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HELP CENTER
How long does it take to get our Photos?
How long does it take to get our Video?
Normal turnaround time for your web stream is 24 hours, or 8-10 weeks for your fully edited wedding video. You will recieve an email notifying you that your web stream is up online and ready for viewing. If you've ordered a DVD copy of your web stream it will be mailed to you. If you need your full wedding video sooner than 8-10 weeks we offer RUSH processing at a fee. 14 Day turnaround can be added for $299. Call us if you need your video quicker. 808-822-5381
What will the Weather be like?
The weather in Kauai is incredibly consistent most of the time, and that’s because we’re a little island surrounded by 2,700 miles of ocean in any direction, that keeps us temperate. The trade winds that blow across the Tropic of Cancer keep us cool and our average daily temperature of 82°F keeps us warm.
You’ll be grateful for the trade winds cooling breeze as you stand in the sun during the 20 minutes of ceremony and hour of photography, it will keep you cooler. But if your hair is longer you will have to think of ways to control it to avoid looking like "Wolf Girl" (Wolf guy as well, if that fits). Many Brides visit a hairdresser and have their hair put up with white flowers inlaid. Others pin their hair back or choose a Haku lei which tends to control longer hair you you don't want to wear your hair up. Others still will use a Cymbidium Orchid hairpiece to control one side and pin back the other.
And remember, don’t pack too many clothes, most people get by with shorts and tops because it’s so beautiful and casual here. A lot of people arrive with three suitcases and go home with two that they haven't opened.
What will we do if it Rains?
How will our Wedding unfold?
Our team of minister & photographer will meet you at the beach, or other chosen venue. Your event will start with your wedding ceremony followed by photography and/or videography if you have ordered a video. If you have family & friends with you we'll normally do your group pictures first, followed by romantic shots of the bride & groom. Depending on your chosen package your wedding should either take about 1 hour, or up to 2 hours maximum. For more information check out our dedicated "Your Event Unfolds" page for more details.
What time of the year is best to get married in Hawaii?
What's the best Location?
Ninety One Miles of beaches. How do we choose?
Yes, there are ninety one miles of beautiful beaches in Kauai, not all of them are easily accessible, nor desirable for a wedding. What most people want is a deserted beach that’s wide and sunny with small waves and great colors. So where do we find these beaches?
Well first you should know that there are some beaches that we can’t get to or that are prohibited from use for Weddings. Many beaches have Hawaiian ancestors buried close to the beach, and for obvious reasons these beaches are sacrosanct. Other beaches can only be approached by hiking some distance, maybe down cliffs or through undergrowth, neither of which is advisable in a Wedding Dress and, or high heels. Still other beaches belong to County jurisdiction and cannot be permitted for any kind of commercial events.
The same is true for waterfalls and cliffs both of which involve some hiking and may not be able to be permitted. We’ve taken great lengths to choose the locations which we feel work best depending upon the number of people in the wedding party, their accommodation location, the time of the year, the weather, and the ease of permitting.
Our favorite wedding locations are Shipwreck's Beach on the South Shore, and Hanalei Bay on the North Shore because they offer a variety of different props and scenic back drops.
Why you should get married in Kauai rather than Maui, Oahu, or the Big Island...
Why choose Hawaii for your Destination Wedding, rather than the Caribbean, Mexico or the Bahamas?...
This naturally makes wedding planning much easier, as you'll know what to expect. Communications with all vendors will be in the same language and there is much less room for error or confusion due to a language barrier. Plus, you'll find the same excellent standard of service, may it be in services rendered for your wedding or hotel accommodation, that you've come to be accustomed to living in the US. You'll greatly reduce the chance of a wedding fiasco going with a destination wedding in the United States.
Why choose Kauai Island Weddings?
