Kauai Wedding FAQ

What is unique about weddings on Kauai?
What is a typical Kauai wedding like?
Are there high quality wedding vendors on Kauai?
Do you have recommendations for wedding venues on Kauai?
What are the legal requirements to getting married on Kauai?
Do you recommend I hire a Kauai wedding planner?
Do Kauai hotels offer wedding planning services?
What types of group activities are available for my wedding party on Kauai?
How do I get group rates on Kauai for my wedding party?
What is the typical size of a wedding on Kauai?
How do I get to Kauai?
Do I need to rent a car when I get to Kauai?
What is the physical environment like on Kauai?
How far in advance do I need to plan my wedding on Kauai?
What time of year is best for planning a destination wedding on Kauai?
Should I consider spending my honeymoon on another Hawaiian Island?

What is unique about weddings on Kauai?

Kauai, the oldest island in the Hawaiian Islands, is often called the "Garden Isle" for it's lush, tropical landscape. There is a wide variety of wedding locations on Kauai, ranging from beautiful Kauai resorts to sophisticated private estates to white sand beaches. Weddings on Kauai range from just the two of you, barefoot on the beach, to a five star gala at a world-class hotel.

Kauai is a rural island, that still retains the feel of "Old Hawaii". While the island is developing, it has only one main road that stretches from Polihale Beach on the West side to the "end of the road" on the North Shore, at Ke'e State Park. This road takes you through the various small towns of Kauai, each with their own unique history, heritage and flavor.

Kauai is an ideal wedding destination for the discriminating couple who also appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. It is a rugged island, yet beautiful in a way that is truly hard to put in words. The beaches of Kauai are among the most stunning in the world, and offer many incredible backdrops for your Kauai wedding photos.

What is a typical Kauai wedding like?

There truly is not a "typical" Kauai wedding, as the options on the island are so diverse. The primary wedding locations on Kauai are either the grounds of a Kauai hotel or on the beach with an independent Kauai wedding planner. Finding a Kauai wedding coordinator that you trust and feel comfortable with is one of the keys to a successful wedding on Kauai. The question to ask yourself when considering a wedding on Kauai is "what is my dream wedding?". If you can articulate this vision to your Kauai wedding planner, your chances of it becoming a reality become much better.

Are there high quality wedding vendors on Kauai?

Though Kauai is a small, rural island, there is actually a wealth of high quality wedding vendors. Whether you are looking for a great photographer, a talented wedding videographer, a great catering company or the perfect florist, you can find it here. Please view our listing of Kauai wedding suppliers and Kauai wedding planners here.

Do you have recommendations for wedding venues on Kauai?

Preview Hawaii has the most extensive listing of Kauai wedding venues available. Whether you are looking for an elegant Kauai resort, a beautiful Kauai beach or a private Kauai estate, we can point you in the right direction. Please review our list of Kauai resorts here.

Most of these properties offer in house wedding coordination services. Feel free to call us with any questions about these properties.

You may also view our list of Kauai wedding venues here.

What are the legal requirements to getting married on Kauai?

You will need to obtain a marriage license at least 24 hours prior to the wedding ceremony. In order to obtain this, please have a current photo ID. There are a number of locations on the island to get the marriage license. Again, this is one of the reasons to hire a Kauai wedding coordinator, to assist you with details like this.

Do you recommend I hire a Kauai wedding planner?

Yes, we do! Though Preview Hawaii is a very extensive resource in planning your wedding on Kauai, we could never replace the personalized service of a wedding planner. Even if it just the two of you, you are probably planning the wedding from at least three thousand miles away (if not more!). If you work with a qualified Kauai wedding planner, you will have all the little details of the wedding day covered. The most important thing is finding a wedding coordinator that you relate to and that you really like! This person will become a friend and confidente, and needs to be a personality you can relate to. There are two main types of wedding coordinators on Kauai, the resort wedding planners and the independent wedding planners. Both has pros and cons. If you are planning a large, formal wedding on Kauai, a resort wedding planner may be a good choice. If you would like to find a unique venue, or get married just the two of you on a deserted beach, an independent wedding coordinator may be a more logical choice. Go through our list of Kauai wedding planners below, and call us with any questions you may have.

Please review our list of Kauai wedding planners here.

Do Kauai hotels offer wedding planning services?

Most Kauai hotels have an in-house Kauai wedding coordinator. If you are interested in getting married on property at the resort you are planning on staying at, working with the resort wedding coordinator can be a great choice. If you have a large party coming with you from the mainland, you may need food and beverage or function space for your reception. Often working with a resort wedding coordinator really streamlines these various functions for your wedding on Kauai. Most of our resorts are also listed under Wedding Coordinators on Kauai and can be contacted directly for more information.

What types of group activities are available for my wedding party on Kauai?

Kauai has an enormously diverse group of activities to choose from. Whether you are looking for an adventurous boat ride on the Na Pali Coast, a helicopter tour of the interior of the island, a kayaking adventure in the open ocean or a beautiful hiking tour, Kauai has numerous options. Please review our list of Kauai activities here.

We take care to select the most professional companies on each island in each category.

How do I get group rates on Kauai for my wedding party?

The best way to negotiate a group rate for your wedding party coming to Kauai is by contacting the activity company directly. Our Wedding Planner allows you to do this in a streamlined, electronic fashion. Please review the Preview Hawaii Planner here.

