to do but didn't have time for! I wrote about it here: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34508517

Kauai is so freakin' beautiful, especially the verdant, waterfall streaked north shore. Once you are struck dumb by the heart-wrenching beauty of the north shore (which presents itself to you merely by driving down the highway), you will forget about all activity and just want to devote the day to admiring the emerald mountain spires! (One of the things I enjoyed the most on Kauai was floating on a board in the turquoise water at Tunnels beach, alternating my gaze between the palm tree-covered sandy point jutting out to the left and the immense craggy green spires streaked in waterfalls to the right!)

There is just as much to do on Kauai as there is to do on the other islands (having been to Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island in the past two years)...they all have great hiking and awesome snorkeling/diving, they all have gorgeous beaches of all kinds, horseback riding, helicoptering, kayaking, boat trips, and all manner of guided activities. Or, you could kick back and do nothing at all. Please don't let anyone tell you there's less to do on Kauai than the other islands...nightlife IS a bit lacking though everywhere but Waikiki and maybe Lahaina Maui, but there are definitely some fun places to be found...but it's not a problem if you wear yourself out hiking and snorkeling all day!

Traveling by car around the islands is very easy, the highways are well paved and easy to navigate. Generally it will take you at least two hours to get from one side of Maui/Kauai/BI to the other.

It's pretty easy to take an interisland flight to visit another island, and they're not too expensive. Maybe let us know what kinds of activities you're looking for and we can help direct you toward the best places to visit for you.

I also have very detailed trip reports on Maui at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34436140 and the Big Island at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34542623.

love
roxy

Kal

roxy,
"Freakin' beautiful".

Yet no nightlife.....

Nancy03

klalaw: Congratulations. oh what fun I had planning my wedding in Hawaii last Sept. Here is the link to my report which includes a link to our wedding pictures so you can see the area where we got married. Totally private and absolutely beautiful. This place is 15 minutes (and beautiful drive) from Princeville for others too stay also. I also used a wedding consultant who was my photographer and she was so helpful and wonderful. If you have any specific questions send me an email at [email protected]

Happy Planning!!!!

amwosu

I spent a week in Kauai last June and enjoyed it. It can be pretty rugged in comparison to some of the other islands. If it were just you and your husband looking for adventure I'd say Kauii would be a good choice. But for a wedding party I would go to Maui instead.

Kauai has small rocky beaches and you have to hike down to a number of them on the north shore. It is dangerous to get in the water in alot of places due to serious riptides that can and DO kill. Wet, red, very slippery clay on the trails that go up and down are easy to slip on. We ended up throwing away the shoes, bathing suits, and clothes we wore while hiking to a beach as the clay wouldn't come out no matter what I tried. I had a blast on a zipline tour in Kauai and loved the cruise along the Napali Coast but at least a quarter of the people on our catamaran got sea sick.

amwosu

Also, the North shore is very wet. It is more likely to be rainy and grey there than on the south side or on some of the other islands.

kamahinaohoku

Nancy03 - the link?

turn_it_on

Kauai has small rocky beaches?? Kauai has a multitude of gorgeous sandy beaches, and there are many on the north shore that don't require a hike at all, including Anini, Hanalei Bay, Ke'e, and Haena/Tunnels, the latter two being an absolute dream. The rest of the island is equally blessed with a string of lovely beaches, the leeward coast has sixteen miles of uninterupted golden sand, which includes the vastness of Polihale, to say nothing of the frolicking to be had on Poipu beach in the south. Yes, there are some beaches that are a hike, but the beauty and seclusion of those are hard to beat and sometimes have fantastic snorkeling, such as Hideaways/Pali Ke Kua in Princeville.

You have to be careful of the ocean anywhere, and yes, the north shore of every Hawaiian island can be rougher and subject to currents and rip tides, you need to judge for yourself and be careful. Many people enjoy Kauai's north shore beaches every year with no problems, especialy as April is moving away from winter toward the calmer waters of summer. You wouldn't go in the water on Maui if it looked rough just because it's Maui and not the north shore of Kauai, would you?

You need to bring junky clothes for hiking in Kauai's red clay because yes, it does stain and yes it can get slippery and needs to be respected as such. But the contrast of the red with all the greenery is stunning. I've also read that the reason Kauai photographs so beautifully is because the red dust creates a nature red filter for film, making the greens really pop.

I'd say the beauty of Na Pali almost outweighs the possibility of getting sick. But we went in a kayak and I've never seen anyone get sick in one, although they say it happens. Take some dramamine the night before and the morning of and go, it's a coastline you'll never forget.

A lot of the rain on the north shore tends to fall at night, as we discovered. We had a few rainy mornings but mostly gorgeous sunshine the first week in June. Anything can happen though, but it's the rain that makes the place so glorious! And on Kauai you can drive away from the rain too; go to the east or south shore. Last year we spent a week on Maui in July where the sun never peeked out from behind the overcast haze, so whaddya gonna do?

You will never forget the beauty of the north shore of Kauai, and I can't think of a better place in the islands to create wedding memories.

freakin' beautiful,
roxy

Nancy03

Oops.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...n_name=Nancy03

My Photos are here:

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=r9z6gee...&x=0&y=-cx2qrt

Nancy03

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...n_name=Nancy03

I think this works better.