Destination Wedding: Maui

Maui Destination Wedding

Looking for a warm, tropical location lush with palm trees and colorful flowers for your wedding venue?  Maui may be your ideal location.  Planning a wedding here may seem like a daunting task, but with careful preparation you can have the Hawaiian wedding of your dreams.

Step 1 – Visit the location
When planning a destination wedding, one of the first things you will want to do is visit the location.  Make a list of places that you want to see and vendors that you want to meet and make appointments with as many of them as possible.  This trip to Maui may be more work than vacation, but the fun part will be coming after the wedding.

Step 2 – Think of where to hold the ceremony
The first consideration on your list is probably the ceremony location.  Many Maui hotels offer wedding services.  If you book your ceremony at a hotel, you may also be able to have your reception there, and book a block of rooms for your guests.  This will solve three big decisions at one.  Often, these hotels are located on the ocean so you can have your ceremony on their private beach.

Maui Destination Wedding - Grand Wailea Hotel Resort and Spa

The Grand Wailea Hotel Resort and Spa offers a seaside chapel, gazebo, or beach wedding.  The resort also offers various options on their property for a reception and has caterers to provide everything from dinner to the cake.

Maui Destination Wedding - Aloha Cottage

For a more private setting, look into smaller wedding companies such as the Aloha Cottage. This beautiful and secluded location offers a variety of ceremony options as well as a location for your reception.  When deciding on a location, you should keep in mind that the beaches in Maui are public.  Therefore, a wedding on the beach will not be a very private event.  In peak seasons, there may be more than one wedding happening along the beach at once.

Step 3 – Determine if reception can be held in the same location
If your reception will not be held in the same venue as the ceremony, you will need to look into additional locations and caterers.  One easy option may be to hold the reception at a nearby restaurant.  Maui has a variety of locations to meet your needs.  Consider ahead of time what kind of meal you want to serve.  For a Maui destination wedding, you can easily go along with the Hawaiian theme and serve mahi mahi, roasted pig, or poi.

Step 4 – Choose the right wedding attire and accessories

Beach Destination Wedding Gowns

Once you have your locations booked, it’s time to get down to the details. Selecting your attire may be next on the list. When selecting your wedding gown, it’s important to keep location in mind.

Barefoot Sandals

If you are getting married on the beach, you will want a light and flowing material and although shoes are optional, wearing  barefoot sandals will add beach elegance to your wedding.  For other locations, you may opt for a more formal dress.  If you will be outside at all, keep in mind that the weather will probably be sunny and warm, so you won’t want long sleeves or very heavy material.  For a Hawaiian wedding such as this, the groom and groomsmen have several options.  While you can go with the traditional tuxes, you can also have them wear khakis and colored shirts, casual suites, or a number of other options.

Step 5 – Don’t forget the marriage license

Last but not least is your marriage license.  In the state of Hawaii, you must be present to obtain your marriage license.  It’s good to plan several days ahead for this to avoid any complications.  Contact officials in the state of Hawaii several months before your wedding to double check on their current laws and regulations regarding the marriage license as these may change.

Photo Credits: Maui Destination Wedding Photo from Maui Wedding Photos Gallery;  Left Wedding Gown from The Dessy Group ; Right wedding gown from Claire Pettibone; Barefoot Sandals from Bridal ‘N Beauty