What is the typical size of a wedding on Kauai?

Destination weddings on Kauai range from just the two of you to many hundreds of people. The average number of people joining wedding couples traveling to Kauai for their wedding seems to be between ten and eighty guests.

How do I get to Kauai?

From the mainland United States, you can either fly directly into Lihue Airport from Los Angeles or San Francisco, or you can fly into Honolulu from any major city and then travel by inter-island air carrier to Lihue. The flight from Honolulu to Lihue is approximately 20 minutes long, and one way prices range from $65.00 to $85.00 for coach fare.

Do I need to rent a car when I get to Kauai?

It is strongly recommended you rent a car on Kauai, because the public transportation is not very available, and hard to access.

What is the physical environment like on Kauai?

Kauai is simply one of the most stunning places on Earth. From her emerald waters lapping at golden sand beaches, dramatic cliffs dropping to the sea, brilliant rainbows capping dramatic peaks and lovely fragrant flowers, Kauai is truly a beauty to behold. The west side of Kauai is arid and dry, and the Waimea Canyon is a symphony of desert hues. Polihale Beach on the west end of Kauai is the longest beach on the island, and is white sand beach that stretches for 13 miles.

Poipu Beach, on the South side of the island, is one of the primary resort areas on Kauai. Some of the resorts located in Poipu are the Hyatt Regency Kauai and the Sheraton Kauai Beach Resort. Poipu is also home to many of Kauai's fine restaurants and shopping locations.

Lihue, the county seat, is the home of the Lihue Airport. Many businesses are located in Lihue, and beautiful Kalapaki Beach is both home to the Marriott Kauai and also the mouth of the harbor where the cruise ships come in and out every weekend.

The East side of Kauai is very temperate. Rolling green stretch from the interior of the island down to the old plantation town of Kapaa, which is now the commercial hub of Kauai. Kapaa is primarily a residential area, but is also home to many markets, restaurants, shopping outlets and more. The beaches on the East side have some wonderful swimming.

The North Shore of Kauai is stunningly beautiful. This part of Kauai are the stuff that movies are made of- verdant valleys dropping to azure seas, waterfalls cascading down lush mountains, brilliant rainbows capping taro fields. The North Shore of Kauai is where we were married, and offers some of the most incredible photo opportunities anywhere in the world! However, "no rain, no rainbows" as we say in Hawaii, so you will have a greater chance of wet weather on this beautiful, lush side of Kauai.

How far in advance do I need to plan my wedding on Kauai?

Some couples begin planning their Kauai wedding years in advance, some plan their Kauai wedding last minute. It really depends on a number of factors, such as the size of your wedding party, the budget for your Kauai wedding, the planning you want to do for your weddings guests traveling to Kauai, and more. Here at Preview Hawaii, we recommend you begin planning your Kauai wedding, even if it is just the two of you, at least six months in advance.

Planning a destination Kauai wedding can be a very challenging organizational task. Most members of the wedding party are traveling to Kauai from at least three thousand miles away. All guests need to arrange airfare, lodging, car rental, activities and inter-island transportation. It is often the bride and groom became the de facto travel agent for everybody attending the wedding on Kauai. This can be a very challenging job for the couple as they are planning the details of their rehearsal dinner, wedding day, reception and honeymoon in Hawaii. Even if a Kauai wedding coordinator has been hired to assist you in planning the details of the Kauai wedding, they often to not assist you with all of the travel details for your entire wedding guest list.

This planning process is what Preview Hawaii and our Hawaii Wedding Planner feature are designed for. Preview Hawaii can assist you with your entire procurement process for your destination wedding on Kauai. We can aid you in the selection of your Kauai wedding venue, Kauai wedding coordinator, Kauai wedding suppliers, Kauai lodging for your wedding party, and both individual and group activities on Kauai for the enjoyment of your guests.

What time of year is best for planning a destination wedding on Kauai?

The wonderful thing about the Hawaiian Islands is that every island is essentially round, and there are various micro-climates on each side of each island. The climate on Kauai ranges from wet and lush to desert and dry. The weather on Kauai ranges from 65 to 85 degrees, usually in the low eighties with variable tradewinds and passing showers. The climate in Hawaii is sub-tropical, and is located 20 degrees North of the Equator. Though the weather on Kauai is generally incredibly mild, Hawaii can receive some very extreme weather as well. Check with the weather channel online before your trip to Hawaii to get an idea what the weather forecast is.

Should I consider spending my honeymoon on another Hawaiian Island?

This is a question we receive all the time. And the answer is unequivacably YES! The beauty of planning your wedding in Hawaii is that you then can combine your dream honeymoon into the experience! The various wedding options on each island are very diverse and unique. If you are not familiar with Hawaii, please take some time to learn about each island. Email us at info@previewhawaii.com with any questions you have about which island is best suited to your destination Hawaii wedding.

Once you have chosen the island in Hawaii for your wedding, you can then think about which other island(s) you would really like to see while you here. Or perhaps which of our fantastic Hawaii resorts you would love to steal away to with your beloved after your wedding in Hawaii. Preview Hawaii has a wide variety of fantastic Hawaii honeymoon itineraries available, and can assist you with every part of the honeymoon planning process.