Newbie- do I need a wedding coordinator?

kim9937

Hi everyone,I am newly engaged and just starting in the planning process for my Hawaii destination wedding.  We are planning on getting married in Oahu next April.  The first thing I have been doing a lot of research on is wedding coordinators.  Seeing as how I live in FL I thought that that would be a necessity.  I am planning on a ceremony on the beach and a small (30-40) hotel reception.  So, to those of you with some more planning experience- do you think a full time coordinator is really necessary?  And any recommendations?Thanks!Kim

BoBride28

Welcome to the board and congrats on your engagement! If you plan on having a hotel reception, you probably don't need a coordinator since hotel's usually have an event coordinators that will help you with your wedding at no cost. As for the beach part, I think you need to obtain a permit to have a beach ceremony and also all beaches are public. I dont know too much more than that, so the other girls can chime in. Happy planning!

kaesha

I say no, but you might need them for a beach permit...Welcome to the boards!

AJAALEXANDRIA

Hi Kim! CONGRATULATIONS! A wedding in Hawaii is so exciting! As BoBride mentioned, most hotel's provide you with a coordinator that is incorporated into your cost, and they are usually very helpful. I actually am having a short beach ceremony, then heading up to the Sheraton Kauai's beach lawn (with 30-40 guests). Even though the Sheraton has been extremely helpful in the planning process, I did decide to get an additional planner because I didn't want to pay the extra wedding package amount that the Sheraton wanted to charge me. Now, the Sheraton is responsible for the reception part (even though they are working with my planner), and my wonderful planner is charging a small (and totally worth it) fee to help me with the simple beach site and the transition to my reception. I probably could have done the ceremony part on my own, but I feel more comfortable having eyes and ears on the island.. she def has my ideas and best interest in mind. Most planners will do as much or as little as you need, and they will charge accordingly.. so long story short, i think it's worth it if you're planning from the mainland for peace of mind

Samaralynn23

~E KOMO MAI or WELCOME!~ I don't think so either. I live here and I've done most of my planning using the internet and my cell. I'm really organized and detailed so that helped me out a lot. If your not like that see about maybe a friend who is who's apart of the wedding helping you with all the seaching and detailing. Here is a good website for the information on getting a beach permit http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/land/forms-1/forms from the department of land and natural resources. Good Luck

LilSwtAzyn

Welcome Kim!!! It is totally a personal decision. I decided to go with a day-of coordinator because I was having my ceremony and reception at two different places and wanted someone to coordinate everything that day and me not to worry with anything. Your wedding is small and if its on the beach you can't have any chairs or arches or decorations so I wouldn't think your wedding would be too difficult to coordinate yourself with the help of hotel staff/coordinator. If you decide on a private place like lanikuhonua or a private estate then I definately would have a coordinator. Someone who will be there to meet all the vendors (chair arch rentals, flowers, etc) and make sure things get set up appropriately. I did my planning from Oregon. I hired a "day-of coordinator" named KathE from Gayle weddings. Even though she was only day-of she helped me plan my whole wedding. Gave me recommendations and took over my whole wedding, contacting and paying vendors, and organizing the whole wedding day a week before the wedding. It was my sane of mind and made my day perfect. As for planning. You can totally do it yourself and the internet and the girls here are amazing!!!! Good luck! Don't be afraid to ask questions!

carrieoz_76

Welcome! Everyone on this board is really helpful - you'll love them. For a beach wedding on Maui - actually getting married on the sand - you do need a beach permit. Most of the WCs and some photographers are already set up to order you one really easily - just ask around. It's really not a big deal anymore. A beach wedding is public, as all beaches on HI are public, and you can't have stuff on the beach for the wedding (chairs, arches, etc. - although you can take a chair or two for an elderly or disabled person). We're going to hire a WC for our Maui beach wedding. I decided that it was important to me that I not be so stressed out with details that I wasn't able to have fun during our time there. And there are a lot of details still left to manage. The WC will handle flowers, officiant, beach permit, wedding license, photography, and maybe makeup and hair; I'll handle attire, reception details like location and any centerpieces, afterparty food and drinks, and trying to keep all my guests happy (!). You can hire a day-of coordinator who just helps you with the beach permit, wedding license, officiant, and anything related to your reception venue if you want. It's up to you. Just look around, and do what fits best with your style. Congratulations!

carrieoz_76

To be clear, a beach permit is needed for a beach wedding anywhere on HI, not just Maui. I'm Maui-focused b/c of our planning. Sorry!

REM2008

Aloha Kim!Congrats on your engagement & Welcome to the board!  I honestly think its a personal preference if you want to hire a WC.  I agree with the other ladies that if your having the wedding at a resort you don't need one.For us, we're from MA and getting married in Maui next March.  It's just the two of us so I'm hiring a WC to handle all the details.  I basically just want to show up and enjoy .Have fun planning!!!Ruth

kim9937

Thanks for all the input everyone!  I think I am planning on going with one just because I really want to keep down the stress levels for myself and my family.  I want them to be able to enjoy the day too!

destiny1108

getting a coordinator was the best decision I made!     We went with a full service package (ended up with 80 guests) but that was because our work schedules didn't really allow us time to research things on our own.  Not only was it a relief not to have to worry about anything, but there were so many things that we had not even thought about.    Dianna has all kinds of packages www.hawaiiweddingsandevents.comto choose from and has been used by alot of the ladies on the board.