As professional wedding planners, we have provided our clients with everything - location, honeymoon suites, photography, flowers, and so much more. We offer a variety of ocean front or garden weddings and vow renewal sites, as well as all the proper amenities. As long time wedding planners and Hawaiian residents, we understand that you are probably viewing this website from the States, so we have wedding specialists to guide you through the process of choosing the perfect location and wedding package to suit your needs.
We offer Kauai's best wedding photography packages, giving you many more photos than any of our competitors offer. Our talented photographers on staff are published professional photographers, and we are a proud member of the Kauai Wedding Professionals Association. Plus, you get FREE joint copyright of all of your photos! Most other companies will charge you an extra fee for copyright use.
Our office is located in Kapaa, and we are long time Kauai residents, so we can provide you with local input and solutions. Some companies, like Maui'd Forever, are not local to the islands but rather operate their business from the mainland, buying services from different local vendors.
Do you offer Other Venues than the beach?
Yes. However, all other venues in Kauai are subject to site fees because they'll be on private land, be it a hotel, private home, or waterfall. Knowing this, there is that cost consideration. Beach weddings only require a Beach Use Permit which will cost you $75 and up (depending on the size of your group), while site fees for private venues can be $500 to $5000 or higher.
There are tropical garden weddings with or without a wedding gazebo, waterfall weddings on private land, getting married on horseback, in a small airplane, on a riverboat, or at the famous Fern Grotto. Additional compliments can include Hawaiian touches like a Hawaiian musician and/or Hula dancer. Couples have a variety of choices and a wedding in Kauai can be as fancy or low key as the couple desire.
About the Wedding License & Beach Permit.
Why do I need a Permit and a Wedding License? Do we really need them?
Well the answer is YES, you need both.
The Beach Use Permit is completely different from the license: it gives the permission to use a part of the public beach for a Wedding Ceremony for a given time and for a given number of people. It cannot be applied for by anyone other than the company who will marry you. It must be obtained before the wedding and states the site and the time, limited to two hours at that location. The photography is separate and is covered under another license which we hold from the Hawaii Film Commission.
Is a wedding in Hawaii legal everywhere?
Foreign Couples / Non US couples.
Getting married in Hawaii is legal everywhere in the World: Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, all Eastern European Counties, Asia and everywhere else. We have married many couples from these countries over the years. German & English are spoken.
Some countries, like Germany (and other EU countries), require an additional document to be issued by the Department of Health of the State of Hawaii. Ask us about it, we'll file it for you for a small fee!
Do we meet our Wedding Planner before the wedding?
However, if your wedding is small or even just the two of you, it may not be necessary. Most couples will just meet the minister & photographer at the beach at the specified time of your wedding.
Will we have a Rehearsal?
Most wedding planners will meet you for a rehearsal of your wedding if you have a larger group, and if you are paying a coordination fee to cover the extra time. Some companies automatically add a coordination fee for any size group, which normally covers extra time spend arranging your bridal flowers, coordination a variety of vendors and/or your reception dinner, and of course meeting you on the beach for a rehearsal. Other's will do a rehearsal upon request only and will charge you a nominal fee just for the rehearsal. Because weddings on the beach tend to be much less formal and structured, a rehearsal is not always necessary. It depends on the couple and how relaxed or spontaneous they are, or alternatively, how formal they would like their destination wedding to be. If you wanted to arrange for a rehearsal you'll find more info here.
Do we really need a Professional Wedding Photographer?
" I’ll have lots of people there and they’ll all have cameras.
I know I’ll get all their pictures, so why do I need to hire a Professional?"
You’re correct,there will be lots of cameras present and, more likely than not, they will be the small "point and click kind". These cameras are fine for snap shots, to capture beaches and mountains for their personal memories, but they’re not good enough if you miss a lifetime of precious memories ...
Our professional photographers (yes there’s two at each wedding!) have thousands of dollars of equipment and have honed their skills over hundreds of Weddings to perfect our style as you see on our website. We know the "set up shots" that show the Bride and the Groom in their best light, we know the difference between backdrops that look good and those which look great.
