Kualoa Ranch reception

soon to be chu

I've just started planning our wedding in Oahu for next yr and I'm thinking of having the reception at the kualoa ranch. I've heard a lot of positive reviews. I will have around 50 guests..will I need to rent a tent? Can anyone recommend rental companies for tables, chairs, etc? And I am also looking for good caterers..I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

mdjs

We were married at Kualoa Ranch in May.  We used Beaches and Backyards Catering and JMJ Rentals.  We were really happy with both (reviews are in my bio).  We really did not want a tent, so we didn't have one and it was totally fine.  However, it can rain a lot in that area, so you will need to have a back-up plan in case of rain.  I think it would depend a lot on which month you are getting married in.   With 50 people, you can use the pavillion space at the Kualoa locations as your backup, as long as you are ok with that.

The other thing that gets complicated without a tent is the lighting, but Kai from JMJ totally came through for us on that.

HTH.  Feel free to email me at mo_ecuador at yahoo if you have any other questions!

soon to be chu

I just checked your bio.. WOW! the venue looked amazing! I love the paper lanters..that's kind of what I envisioned for my wedding as well. You don't need a lot of flowers coz the venue is just beautiful! I read your reviews and I will definitely contact JMJ and Beaches and Backyards Catering.

I've only been to Hawaii once on vacation. So i have no idea how much weddings cost there. Would you be able to give me an idea of what my budget should be for 50 guests? I really appreciate it!

destiny1108

we looked at Kualoa Ranch when were visited for our wedding, but we ended up using it for our welcome reception  instead(Moili Gardens) which is big enough to cover 50 guests.

A.a.A.

I second JMJ rentals... we haven't had our wedding yet, but Kai has been amazing to work with!!

Kualoa is beautiful and you may or may not need a tent. Go for it!

mdjs

I think there is a lot of variation in budgets, so it is hard to say what it will cost for 50 ppl.  It really depends on how much you want to go crazy on things like linens, flowers, centerpieces, etc.  There are a million different things you can do for your wedding and it all adds up.  It just depends on your personal taste.

We had about 50 people and ended up spending around $22k on EVERYTHING, which included attire, invitations, gifts, favors, welcome bags, a BBQ, a brunch, transportation, hair and makeup etc.   I'm happy to give you a more specific idea of what I spent if you want to email me at mo_ecuador at yahoo. 

tlovep

To mdjs :

I've had to cancel my previous reception site and was thinking of using Kualoa Ranch. Your reception dinner looks fabulous! Was everything pretty much done through various vendors por just one? (As far a caterer, table rentals, dj, etc)

I would greatly appreciate any add'l info. I'll email you with more questions! 

Thanks so much!

mdjs

tlovep:  we used different vendors for everything.  There is a list of our vendors in my bio, along with reviews of everyone we used.  Feel free to email me with more questions!  HTH!