Real Bride: Planning a Wedding at Honua Kai Lani - Maui, Hawaii

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6 June, 2014

The Couple

Niki and Chris from Phoenix, Arizona married at Honua Kai Lani (aka Sugarman Estate) on the island of Maui, Hawaii on the 10th of December, 2012.

The Planning

Chris and I have both always loved Maui. Even though we had never traveled there together we knew it was where we wanted to get married.

Planning the wedding was made very simple; we hired Steven Cook at White Orchid Weddings to help with coordination. It took about 10 months to plan. We booked our venue about 10 months ahead of time. Booking travel and accommodations was also very easy, we did send out our Save the Dates 9 months ahead of time and had a wedding website that had tons of ideas on where to stay and which airlines to book with.

Legal/Medical Requirements

Since Hawaii is the US it was very simple to obtain our marriage license. Our coordinator set an appointment for us, the whole thing took about ten minutes.

Travel Arrangements

Our location was easily accessed by car, but it was off the beaten path. Since it was at a private estate and not at a hotel, transportation was left up to our guests. We did provide detailed directions on our website and emailed everyone the directions as well.

The Destination - Honua Kai Lani

My mother and father were the ones to see to location before we booked it. Since Chris and I had not seen our location until the day of the wedding it was a little nerve racking. Once we arrived though it was everything I had imagined. It was gorgeous! Maui itself is beautiful but the actual wedding site was out of this world! We could not have asked for a more perfect setting!

We arrived 5 days ahead of time, it was plenty of time for us to get settled. I had my dress pressed, and last minute wedding things done, like acquiring the marriage license. We also had time to great guests as they arrived in town and hold events like a golf and spa day. We planned activities that the guests could par take in everyday they were there if they wanted. We did a hike through Haleakala, sunset cruise, happy hours and golf and spas.

Our accommodations were not the same as the location of the wedding.

Guests

We had 75 guests, a great mix of family and friends. Everyone stayed all around close to Makena. Most of our guests made a real vacation out of the trip and stayed at least one week. Some split the difference and had the wedding in the middle of their trip. They also stayed up north in Lahina and Kanapali after the wedding.

The Wedding

Our wedding was exactly what I had pictured it to be. It was a beautiful venue and a beautiful day. We did a first look session with our photographers and it took all of the pressure off. We spent a few hours just the four of us having a great time. The ceremony was great, and the reception was a party we will never forget!!

Advice for other couples considering this as a wedding destination

I loved the vacation aspect of our destination wedding. It relaxed us both. We could not have been happier with our destination. I would highly recommend a wedding coordinator, they are a huge help! Communication with guests is key. My best advice is HAVE FUN! It is a great day in your life and the more fun you decide to have the better the day!