Hawaii destination...

ldorvis

We are looking at Hawaii for our destination wedding. Our group is about 15-20 people. Any suggestions on affordable accomidations for our group and where to start?

jtoly

Congrats and welcome. First and foremost, have you decided on an island? I'm eloping to Oahu but there are few Maui brides on the board.

ldorvis

I havent decided where exactly just yet. Im hoping that we can be just a short ways away from the airport to simplify things as far as transportation once we arrive.  With that being said I have not a clue what that even entails, my hopes are to get an idea as to what others are doing and go from there

jtoly

Maybe check your local airlines to see what parts of Hawaii you can fly into. I know my airports here only fly to Honolulu and then you'd have to take a "hopper flight" (that's what I call it) to a different island. I'm getting married on Waikiki beach 15-20min from the airport) which is a really busy part of Oahu but there's lots to do there without having to rent a car. There are parts of the island that are quieter. I also know Maui is more laid back as well but other ladies might be able to tell you more about Maui.

rmontpas

Welcome and congratulations!
My H and I eloped to Hawaii in February.  We spent 2 weeks in Maui and 1 week on the Big Island.  We rented cars on both Islands and put a lot of miles on both as we like to our around and look at everything. 
One of the resorts we stayed at on Maui, the Westin, had a free shuttle though that would have made transportation once we were at the resort easier if we weren't wanting to tour the whole island and just to be able to go to town and the shopping and entertainment areas.
If I can help in any way send me a PM.

WinstonsGirl

We're doing our at the Outrigger Reef Hotel on the Voyager Deck.  It overlooks Waikiki beach.  All people coming are doing their own accomodations, based on what they could afford.  

a354663

I just went to a destination wedding on Maui last month.  It was SO beautiful!  The bride and groom were married in a simple ceremony on the beach in Wailea in the morning and then at night they had a dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse for all of their guests.  We stayed at the Royal Lahiana just north of Laina.  My fiance and I got a really great package deal for flight/hotel/car rental through AAA.  It was having the rental car becuase there are so many sights and places to explore on Maui.  I have never been to the other islands, but I know we would never have wanted to stay by the airport.  Both Wailea and Lahaina are on the other side of the island from the airport, but well worth the drive.
 

Erinkathleen84

I have been to Oahu and the big island. I love the North Shore of Oahu...so beautiful. The big island is breathtaking...and much more "deserted". We rented a car the whole time and explored both islands. Amazing place.

kimmykupcakes

I'm getting married on Maui in a little over 3 months. I love Maui and couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else. I'm not sure where to have everyone stay all togethr, but I directed our guests to look into renting through VRBO. Lots of cheap options there.

sld0618

I got married in Maui.  We did a wedding package with a wedding coordinator and then we just rented a house where mostly everyone stayed.  Super easy, very relaxing.  The coordinator had packages, and then I chose everything through her.  I had the whole thing planned within a couple weeks.  I would recommend first deciding which island you want.  Then look up coordinators.  It was very relaxing and everyone really enjoyed it.  We had 15 including us and it was perfect!

Aloha!

Erinkathleen84

I wrote a really long reply and now it is gone =( It was basically saying we rented villas in CR that is saving our guests A TON compared to hotels. And it keeps everyone together. We are doing our ceremony AND reception right on the beach. Bringing in a chef. It ends up costing us more but our guests a lot less.

Maybe try and find a property you can rent villas side by side. VRBO is a good place to start.

Tanq&Tonic

I would definitely start by choosing the island you prefer and going from there.  Oahu and Maui are the 2 most popular islands on this board and the Hawaii board, and both offer a range of accommodation prices ($100 up to hundreds), and both offer tons of fantastic coordinators and vendors to make your planning simpler.

As the previous posters mentioned, consider:
- Accessbility of flights from your location to each island
- The 'feel' you want from the island
- Whether you or your guests will pay for accommodations
- Your price limit for accomodations

To learn more about the different islands, there are lots of great resources online with plenty of opinions   For example:  http://www.frommers.com/community/forum.cfm/united-states/hawaii/thoughts-opinions-oahu-vs-maui

Come check us out the Hawaii forum too.  Many of us were overwhelmed when we started planning, but if you hang out on the Hawaii board a while you'll find your bearings very quickly!
http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_hawaii

ldorvis

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I will look into all of this. You've all been a great help!