Hawaii Wedding Planner - Sites and Suggestions Oahu

Kauai Sites Maui Sites Lanai Sites Molokai Sites Hawaii Sites

Oahu Sites and Suggestions

Disclaimer:

The sites and suggestions listed on this page are chosen for their beauty and availability. Accessibility, weather and information on each area aren’t always mentioned. A good idea is to research at the library or local bookstore by picking out a guidebook for your chosen island. We highly recommend " The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook " and Hawaii: " The Big Island Revealed " for those two islands. See their web site at www.wizardpub.com for further info.

Our maps for each island should help somewhat with general logistics. It is recommended before making a final decision on a wedding site that either you or a trusted substitute view it in person, first. Public parks and beaches require permits that must be filed for as far in advance as possible. Please contact the island’s respective mayor’s information office for further info.

Kauai: 808-241-6303

Big Island: 808-961-8223

Maui, Molokai, and Lanai: 808-243-7587

Oahu: 808-523-4385

Additionally: Weather is an important factor. Typically the islands are often referred to as either windward or leeward. Windward being the side that faces the wind and leeward being the protected and typically, drier side. North shores and east shores are windward, while south and west shores are leeward. In addition the interiors of each island are generally mountainous and wetter than the coastal areas. Check out the University of Hawaii Weather pages for current weather conditions in Hawaii. Remember, this is the tropics. A typical day’s forecast will include light winds, sunny skies and passing showers--year round! Don’t be afraid to ask any of our listed vendors for information pertaining to their "neck of the woods", and as a picture tells a thousand words we’ve highlighted certain text/photo links throughout our island introductions and these sites and suggestions pages.

Oahu has been nicknamed "The Gathering Place" and no better name could possibly describe this island so well.

It’s on Oahu that Hawaii’s capitol resides as well as the huge airport where most of domestic and International flights first stop. Not the largest of the islands, Oahu does, however, serve as home to the largest population- Over 800,000 at last count and that doesn’t include the constant flux of it’s annual visitors.

So, you can see why Oahu can be a very busy & crowded place, at least more so than its counterparts.

Despite the many people here, Oahu is still a jewel of an island with few spots not considered "scenic." Because the center of attention here is Honolulu and Waikiki within, we will mention sites near Honolulu only. We figure, if you want more seclusion you should go to one of our other beautiful islands. As always, we recommend you start by picking through a few guidebooks.

Ones by resident authors are our picks, but there are many others that cover Oahu. We, who live on the other Hawaiian islands tend to go to Oahu because of its Metropolitan diversity and many, many choices in dining, sight seeing, nightlife, places to stay and especially... Shopping!

On that last note, you are sure to find everything you need to outfit your wedding in every category and even if you choose another island to hold your ceremony and/or honeymoon you may just want to pick up a few things here first.

So, here goes:

Haiku Gardens - located above Kaneohe is conveniently behind one of the areas best restaurants, Byodo-in Temple is actually within a Japanese cemetery, however, it’s lovely grounds and fabulous temple make it a good choice for a ceremony of a happier kind.

More great garden sites include Foster Botanical Gardens (808) 522-7066, Wahi’awa Botanical Gardens (808) 621-7321, Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens (808) 233-7323 and Koko Crater Botanical Gardens (808) 522-7060. At the Foster Botanical Gardens adjoining property is the beautiful Kuan Yin Temple. At this writing, we are not sure if they perform wedding ceremonies there or not, as no one at the place spoke any English, however, it would be worth looking into if you are of Buddhist faith.

Slightly more private would be the quaint Waioli Chapel and Waioli Tea Room located in misty Manoa valley. Of course, Waikiki has many, many fabulous beachfront hotels such as The Royal Hawaiian for those opting for a more elegant setting and for the adventurous, how about chartering a catamaran for the ceremony and/or reception right off of Diamond Head?

Check out our Exotic Weddings listings. The beaches in Waikiki are very popular and mostly crowded during the day but do offer lovely vistas especially facing Diamond Head crater. If you want a more secluded and lovely beach, we recommend famous Hanauma Bay, which definitely requires permits.