Maui Wedding...I need help

trendychick05

My  F and I have decided that Maui is the place for us. Now where do I begin with finding the right people to help me. Are there any coordinators that I should stay away from? Is there such a thing as payment plans with anyone? I guess I just need a starting place. Help Help Help

Tanq&Tonic

Welcome to the board!  Can you share more about your vision for the wedding so we can provide more relevant suggestions?  Beach?  Resort?  Restaurant?  Approximate number of attendees?  Any specific area of Maui?

A really helpful resource for Maui brides is the Maui Planning Bio that one of the other knotties, Jackcody, has put together:

http://mauiweddingplanning.weebly.com/

trendychick05

We are thinking of a small simple beach wedding with less than 20 people attending. Im not sure after that. I guess we are still talking about if a reception would be nice or cocktails or even what time of day would be best. So new to all this.

Tanq&Tonic

That sounds great!  So a few things that come to mind:

Public beaches in Maui don't allow any standing structures, so this means no arches, chairs, chuppa's etc.  You should plan for your guests to stand during the ceremony, and maybe use flowers to mark out the 'altar' area.

There are a number of beaches in South Maui that are popular on this board -- Paipu Beach, Makena Cove, etc.

Another option could be to hold your wedding ceremony at one of the waterfront Restaurant venues, followed by a reception there.  Or, get married on the beach and go there for a meal after.  Gannon's, Five Palms, and Mama's Fish House have been popular here.

As for payments, it depends on your vendors, but work with your coordinator to make it happen.  For us, very little was paid upfront (just deposits) and the majority of money wasn't due until the week of, or day of.  At worst, you can save on your own.

FSForever

Congratulations and Welcome! 

tiggy5555

Congrats!!!

This board has helped me so much...you're in good hands. As for payments, my coordinator requires a deposit and the rest due 30 days before the wedding. She will handle all the contracts for me like with the minister, musician, cake, etc. As I add more things she will let me know the deposit amounts and I will pay her. 

As far as who you should get for a coordinator...it totally depends on how much you think you will need them and how well they match with your vision. Be aware that a lot of coordinators charge 20% for every vendor they book for you. It can add up fast. The other thing I learned was to stay way from the "cookie-cutter" coordinators who do the same thing and use the same vendors for every wedding. I personally like to think outside the box on certain things.

Another thing I have seen that frustrates brides are the coordinators that are on island time. You may have to wait weeks before getting replies and it can get to be annoying. The more popular coordinators struggle with this a lot as well because they book a lot of weddings.... Just read past reviews and call them all. See if they listen to your wedding ideas and make sure they don't pressure you into a contract right away. Go with your gut!  

I'm using Kara from Your Aloha Wedding and she is everything I could ask for and more. Check out my planning page and other brides as well. You will get a lot of usefull information from them. Good luck!!

maui2011

Congrats and welcome to the board! You found the right place for all things re: Maui weddings. J. :-)

sandylee83

We plan to have a small maui beach wedding (< 5 guests including us) on 5/8/2012.  Start emailing wedding planners for quote (as we pretty much know what we want) but no one reply after days of waiting...is it normal?  or they think we are too early to contact them??