A clueless noob in need of help!

[mich3l3]

Hi Nicole,

 

Thanks for the reply to my post. =)

 

All of the pictures I've seen of Makena Cove look lovely! What are your thoughts on Kapalua Bay vs. Makena Cove?

 

I guess where I'm at right now is really figuring out how many guests we're going to have. My fiance and I plan to talk with our closest friends soon to get a better idea of our count.

 

I'm thinking if it is less than 10, we'll have a beach wedding at either Makena Cove or Kapalua Bay and if it is over 10, I'm thinking Seawatch.

 

What company do you work for?

[Nicole119]

Hi!

 

If I had to choose between the two I would go with Makena Cove for sure. I just love the feeling there, it's small and intimate and perfect for a small wedding. I had 30 guests at my wedding and it was fine! It is a cove so it's secluded, Kapalua Bay is pretty too but it's a large bay and of course there are always beachgoers there. Everyone is respectful of the weddings going on though. Makena Cove never has sunbathers there so you don't have to worry about that.

 

I work for a wedding photographer so since my wedding I have been to TONS of weddings, all over the island. I have seen pretty much every location there is to get married at here!!

 

Let me know if I can help with anything else!!

[mich3l3]

Thanks Nicole - you've been a great help! I'm thinking it'll be either Makena Cove or Seawatch ...just need to get a guest count.

 

Also, what WC did you use?

[Nicole119]

You are welcome!

 

Unfortunately, I would not recommend my wedding planner, she's the one that suggested the photographer that I used and I was extremely disappointed!!! Let me know who you're thinking of using though and I can tell you what I think. I've worked with a lot of good ones (wedding coordinators)! If you want to email me off of the board I can send you some links of wedding photos from the Seawatch AND Makena Cove. I don't think I can post them here though. Let me know!

[TA Dina]

One thing to remember too, is that a WC might not always be necessary.

 

I spent some time with Janet at Seawatch last week and she really can handle EVERY aspect of your wedding from start to finish. So no extra person needed unless you really really require it.

 

Both are beautiful locations. Just remember to keep your guests down in that area. Don't choose a hotel up near Lahaina/Kaanapali. Stick to hotels in the southern part of the island.

[mich3l3]

Hi Nicole,

 

You're so nice! Thank you for the willingness to send me pics of Makena Cove & Seawatch!! I can't tell you enough how happy I am that I found this site ...and you!!

 

My email is michele.oliver@gmail.com

 

Regarding accommodations, I've been thinking about rentals instead of a hotel - seems like it would save some $$. To feed my curiousity, why do you suggest the southern part of the island? Is it less touristy?

 

Thanks again!!

[dcnetworks]

Mich:

 

If you are planning your wedding in Maui...it really depends on your overall budget. Next, if your wedding is small...you really do not need to hire a WC because you can pretty much plan/do everything online.

 

Don't worry about the weather in Maui...it is REALLY beautiful. We just came back! Trust me...you guys will love it. Just be sure to get to Maui a couple of days ahead of time so you will know where things are located etc. *Remember, you need to give yourself time to pick up your marriage license ($65 fee) before the wedding day and run short errands etc. JJ Preston (our photographer/coordinator/among many other things assisted us with that).

 

BTW...we just celebrated our wedding in Maui on Tues, Oct 14, 2008. I just wanted to drop by this awesome site and give our feedback.

 

We had a beach wedding in front at the Mana Kai Resort. We had a total of 14 guests. After the beach ceremony, we hosted a lunch reception at the Five Palms Grill. The staff at the Five Palms was awesome. They gave us their entire indoor rest. to use during lunch. The Five Palms Grill (located at the Mana Kai Resort) which is located right off the beach. Beautiful if you want a beach ceremony then walk to a reception instead of driving.

 

It was so simple for all of us because we stayed at the Mana Kai Resort the night before our wedding. Some of our guests also stayed at the Maui Hill Resort (2 bedroom suite - across the street from the Mana Kai Resort) while some other guests stayed in the Kapalua area (45 mins drive away from Keihi)

 

Our hair/makeup artist came 5:30 AM to get all the girls ready. The wedding ceremony was at 10:30 AM and the lunch reception was at 11:30 AM. Overall, everything went really smoothly. *Because we had to get ready so early - I told my hubby to get us breakfast in the morning. (Starbucks & McDonalds 5 mins North of the Mana Kai Resort).

 

Five Palms, Kihei - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

Mana Kai Maui (Kihei, Maui) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

ResortQuest Maui Hill (Kihei, Maui) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

Makeup/Hair - Karli Benedict (SHE WAS AWESOME) She took care of everything. She was worth the $$ because she provided me a FREE consultation at her salon in Keihi before the wedding. We discussed what I wanted and she made some awesome suggestions. Loved it!

 

Live dual violin/guiter - Cambria Moss *(They played 2 hrs at our lunch reception and everybody loved their music). It was so good to hear some live music at our wedding reception. We really wanted it.

