Aloha and congratulations to all you soon-to-be-brides. I
relied on this board a lot during the planning process and wanted to make sure
to pay-it-forward.
Before I get started, here’s a little more about me and my
wedding plan of attack. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and my husband and I had
initially started planning a wedding in Arizona. But, it got to me. All the
little details, all the questions, all the planning. So, we decided to scrap it
all and get married on the beach. I am fortunate that my sister lives on Maui
and she was a huge help. Our wedding was small (33 people total), simple and
truly a perfect day! I hope this helps you in some small way.
We were married on Tuesday, November 26 in Kihei. Since it
was the week of Thanksgiving, our guests all flew out a few days beforehand to
soak up the sun and most stayed through the following Saturday to enjoy Maui. We
suggested that all our guests book condos in the area since they are
significantly cheaper than any of the resorts. We also had many guests with
small children (ages 10 to 18-months) and condos are a great way to go to save
money. Our guests booked at these three condos: Kihei Surfside, Haleakala
Shores and Kihei Shores.
CEREMONY VENUE: Keawakapu Beach - A+
We were married on Keawakapu Beach, a gorgeous beach at the
end of South Kihei Road. I didn’t want to go the traditional route and choose a
resort, so we just picked a beach. This location could not have worked out
better. I had my officiant pull the beach permit for us ($40.00) and my brother-in-law
made us an aisle using sea shells. The clear blue ocean set against the black
rocks and perfect sunset was really all the backdrop or decoration we needed. Chairs
are not allowed on the beach, and initially I was worried about how it would
look. But, our guests just encircled us during the ceremony and it felt like we
were the only ones in the whole world.
We had cocktail hour right there on the beach after the ceremony.
I did a check and made sure that alcohol was permitted on Keawakapu and it is (but
no glass). We brought huge buckets of ice water, beer and wine and had a great
time watching the sunset. We got all our alcohol from Costco.
RECEPTION VENUE: 5 Palms Restaurant - A
About 25 steps from Keawakapu Beach is the 5 Palms
Restaurant, attached to the Mana Kai Resort. Kathryn Freeman is the wedding
coordinator there and she is, without a doubt one of the most professional
people I’ve ever met. I would work with her again in a heartbeat. Everything
was executed flawlessly and she was truly amazing to work with. We brought over
the centerpieces a couple hours before, as well as the cake ($15.99 from
Safeway. It was amazing!) and the 5 Palms staff took care of set up. We chose
to do a three-course meal (salad, entrée, dessert) and an open bar. We had half
of the patio and the rest was open to other guests of the restaurant. Since we were next to the
bar, it was loud, especially during the toasts. It made it hard to hear what my
dad, sister and best men were saying. If I had to do it again, I would have
chosen to sit inside. The dining room inside isn’t private, but there never seemed to
be anyone in there. Everyone enjoyed their food and drank their faces off.
Almost everyone in our party seemed to really love the Macadamia Nut Colada.
http://5palmsrestaurant.com/about.html
MUSIC: Kawika Regidor – F-
I hired Kawika; he didn’t show up. I would recommend you not
book this clown. There are a ton of other musicians on Maui, anyone would be
better than him. I emailed him about four months out and he was really
enthusiastic and willing to play for two hours during the ceremony and then
after while we took photos and our guests had cocktails on the beach. Once I
got him on the phone, he seemed a little out of it, but sometimes that’s Maui
for you, so I went with it. Two weeks out I emailed him to solidify our plans
and make sure that he had everything he needed. He responded that we were good
to go for the date. The day before the wedding, I called and left a message and
text messaged him. No answer. The day of; no answer. He never showed. After the
ceremony and reception, I checked my phone and I did have a text message from
him. It was sent at 4:34 p.m. asking if we were still on for 4:00 p.m.
Seriously? Go with anyone else.
OFFICIANT: Rev. Dennis De Rego – B
I had initially wanted another officiant, but he wasn’t
available so we went with Rev. De Rego. Rev. De Rego was a true professional
and our guests loved the Hawaiian chant and the blowing of the conch shell. I
did ask if we could do a rehearsal the day before the wedding and he was a bit ambivalent
about it, telling me he’d need to check his schedule. When he did get back to
me, he told me it was going to be an additional charge. We just improvised and
had a rehearsal without him. It worked out fine the day of, but a couple of my
bridesmaids are event planners and could pull off just about anything.