We have the experience to arrange the larger groups at a wedding, and pose the many set ups necessary to capture the intimacy and romance of your Kauai Wedding.
Have everybody take photos, it will make them happy, but don’t rely on amateurs to deliver your priceless Wedding Memories - it’s not like you’ll get married every day and can retake the photos. Can you really afford to miss the best chance to get really great images that people will cry over?
Should I hire a Team or just a bunch of individuals?
Maybe I can save money by hiring different experts to work together, like an individual photographer, minister, videographer and musician. I may be able to save a few bucks if I coordinate the wedding myself. But is there a down side?
You won’t save any money by hiring a group of individuals, and you might be heading for trouble, in a big way.Your Wedding needs to be properly coordinated, and that’s hard to do when a group of people haven’t worked together before.
The Wedding must go smoothly and everything must run like a well oiled clock.
Errors caused by people who don't work as a team are common, they can’t rely on each other and it makes everybody nervous. The photographer doesn't necessarily know the ceremony and when certain photo opportunities arise, and the musician may not know when to play. Just look at the wedding photos of most wedding companies. Why aren’t the bride and groom smiling, maybe things aren’t going well? Now look at all of our wedding photos, see the difference!
There’s no time for a do-over, no second chances, either everything got captured or it got missed. Don’t leave things to chance, always book a company that has their own staff doing everything: from the minister to the photographer, to the videographer, editor and coordinator. Make sure you get the best you can afford, you don’t get a second chance at this special day.
What format will our Photos be in?
Our experienced wedding photographers use all professional Nikon FX cameras and lenses, and photos will be delivered in digital .jpg format. All photos will be in high resolution and you can print beautiful enlargements from the files.
The Importance of Flowers.
You’re on a Tropical Island getting married and you’re not sure if you need a Bouquet, or any additional Flowers?
Well the answer is YES, you need flowers. The next question is always "Why"? and the answer is simple: they add a burst of color to the photos. Take a few moments to think about these photos that will be cherished for all time, they most often will show the Bride in a white dress, and the groom in a white shirt and neutral colored pants.
And yes there’s color in the background of the shots, the Ocean, the sand, the sky but we need to make the couple ‘pop’ and the best way to do that is to add bright colorful flowers to the happy couple. Some set-up photos will suffer without a bouquet, for example the ring shots use the bouquet as a background to the hands, there are many other set ups that also use the flowers and not just the Bouquet; the Orchids in the hair set off the brides face against the flowers; the greens of the Maile lei worn by the Groom set off the shirt he’s wearing and the Haku (or head lei) worn by the bride do double duty controlling the Brides hair and adding color above the face.
All in all, the beauty that the colorful flowers bring to the photos is without question, and even though they add to the cost, how much is it worth to make the photos more memorable?
What to do with my Hair?
With Trade Winds blowing in Kauai, what's the chance your hair will stay in place?
Well, the answer is NONE! Your hair will blow around in front of you during the ceremony and the photography and turn you into "wolf girl", which is hardly the look we want for your wedding. There are many ways you can control your hair, including using a Haku Lei, pinning your hair back, have your hair styled professionally or having floral hairpieces put in place to hold your hair.
Whatever you choose, adding flowers in your hair can do nothing but improve your photos. Putting color around the Bride is never wrong and the more flowers around the Bride the better: the bridal bouquet, the Haku lei, the leis, the Orchid hair piece, and any flowers put in your hair really help set off the beauty of the Bride.
Wedding Cake & Champagne?
Wait! Isn't a Wedding Cake and a Champagne Toast a central part of the wedding ceremony?
Well again, the answer is YES, but the circumstances are somewhat different, so that changes what might be a better solution. In the case of the Champagne, it’s simple: the law states that no alcohol can be consumed on the beaches of Hawaii, nor on the adjacent county land either. That means that the Champagne is best saved for the wedding dinner that you will almost certainly be having. I can’t imagine any restaurant saying no to serving your Champagne as part of the meal.
