Aloha weddings

Maui’s Endless Options
"Everybody comes to Maui to get married," says Mark Simon, director of marketing for the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. "Heck, even the whales come here to meet their mates!" he chuckles, referring the mating season which happens every winter off the coast. Carolee Higashino believes that variety is the draw. "Still 'country' in many ways, Maui is relaxed yet has all the elements needed to host a five-star experience," she says.

With Maui's mega menu of world-class hotels, charming chapels, beach houses and luxury estates, selecting a wedding location can be tough. You can wed in the ruins of an old sugar mill, on a private nine-hole golf course or atop Haleakala, a dormant volcano and the island's highest point. Higashino's favorite spot is the White Orchid Beach House. "It's nestled along the majestic Makena coastline just above its own private white-sand beach," she says. "Surrounding its shoreline is the famous Ahihi Kinau Bay and Nature Preserve, so you can see giant green sea turtles, humpback whales and spinner dolphins from the lawn."

Maui is Hawaii’s second largest island, but each area has a singular appeal for the right couple. Sun-seekers love the consistent sunshine and elegant resorts of Wailea. Kaanapali is very accessible, with lots of high-rise hotels, condos and eateries spread along a three-mile stretch of white sand. Privacy-seekers can fly directly into secluded Hana, where a jagged coast serves up stunning waterfalls and beautiful botanical gardens, or head to upcountry towns like Makawao, where the cowboy life is alive and kicking. Hop a ferry to Lanai, an ex-pineapple plantation, and you’ll find two luxe Four Seasons resorts – and not much else.

“Maui had the options we were looking for,” explains Holly Lee, who wed Sean Zawyer on July 8, 2005. “Great hotels, quiet but not too quiet, and lots of activities. But we could not choose – at one point we had reservations at four hotels!” To narrow things down, Holly enlisted the help of Vanessa Ghantous of McCoy Travel on Maui. “She was very honest and gave us recommendations based on our needs,” says Holly, who ended up bringing her 40 guests to the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons The beach at The Fairmont Orchid is a great place to snorkel.

The couple wanted everything to be as easy as possible for their guests, so they created a 17-page itinerary of options, including nearby hotel choices in varying price ranges and a laundry list of potential excursions. “We knew we couldn’t get 40 people to agree on every activity,” explains Holly. “So we simply decided what we wanted to do and made a group reservation. If someone wanted to join, all they had to do was call so the outfitter could get the proper head count.” The group played golf at the Kapalua Golf Club, rode horses through the pineapple fields and spent a night feasting, drinking and dancing at the Old Lahaina Luau. “It worked out perfectly,” says Holly.

Holly found an unexpected benefit to planning her wedding in Hawaii. “Because of the time difference I could work all day, come home and finesse details with the wedding planner in Hawaii until midnight my time.” The extra effort paid off in the end. As she walked down the aisle on her big day, a conch blower stood at the chapel entrance to perform a Hawaiian dressing. “After the wedding,” says Holly “everyone commented that the sound was so beautiful, it gave them chills. It made the ceremony extra-special and blessed it with the magic of Hawaii.”

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