Frog Blog

We’ve been bombarded lately with questions about getting married in Maui.  Hopefully the following information will help you in making arrangements for your special day!

Wedding Planners in Maui

Though some do without them, when planning a destination wedding it’s a big relief having help from a local professional.  They can help you with all the details making your wedding much less stressful.  They also have local knowledge and relationships with vendors, which is priceless.  We’ve heard some horror stories with particular wedding planners, so choose carefully.  Use someone with good references and experience.  One wedding planner that we particularly hear does a great job is at Akia Weddings.  Tamera is well known for her cool under pressure.

Maui Wedding Locations

Your wedding location will depend on whether or not you want to get married on a beach, in a chapel, or on an estate.  For small weddings, we suggest a simple beach wedding.  Though, keep in mind that all beaches on Maui are public.  This means that other people will probably also be on your beach, and depending on where you go, other couples may be getting married too!  One such busy beach in Makena Cove.  It’s a very small beach (beautiful and great for photos) but often it has multiple brides waiting their turn.  We call it the Wedding Factory.  We highly suggest choosing another location for your big day.

Chapels and churches are great too, but keep in mind you’ll need to find a reception area.  Personally, we like weddings on estates.  You can find them for rent for small groups of 5-25 and some others that go all the way up to 300.  Sugarman’s Estate in Makena, South Maui, holds the most people as well as Olowalu on the West side.

Maui Wedding Photographers

Obviously, your photography is one of the most important things on the list.  Luckily, you’re getting married in Maui, so you’ll be getting some wonderful backgrounds right off the bat!  Choosing your photographer is very important.  Make sure that your photographer is talented, experienced, and personable.  Everyone knows you need someone that’s good and experienced, but that last point is sometimes overlooked.  We’ve seen some brides go with a photographer because of the pictures on their site, even if the photographer doesn’t sound very interested or friendly on the phone.  You don’t want a Black Cloud at your wedding!  Find someone that will make you and your family comfortable and relaxed.

Our favorite photographer (as you can see from the photos on this post) is Natalie Brown.  She spends countless hours touching up and making her photos perfect in post-production, has hundreds of weddings under her belt, and is a warm and happy person with a great personality.  You’ll find after and during the wedding that your guests will approach you with how happy they are with your choice of photographer.  It’s nice to know that at least one thing will go right at your wedding.

Maui Wedding Catering

Another crucial part of your wedding is the food and service.  A huge part of your budget is going to this part of your wedding, so choose correctly.  You want someone with plenty of references that makes great food and has a staff that handles your wedding professionally.  We like Maui Executive Catering because they embody all of the above.  When it comes to creating a menu, their classically trained chefs will blow you away.  It’s hard to find caterers that have formal training, and with Maui Executive Catering you’ll find that they’re artists that truly believe in their craft.

Maui Activities

Last, but certainly not least, having activities planned for your guests makes the whole adventure that much better.  We don’t suggest you do all of the planning yourself, however.  You’ve got enough on your plate.  Instead, choose some activities for specific days around the wedding.  Buy your tickets, and let all of your guests know well ahead of time.  This way, it’s up to your guests whether they want to go.  Let them know that there’s no pressure, and that they should book early on to avoid having the activity fill up.

To make things easier, give one of our agents a call at (808) 875-4477 or Toll Free at 1(888)700-3764.  We only hire agents that are knowledgeable about the activities and that live on the island full-time.  Most have been on all of the activities you’ll want to do.  They can help you with other questions about Maui too!  (Make sure to ask about snorkeling and dinner cruises.  We have the best prices for these activities especially!)