We opted to create our own ceremony, cobbling a few together
from his website. He got my first name wrong the first time he said it, but
quickly corrected himself on the subsequent times. We did the lei exchange and
I really loved that part. Rev. De Rego also quickly sprung into action when he
learned that we’d been stood up by Kawika, the guitarist. He called a few of
his friends to see if they’d be willing to come and play, but none were
available on such short notice. So, he threw in a few extra chants and it
really made the ceremony.
http://www.mauihawaiiwedding.net/
REHEARSAL DINNER: Honalua Luau – Grand Wailea - A
Since we had such a small group, we decided to treat
everyone to a luau the night before the wedding. The Grand Wailea Resort has an
excellent luau and since we were all staying in and around the Kihei/Wailei area,
we could all walk there. We got a great group rate and everyone could sit
together at three tables all next to one another. It’s an open bar and all you
can eat/drink. Our guests loved the experience and it was really nice to get to
do it for everyone. NOTE: The luau lasts until about 8:30 p.m. and some of the
younger kids had a hard time sitting through the whole thing.
http://www.honuaula-luau.com/
MANI/PEDI: The Nail Shop - A
Prior to the wedding, my sister and I decided to get
manicures and pedicures. I randomly selected The Nail Shop in Kihei and we were
both so happy with the experience. The pedicure was one of the best I’ve ever
had, complete with a silky mud treatment. We both vowed to go back again next
time. The ladies were so much fun to talk to and kept us well supplied with
delicious pineapple wine the whole time. NOTE: If you’re looking to book a big
group, they only have four pedicure chairs.
www.thenailshopmaui.com
FLOWERS: Kula Farms - A
Since my sister lives in Maui and I wasn’t all that
particular about what flowers I had, we just visited a local roadside farm in
Kula and picked up protea the day before the wedding. I have to say they were
the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen. If you have a chance and don’t mind
being surprised, this is definitely economical and fun. We made all six
centerpieces, five bridesmaid bouquets, one bridal bouquet and three flower
crowns for the flower girls -- for less than $100. Protea last forever and we
ended up keeping the centerpieces and using them for Thanksgiving two days
later. They still looked freshly made.
http://kulacountryfarmsmaui.com/
LEIS: Mary Ann Bateman - B
Based on many of the reviews on this board, I went ahead and
ordered leis from MaryAnn Bateman of Ha'awina
Farms. She was really sweet and they turned out just like the
photos I sent her. I ordered seven maile leis and one maile lei with pikkake
for my husband. I also ordered two leis for our moms and one pikkake lei for
myself. The leis didn’t last long, even though we got them the day of. By the
end of the wedding ceremony they were pretty wilted.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ashley Camper – A++
Any advice that you hear about planning a wedding is to “pay
for a good photographer” and I whole-heartedly agree. I found Ashley though my
sister and she was a dream to work with. I only hired her for two hours, and it
was the perfect amount of time. Ashley brought a second-shooter, Jen and she
got some great shots. Ashley isn’t cheap, but she’s worth it. She made us look
beautiful and I can’t stop looking at the photos.
If I had to do it again, I would have hired a videographer.
I was so focused on being “in-the-moment” that I had no idea what I was saying.
It would have been nice to have something to watch afterwards. It really does
go by so so fast.
www.ashleycamperweddings.com
HAIR/MAKEUP: Chrissy Swink – A+
I found Chrissy through our photographer, Ashley Camper. I
was having a hard time finding someone to do hair and makeup that would a) call
me back and b) not cost an arm and a leg. I found both when I found Chrissy.
She did make up for me and all five of my bridesmaids and she did my hair. We
all looked like supermodels and our airbrush makeup lasted all day and all
night. Chrissy felt like “just one of the girls” from the second she arrived
and it was a blast having her with us during the day. She even did the makeup
for one of my flower girls just because. I felt beautiful and was so happy she
was there!
http://makeupmauiandhair.com/
DAY-AFTER CATERING: A+++
We had a brunch catered by a local chef the day after the
wedding and it was truly one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I found Chef Gwen
Helvie on facebook by accident and I’m so happy I did. Not only was she
reasonably priced, but the meal was amazing! Our guests are still talking about
her edamame hummus, her beet, apple, carrot, goat cheese salad, her butterfish …
! I could go on and on. Chef Gwen was so knowledgeable about food and Maui and
she definitely met the needs of all our discerning palates. By the end of the
night, she felt like part of the family.
Email: chefgwenhelvie@gmail.com
MISCELLANEOUS:
WELCOME BAGS: I ordered welcome bags from Snap Sac: http://www.snapsac.com/ and they worked out
so great. Everyone used them as beach bags and they were the perfect size for
carrying all your beach essentials. I also swung by Kmart when we got to the
island and picked up: Maui Onion Chips, Macadamia Nuts, Water, Sunscreen and
Candy for the bags. I grabbed the free maps from the airport and everyone loved
them.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions. Best wishes to all of you!