Decisions Decisions!

jader9 · July 2011

Just got engaged, and I can't decide where to have the wedding. I know Hawaii forsure , but where in Hawaii? Oahu or Maui? I can't decide.

kimmykupcakes · July 2011

Maui!

motoLyn · July 2011

Each island has their own uniqueness, what are you aiming for? What is the feel of your wedding going to be? Congrats and welcome to the baord by the way.

lorena224 · July 2011

I loved Oahu. So much to do.

We decided to get married in Maui because we haven't been there, my family hasn't been there, and it's the only HI island his family hasn't visted. So it was going to be exciting for all of us to go somewhere new.

lorena224 · July 2011

Sorry, I forgot to say congrats on your engagement!!!

Everyone here is very friendly and you really can't go wrong with what island you pick.

Tanq&Tonic · July 2011

Congrats and welcome! This is an exciting time. Unsolicited piece of advice #1 -- take your time. There's no rush to make a decision or lock down a location. It's one of the most stressful parts of the process, but once you decide, the wedding itself can come together pretty quickly.

As for Maui v. Oahu -- both have their merits. I agree with MotoLyn -- what vibe are you going for? We can recommend venues on either island based on that.

Oahu has more direct flight options from the mainland, but Maui has caught up pretty well recently. Oahu has more options in terms of vendors & venuues, a wider range of acitvities and lodging options, etc. Honestly though, you cannot go wrong with either. We got married on Maui because it was where we went on our first vacation together. If you don't have a particular preference, just google weddings and popular venues on both islands until you find something that resonates.

NCSUWolfpack · July 2011

Maui!

FSForever · July 2011

Welcome and Congrats. I vote Maui, although we haven't been to either so I probably am not the one to ask. My Brother actually talked us into it, well not too hard to do, but glad we chose it now. Good luck.

SunshinyLees · July 2011

I totally understand what you're going through! Having only been to Oahu, deciding between Oahu and Maui for our destination wedding was the most difficult decison we have had to make so far!!

It really depends on what you want for your ceremony and reception. I think if you like the Oahu vibe and are cool with a hotel wedding or even a beach wedding folowed by a restaurant reception you can't go wrong. My vote would be for Lanikuonua if you wanted something private. We wanted our wedding to be private but in the end chose Olowalu Plantation House on Maui. From all our research , Maui is more of a relaxed island and that's the vibe we want for our wedding and for our guest's holidays. It doesn't hurt that every single person I talk to absolutely loves Maui so we're excited to visit somewhere we've never been that gets such rave reviews!

I did TONES of research so here is my list of pros and cons for each location:

Oahu:
Pros:
Cheaper flights from the mainland
More things to do activity wise
Great shopping
More affordable hotels than Maui
Cons:
Expensive wedding planners compared to Maui. The cheapest I could find was $2000 and I found mine on Maui for around half the price, and she came highly recommended.
Less options for a private wedding. Oahu really caters for the hotel wedding crowd. The best private location I found was Lanikuonua but its a 40 min drive from Waikiki. Costs to transport everyone there for the event will run you around $800.
Maui:
Pros:
Not as crowded as Oahu
More relaxed type island- no big city like Waikiki
Better options for a private wedding. ( Many private estates, Haiku mill etc)
More affordable wedding planners
More affordable to have a wedding at Olowalu vs Lanikuonua by a few thousand.
Cons:
More expensive flights
More expensive hotels
Less activities than Oahu

Hope this helps;)
Lees

jader9 · July 2011

Now I have heard rave reviews on Kauii. So now I am thinking anywhere in Hawaii. I really want to go somewhere that is beautiful lots of scenery, not to citylike. I want to get away from the city atmosphere, but somewhere where there is still things to do. I can't decide. I have never been to Hawaii before,but it has always been a dream of mine. Thanks for everyones help:) Oh and the feel of our wedding is kind of intimate,colorful, but should be a good party!

miltran · July 2011

Hey Jader9, congrats!! I'm also very new to the boards and planning but sounds like you have a similar idea to what we started out with. First off; totally agree with Tanq, take your time and google google google.

We also wanted intimate, colorful and good party:) So far it seems like Maui can offer all of the above but just a heads up...they have an outdoor curfew for noise of 10pm so if you are thinking outdoor reception with music you will have to end the party by 10. Mostly I don't think this would be an issue but we wanted the option of going later so we are having our reception indoors. Just something to think about if you are planning to be outdoors.

We went with Maui over Kauii as it seemed to be slightly less expensive. HTH, happy planning...it can be stressful but lots of FUN too:)

maui2011 · August 2011

I really heart Kauai but for a wedding...especially if this is everyone's first trip to Hawaii...i would recommend Maui. More vendors choices, easier to get to and more to do. Oh and congrats and welcome to the board. Which ever island you choose you cannot go wrong. HTH! J. :-)

jader9 · August 2011

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Thank you so much for your help! I decided on a date May 2, 2012 and we decided to go to Oahu! So excited1:)

Decisions Decisions!

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