The Cake is different. There’s no legal objection to having a cake at the wedding on the beach in Kauai, however the DLNR law prohibits "furniture" on the beach which means you can't have a cake table. Bearing in mind that a cake on a beach in the hot sun undergoes structural changes (it melts) and that all insects within a 5 mile radius find it irresistible, it also is better saved for during your reception dinner. On many occasions the Hotel or Restaurant may have a Wedding Cake you can order when you reserve, or you can call any of the bakeries on Kauai.
Deposit & Payments.
A small deposit of $200 reserves your wedding date, with the balance being authorized to your credit card a few days prior to your event. The $200 deposit is non-refundable should you cancel your wedding more than 60 days before your scheduled event. For wedding cancellations within 60 days of your planned event date please read our complete "Terms of Service" agreement.
Wedding Cancellations.
If you have to cancel your wedding we do understand... unforseen things happen. Sometimes your family will out pressure on your, or you'll find that it's more convenient to get married back home. If you must cancel be sure to do it 60 days prior to your event as penalties apply after that time frame. You can read our full cancellation policy here.
Rescheduling your Wedding.
Sometimes rescheduling your wedding date is necessary as life throws us a curve ball... a relative's illness, or an unexpected assignment at work that interferes with your event plans. Don't worry, we'll be happy to help you reschedule your Hawaiian wedding. A small additional deposit of $200 is required to change your wedding date if you're within 60 days of your event. This is not an extra charge, but rather is an additional deposit that goes towards your final bill. Outside of 60 days no additional deposit is required.
Wedding Duration...how long will we be at the beach?
The wedding ceremony’s duration will be between 10-20 minutes depending on the type of ceremony you've chosen. After your wedding ceremony we'll start taking your group photos (if you have an entourage), and then continue with your formal wedding photos. Depending on your chosen wedding package expect to be either 30 minutes, 1 hour, or up to 2 hours on the beach in total.
When will I get my Flowers?
If you have purchased a bridal bouquet and/or other florals from us we'll bring your complete order with us to the beach. This way we guarantee the flowers will be as fresh as possible for your 1 or 2 hours photo shoot.
How will I get my Photos?
This depends on yor chosen wedding package. Most packages include delivery by digital download, though you can also purchase an SD card of all of your unedited images , which we'll give you right after your wedding. We have many photo options...ask our office staff at help@kauaiislandweddings.com
How will I get my Video?
This depends on yor chosen video package. Web Stream video will be up and ready for viewing within 24 hours of your event...a link will be emailed you from our office. Full Music Videos take a lot longer as extensive editing is required and normally these are delivered by digital download, or on DVD copy if requested. We have many video options...ask our office staff at help@kauaiislandweddings.com
Your Personal Online Wedding Planner - our exclusive planning tool.
Once you have booked with Kauai Island Weddings we'll send you a link to create your personal online wedding planner. This is a wonderful tool to keep track of all your wedding related tasks and allows you to make changes on the go, as it's mobile friendly.
I've lost my Personal Online Wedding Planner URL...what do I do?
Your Online Planner will create a unique URL just for you, and any time you'll make a change, it'll send YOU and US an email so we can update your details.
Can I customize my wedding package?
All wedding packages can be customized to your needs by adding any services we offer. This could be Hair & Make-up services, a Hawaiian musician, a video, or additional flowers. You can easily add those items or services using your Personal Online Wedding Planner, or call our office at 808-822-5381.
What music will the Musician play?
Our Hawaiian musicians will typically play a variety of Hawaiian love songs, and finsh your ceremony with the traditional Hawaiian Wedding song. Special requests where the musician would have to learn a particular song that he doesn't know will incur an additional fee.
Rescheduling because of COVID-19
COVID-19 Travel Update