 

Photo/Ceremony - JJ Preston and her husband Micheal. They are very nice people and their prices are quite reasonable. We are still waiting to see JJ's photos but Micheal did a beautiful ceremony. Check out the following site for vendor links *(The site is hosted and owned by JJ Preston)

The site has very good Maui wedding resources: Maui Wedding Network: Hawaii Weddings Maui Directory, Wedding Planner Ceremony Resource, Hawaiian Dream Maui Weddings

 

Florist: Believe it or not - there is a Safeway (HUGE) Super Market in Keihi. Call ahead and you can pre-order your leis and then pick them up in the morning (7:30 AM). Yeah...the Safeway price is like 1/2 of what most florists charge and they are FRESH. I know it sounds weird getting leis and wedding flowers from a supermarket but they have the BEST $$. We were actually referred to Safeway by our bouquet florist in Kapalua. We used Sunya's Flowers 808-669-8570. She was a referral from a friend and she did an amazing job! My bouquet was so beautiful and Sunya's price was so reasonable. You just need to figure a way to pick it up from her in Kapalua.

 

Other Cool Advice:

- If you are planning to have a morning beach ceremony, it might be a good idea to get a few sun umbrellas for your guests. It can get quite hot on the beach during the ceremony. Those umbrellas also looked great on the beach. Paper Umbrella Section: Large selection of Chinese Japanese Umbrellas and Parasols, Paper Lantern

 

- We get some inexpensive carnations from Safeway and created a flower circle for the wedding ceremony. We spread freeze-dried rose petals (flower circle) on the beach *(be sure to ask a friend to pick them up afterward). Silk Rose Petals & Freeze Dried Rose Petals - Petal Garden

 

- Given the extra cost for 2nd baggage airport - we basically packed and shipped almost everything ahead of time to the Maui Hill Resort. When we arrived, everything was in our room. It really worked out well for us.

 

- Aside from the lunch reception - we hosted a luau at the Feast at Lele.

FEAST AT LELE|OFFICIAL WEBSITE|MAUI'S FINE DINING POLYNESIAN DINNER SHOW *Call ahead ask for a group discount.

 

Feast At Lele - Lahaina - Reviews of Feast At Lele - TripAdvisor

 

- We also chartered an entire helicopter 2 days after the wedding (It was simple because 6 of us wanted to do the copter tour anyway) We called ahead and Blue Hawaiian gave us a 20% discount. Normally it is only 15%. Make sure you select the ECO-Star copter. It cost a little more but it is worth it.

 

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Kahului - Reviews of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - TripAdvisor

 

- Wedding locations: Maui Wedding Locations - Maui Beach Weddings, Maui Waterfalls, Maui Weddings, Maui Churches

 

Here are some real good links with excellent Maui Info as well:

Maui Vacations - Jon's Maui Info

Maui Driving Maps

 

Maui Drive Map - Maui Driving Map - Maui Map

 

BEST BREAKFAST IN MAUI:

(GAZEBO REST IN NAPILI)

Gazebo Restaurant at Napili Shores, Lahaina - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

BEST LUNCH AND VIEW IN MAUI:

(PLANTATION HOUSE)

Plantation House Restaurant, Lahaina - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

One last advice:

DO NOT PURCHASE BOTTLED WATER AT WALMART. It is really not necessary to get your things at Costco because Safeway and Foodland are pretty reasonable. GET YOUR WATER AT SAFEWAY or FOODLAND. *$5 for a case of water. Get the discount card at the service desk.

 

Good luck.

[dcnetworks]

Mich:

 

If you are planning your wedding in Maui...it really depends on your overall budget. Next, if your wedding is small...you really do not need to hire a WC because you can pretty much plan/do everything online.

 

Don't worry about the weather in Maui...it is REALLY beautiful. We just came back! Trust me...you guys will love it. Just be sure to get to Maui a couple of days ahead of time so you will know where things are located etc. *Remember, you need to give yourself time to pick up your marriage license ($65 fee) before the wedding day and run short errands etc. JJ Preston (our photographer/coordinator/among many other things assisted us with that).

 

BTW...we just celebrated our wedding in Maui on Tues, Oct 14, 2008. I just wanted to drop by this awesome site and give our feedback.

 

We had a beach wedding in front at the Mana Kai Resort. We had a total of 14 guests. After the beach ceremony, we hosted a lunch reception at the Five Palms Grill. The staff at the Five Palms was awesome. They gave us their entire indoor rest. to use during lunch. The Five Palms Grill (located at the Mana Kai Resort) which is located right off the beach. Beautiful if you want a beach ceremony then walk to a reception instead of driving.

 

It was so simple for all of us because we stayed at the Mana Kai Resort the night before our wedding. Some of our guests also stayed at the Maui Hill Resort (2 bedroom suite - across the street from the Mana Kai Resort) while some other guests stayed in the Kapalua area (45 mins drive away from Keihi)

 

Our hair/makeup artist came 5:30 AM to get all the girls ready. The wedding ceremony was at 10:30 AM and the lunch reception was at 11:30 AM. Overall, everything went really smoothly. *Because we had to get ready so early - I told my hubby to get us breakfast in the morning. (Starbucks & McDonalds 5 mins North of the Mana Kai Resort).

