Hello everyone,
Hope you can help! My fiance and I are planning to get married Sept/Oct 2014. We haven't chosen a date because we are pretty flexible and trying to find the best price. Is it possible to do wedding (ceremony and reception) in Oahu for 5K-7K and 20-30 guests? We would like something on the beach or near the water. I would prefer something more private as I know Waikiki beach can get a little crowded. We are actually trying to book tickets to go within the next 3 weeks to check out places but I can't seem to find anything. Everything sends me back to Waikiki hotels. Does anyone have advice or has gotten married within that price range in Oahu? Would you recommend Oahu price and location wise or is something in Maui better? I currently live in NJ so its a little hard to plan from here. Also, we don't want to spend too much on wedding because we would like to have more for the 2 week honeymoon. Please Help!!!
Re: Oahu Venue Recommendations PLEASE!
I just got married in Oahu a month ago today! My ceremony was at the Ocean Crystal Chapel at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. The reception was at the Loulu Palms Estate out near North Shore.
If you are looking for somewhere beautiful, private, right on the beach, definitely check out Loulu Palms!! It was such a beautiful, peaceful place. We looked at a bunch of different private estates, and this one was the most secluded (has a gated entrance), furthest back from the road, and you can set your tent up far back from the house, closer to the beach, and you have a perfect view of the sun setting in the evening. The lady that runs this place is SO kind and sweet, and will really work to make you happy.
As far as price, for both venue locations we spent about $6k--had we had both the wedding and reception at Loulu Palms, we would've paid only about $3k, but we compromised because I wanted a chapel wedding and he wanted a private reception. I think you have the option of having the ceremony on the grass that overlooks the beach, or on the beach itself (though it might be small if you have a lot of guests).
The only thing about Loulu Palms is you literally have to rent everything for yourself, and they make you go through a rental company they partner with. The lady who works there (Pacific Party Rentals) is also very nice and easy to work with. Their prices weren't too bad at all. My husband insisted on a clear top tent which was way more expensive than the regular canvas tent, so you could save money by just having the regular one. So just keep in mind that using a private estate as opposed to a resort, you will need to figure out all the rentals yourself (they can help though), as opposed to the hotel providing everything. You will also have to book all other vendors yourself like caterers, cakes, flowers, etc, and a lot of them just won't deliver out to North Shore area. I had to specifically find vendors that were on that side of the Island.
Overall, I think it is the perfect location for a wedding/reception. Let me know if you have any questions about it or if you want me to give you the contact information for the woman who runs it.