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Beginner Hawaii Bride...

NicoleyadamNicoleyadam member
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in Hawaii
Ok so my wedding date is Aug. 22, 2013. I have a ways to go, so for now I am trying to pin down the best island to get married on. My original idea is to find a beach front vacation home with its own private beach to hold my ceremony and the home's backyard can host the reception. My ideal ceremony is to have our feet bare in the waves, my dress flowing with each wave. I want it just before sunset so that I get that beautiful back drop and dont need a arch or anything. I am not sure of how many guests I will have, again I just started planning.
I have never been to Hawaii before in my life, it has always been a dream of mine to go and vactation there. So as far as knowing what island hosts what, I am completely unaware. My fiance also has never been, we are trying to make our special day more like a special week, like a weddingmoon. lol.
So for island specifications, we dont really know what we want, other than a nice secluded beach, some touristy things to partake in and also somewhat of a party vibe for all my party family and friends. I have been doing some research and it looks like my choices are down to Maui or Oahu. I think I am more in love with the sceanary in Maui.
I also have found this wedding planning place that is doing a super special deal. Feel free to check it out and give me some feedback the website is shangrilaevents.com.
ANY and ALL ADVICE IS MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
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Re: Beginner Hawaii Bride...

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    breanessbreaness member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited January 2012
    All of the islands have their pluses. To me, Maui was the best option because it had everything we were looking for. The beach we got married on was absolutely beautiful and we did a ton of great stuff for our honeymoon. We did a helicopter tour, the driving tour on the road to Hana, snorkeling, driving up the volcano, zip lining, etc. all of my reviews are in my signature. You really can't go wrong with Hawaii at all, but Maui was perfect.
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    kaeshakaesha
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    Just remember that ALL beaches in Hawaii are public - there's no such thing  as a private beach. Some of them are much harder to get to via land, but you can theoretically have anyone pull up, say, in a kayak and park in the middle of your wedding. Wink

    Do you want to stay in your vacation rental as well as have the wedding there? If so, I'd recommend looking at Oahu over Maui. We tried arranging a family reunion under one roof for last year, and could only find places on Oahu that could sleep more than 8. (Oceanfront is always one of our must-haves too, and, of course, we were working with a budget). There were several spots on the Big Island too, but it doesn't have a hopping nightlife, IMHO.

    If you don't mind renting an estate for the wedding day and stay elsewhere, then Maui has got some great options: Olowalu (pebble beach, not sand) and Sugarman are two really popular ones here, but there are more than just those two.
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    jtolyjtoly member
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    I'm getting married on Oahu but Maui looks so great. I'm hoping we can go there for our anniversary. We picked Oahu because we are staying at the military hotel, FI is in the Navy, so we got a great deal on an oceanfront room. Waikiki, I heard, has a great night life. I didn't vote because I guess it really depends on what your looking for, but both seem like beautiful places. Good luck, can't wait to hear what you decide!
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    cass_k20cass_k20 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    we're going to kauai :)   i love the scenery and the beautiful, natural "old hawaii" look most of Kauai has.  There's a lot of fun stuff to do and will keep my family busy for the week. We're also looking to do the exact same thing... rent the house for a week and have the wedding on a (hopefully) quiet beach. Good luck!!
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While trying on a wedding dress, I asked my 3 year old niece what she thought. She responded "where are your glass slippers?"
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    destiny1108destiny1108 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    We did Oahu as most of our guests hadn't been to Hawaii before.  Nice website, but didnt see anything in their package about arranging beach permit so you may want to check on that.  Our WC arranged for ours, but it needed her Certificate of Insurance.
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    jodiejulybridejodiejulybride member
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    It does sound like Maui might be more what you are looking for.  Oahu is very touristy, there is a lot of night life and things to do, but because it's the Hub of the Hawaiian islands and 75% of the state population live on Oahu, sometimes it doesn't always live up to people expectations about what Hawaii is going to be like.  Maui might be a better fit for you.  It's beautiful, less populated, but still have lots to do during the day, and Lahaina and Kihei have a night life, not tons, but I'm sure you can find a bar or club open until 2am.  
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