 

Five Palms, Kihei - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

Mana Kai Maui (Kihei, Maui) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

ResortQuest Maui Hill (Kihei, Maui) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

Makeup/Hair - Karli Benedict (SHE WAS AWESOME) She took care of everything. She was worth the $$ because she provided me a FREE consultation at her salon in Keihi before the wedding. We discussed what I wanted and she made some awesome suggestions. Loved it!

 

Live dual violin/guiter - Cambria Moss *(They played 2 hrs at our lunch reception and everybody loved their music). It was so good to hear some live music at our wedding reception. We really wanted it.

 

Photo/Ceremony - JJ Preston and her husband Micheal. They are very nice people and their prices are quite reasonable. We are still waiting to see JJ's photos but Micheal did a beautiful ceremony. Check out the following site for vendor links *(The site is hosted and owned by JJ Preston)

The site has very good Maui wedding resources: Maui Wedding Network: Hawaii Weddings Maui Directory, Wedding Planner Ceremony Resource, Hawaiian Dream Maui Weddings

 

Florist: Believe it or not - there is a Safeway (HUGE) Super Market in Keihi. Call ahead and you can pre-order your leis and then pick them up in the morning (7:30 AM). Yeah...the Safeway price is like 1/2 of what most florists charge and they are FRESH. I know it sounds weird getting leis and wedding flowers from a supermarket but they have the BEST $$. We were actually referred to Safeway by our bouquet florist in Kapalua. We used Sunya's Flowers 808-669-8570. She was a referral from a friend and she did an amazing job! My bouquet was so beautiful and Sunya's price was so reasonable. You just need to figure a way to pick it up from her in Kapalua.

 

Other Cool Advice:

- If you are planning to have a morning beach ceremony, it might be a good idea to get a few sun umbrellas for your guests. It can get quite hot on the beach during the ceremony. Those umbrellas also looked great on the beach. Paper Umbrella Section: Large selection of Chinese Japanese Umbrellas and Parasols, Paper Lantern

 

- We get some inexpensive carnations from Safeway and created a flower circle for the wedding ceremony. We spread freeze-dried rose petals (flower circle) on the beach *(be sure to ask a friend to pick them up afterward). Silk Rose Petals & Freeze Dried Rose Petals - Petal Garden

 

- Given the extra cost for 2nd baggage airport - we basically packed and shipped almost everything ahead of time to the Maui Hill Resort. When we arrived, everything was in our room. It really worked out well for us.

 

- Aside from the lunch reception - we hosted a luau at the Feast at Lele.

FEAST AT LELE|OFFICIAL WEBSITE|MAUI'S FINE DINING POLYNESIAN DINNER SHOW *Call ahead ask for a group discount.

 

Feast At Lele - Lahaina - Reviews of Feast At Lele - TripAdvisor

 

- We also chartered an entire helicopter 2 days after the wedding (It was simple because 6 of us wanted to do the copter tour anyway) We called ahead and Blue Hawaiian gave us a 20% discount. Normally it is only 15%. Make sure you select the ECO-Star copter. It cost a little more but it is worth it.

 

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Kahului - Reviews of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - TripAdvisor

 

- Wedding locations: Maui Wedding Locations - Maui Beach Weddings, Maui Waterfalls, Maui Weddings, Maui Churches

 

Here are some real good links with excellent Maui Info as well:

Maui Vacations - Jon's Maui Info

Maui Driving Maps

 

Maui Drive Map - Maui Driving Map - Maui Map

 

BEST BREAKFAST IN MAUI:

(GAZEBO REST IN NAPILI)

Gazebo Restaurant at Napili Shores, Lahaina - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

BEST LUNCH AND VIEW IN MAUI:

(PLANTATION HOUSE)

Plantation House Restaurant, Lahaina - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

One last advice:

DO NOT PURCHASE BOTTLED WATER AT WALMART. It is really not necessary to get your things at Costco because Safeway and Foodland are pretty reasonable. GET YOUR WATER AT SAFEWAY or FOODLAND. *$5 for a case of water. Get the discount card at the service desk.

 

Good luck.

[mich3l3]

dcnetworks,

 

Let me start by saying congratulations on your wedding! It sounds like everything came together perfectly. =) You'll definitely have to share your pictures once you receive them.

 

Thank you so much for the in-depth posting with all of the great links - I've already saved them as favorites on my computer.

 

You're not the first to mention that I may not need a WC if my wedding is small ...definitely a great tidbit of info to know because I was thinking that it was a must being a destination wedding and all. I'm planning for a small ceremony & reception and would really like to be as cost conservative as possible (also trying to save for a house).

[Nicole119]

Hi Michele,

 

I just sent some links over to your gmail account, hope the pictures help!!

 

Nicole