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Getting Married in Kauai or Maui? Don't know where to begin...

mariarummariarum
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in Hawaii
Hi ladies,

We want to get married in Hawaii on 11.11.11. We have a travel agent who's putting everything together, but as a worried bride, I want everything to be somewhat perfect...
We are leaning more towards Kauai, but don't know what beach to have our wedding on. We will have our family with us, so 9 people all together. I've seen a lot of beautiful beaches in Oahu, but Oahu is too expensive. 
Any ideas which beach to have our wedding on? keep in mind, this is in November, and it tends to rains in some parts of Kauai. 
It would also be really nice if you could recommend where to go for our reception. We just want to go to a nice restaurant with hula dancers, a dance floor, good food, (vegetarian and not).

Thanks so much,

Hopefully after reading your reponses, I'll be a little more calm. :)

Maria
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Re: Getting Married in Kauai or Maui? Don't know where to begin...

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    Tanq&TonicTanq&Tonic
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    WELCOME!!

    Unfortunately, I don't have much to offer by way of Kauai, but there are others with experience here.  Also, if you are still considering Maui, a good place to start is Jackcody's Maui Planning page:

    http://mauiweddingplanning.weebly.com/

    Don't worry at all, though.  5 months is plenty of time to plan a wedding on any of the islands, and we'll all help you through it here :)

    Finally...not sure I understand how Kauai would be less expensive than Oahu.  Can you elaborate?
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    sparklegirl84sparklegirl84
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    edited December 2011
    I'm with Tanq- what's more expensive in oahu? We wanted kauai for our wedding initially but chose oahu because it's cheaper for our guests to fly there and there's a lot of competition among vendors so prices aren't outrageous. (Doesn't sound like you'll need to hire many vendors though).

    Secret beach on the north shore was really private and beautiful but you have to hike a way to get there. Kee Beach is beautiful (my little icon was taken there) but it's popular and the parking lot fills up early. You're probably better off marrying on the south shore since it'll be november, we saw a wedding on shipwreck beach in front of the hyatt that was pretty. If you head all the way west to Polihale beach I heard it's big and beautiful and much warmer/drier over there. We didn't venture that far west because the travel book said it's a dirt road and that some rental cars can't go there?

    HTH! GL!
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    mariarummariarum
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you all for your advice!
    We compared trip+hotel prices and the trip in Kauai came out ot be cheaper than Oahu.

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    mariarummariarum
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Sparklegirl, Kee beach is PERFECT! but isn't it rainy during November?
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    sparklegirl84sparklegirl84
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    It could be, we went in june & there wasnt a drop the whole trip! Myboss went this march & got rain the whole trip. Poipu or shipwreck could be good though since theyre both easy to access & on the south shore.
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    fabutanfabutan member
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    edited December 2011
    Welcome to the board!!  I agree with everyone about preference for south shore, like the Poipu area.  That area will have better chances of staying dry.  

    It tends to rain A LOT on Kauai...which is why it's so green!  We were there last month and it rained the entire time in Princeville and the North Shore.  In other areas, it was on and off, but very unpredictable.  We love Kauai and it's so beautiful!  But we both agreed that it rained too much to have our wedding there.

    BTW - like others, I'm also wondering how a wedding in Kauai would be cheaper than on Oahu?  Vendors are more abundant and cheaper on Oahu (due to competition).  It's a travel hub, so there are more direct flights and very convenient.  If cost was the priority, we would've chosen Oahu hands-down.  

    Also, keep in mind that popular dates such as 11.11.11 are popular and get booked FAST!  Some vendors "might" also charge more due to demand.  Best to act quick.  =)  Hope this helps!!

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    mariarummariarum
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hi ladies,
    Thank you so much!!!!
    I have great news :)
    My travelagent is booking the Sheraton for us on Poipu Beach. For 9 people 7 days for us, 5 days for our family. Our room will be the Ocean view, and family will be garden view, all for $7k!
    As insane as it sounds, we've went back and forth and Kauai is cheaper than any other island! I don't know how, but it is. Its absolutely beautiful. 
    I feel releaved now.. a little...
    She's looking into event planners now. I just found out that we cannot have chairs or an arch on the sand in Hawaii... do you ladies know anything about this? 
    Which beach will allow us to do this? I don't want to have our ceremony on grass Cry
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    maui2011maui2011 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Sorry i know you are very happy right now and i do not want to burst your bubble but did you do any research on this hotel...there may be a reason why it is cheaper than some other hotels?

    All beaches in Maui are public thus you are not allowed to have chairs or any structures in the sand...sorry. J. :-(
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    fabutanfabutan member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Glad to hear your plans are moving along!  It must feel great.  :)

    Just to add on maui2011's comment, I know the Sheraton is undergoing lots of renovations right now, but I'm sure it'll be done by your wedding next year.  I've heard a mixture of good and bad reviews for it.  They're undergoing massive renovations, so who knows what it'll be like next year....for the better, I'd assume!  :)

    No structures in the sand, but you might want to consider a circle of flowers instead (which the bride and groom stand in for exchanging their vows).  Seen quite a few photos and it looks so beautiful and intimate...
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    ktabinktabin
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Ditto to maui2011 and fabutan - There seems to have been issues due to the renovations at the Sheraton, but I think they are supposed to wrap up this summer sometime. 
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    mariarummariarum
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I looked into this hotel and have done A LOT of research in one day, of course more to follow, but for now its great. They will be done with the renovation by Oct 2011, so I don't have to worry about a thing. They're not touching the Ocean or the green lawn. It is on Poipu Beach in Kauai, and from what I am hearing its one of the best beaches in HI. 
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    mariarummariarum
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I forgot to mention that my travel agent is my friend. She gives me advice as a friend, and books me as a client with discounts ;)
    If you guys want, I can give you her number and she can help you out as well :)
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    CasSwanCasSwan member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Oh man,

    Kauai is beautiful. I love the North Shore of Kauai. It's one of my favorite islands. I would book the date quickly, esp since it's this year's most popular date.
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    stevelastevela member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Maui is the place to go....there are more options than on any other island for beach weddings on the lawns, South and West Maui, some secluded (Makena area) and very private others on the lawns from the great Hotels (for example The Westin, right at the beach though on grass). Go with the Wedding coordinators of the hotels or from the Maui Wedding Association. They are all very helpful
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