top of page
191003_KIW_336600.jpg
180903_KIW_168474.jpg
211126_KIW_563109.jpeg

Hurricane Lowell Update: Should You Still Come to Kauaʻi?

​

 

🌺 September 22 Update: Kauaʻi Is Welcoming Visitors Back!

We have wonderful news from Kauaʻi today!

Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami has officially announced on September 19th that Kauaʻi is welcoming visitors back as the island continues its remarkably quick recovery following Hurricane Lowell. 🌴☀️

​

Power has now been restored to more than 98% of the island, including Kīlauea, Princeville and Hanalei, with utility crews continuing to work around the clock on the remaining areas. All major roads have reopened, cleanup continues, and every day we're seeing more hotels, businesses, restaurants, shops and visitor activities return.

 

For our upcoming couples, the news is especially encouraging: Kauai Island Weddings is OPEN and performing weddings, and our team continues to report beautiful conditions at several of our wedding locations. The beaches are beautiful, the sun is shining, the ocean is blue, and couples are getting married! 🌴💍☀️💕

Kauaʻi is still recovering in some areas, but tremendous progress has been made — and visitors are welcome.

​

​

So, What Does All of This Mean for Your Upcoming Kauaʻi Wedding?

We know this is really the question our upcoming couples want answered:

Can we still come to Kauaʻi and have the beautiful wedding, honeymoon and vacation we've been planning?

The encouraging answer is yes. 🌴💍☀️

​

Kauaʻi did experience significant damage from Hurricane Lowell, and some areas and individual properties are still recovering. But conditions vary considerably around the island, and the recovery has moved remarkably quickly.

More than 90% of the island now has power, all major roads are open, hotels and restaurants are welcoming guests, shops are reopening, tours and activities are returning — and Kauaʻi's Mayor has officially announced that visitors are welcome back.

​

Most importantly for our couples, Kauai Island Weddings is open and performing weddings, and our team is out on the island every day.

​

Based on what we're seeing firsthand, here's our guidance:

​

​

Arriving September 22–30

If you're traveling during the remainder of September, we encourage you to proceed with your plans.

Your wedding can absolutely still be beautiful, and much of the island is ready for you to enjoy. Beaches are open and beautiful, restaurants and shops are returning, activities are resuming, and many hotels and resorts are already welcoming guests.

​

Some individual hotels, vacation rentals, businesses or activities may still be completing repairs or operating on modified schedules, so it's a good idea to confirm your accommodations and any important reservations directly before you travel.

If something you originally booked has been affected, don't assume that means you need to cancel your entire trip. In many cases, a change of hotel, restaurant or activity may be all that's needed.

​

And please talk to us before changing your wedding plans. We can tell you what we're seeing at your ceremony location and help you determine whether any adjustment is actually necessary.

​

Our own team has already been performing weddings since the hurricane. We held three weddings at Shipwreck Beach on September 9th, and our staff reported beautiful sunshine, clear blue ocean and a beach ready for weddings. 🌴💙

Couples are getting married on Kauaʻi right now — and having beautiful weddings.

​

​

Arriving October 1 and Later

If your wedding is in October or beyond, we recommend proceeding with your Kauaʻi plans with confidence.

The island has already made tremendous progress, with even more hotels, restaurants, tours and activities reopening in the coming days and weeks.

​

Your particular hotel or vacation rental is the one thing we recommend confirming, especially if it is in an area that experienced more storm damage. If your original accommodations were affected, there are many alternatives available — particularly in Līhuʻe, Wailua and Kapaʻa on the East Shore, which was among the areas least affected by the hurricane.

But a problem with one hotel or vacation rental doesn't mean there's a problem with your Kauaʻi wedding or your entire vacation.

​

Our wedding locations are looking beautiful. Shipwreck Beach is already being used successfully for weddings, and our team has also reported beautiful conditions at Anini Beach.

 

​

🌺 Wonderful News for Our Waterfall Wedding Couples!

If you've booked your wedding at either our Private North Shore Waterfall or our South Shore Waterfall, we're delighted to let you know that both locations have been cleaned up following Hurricane Lowell and are OPEN for weddings! 🌿💦💍

You can look forward to exchanging your vows in the beautiful tropical surroundings you originally chose, with lush greenery and cascading waterfalls providing that magical Kauaʻi backdrop. There's no need to change your waterfall wedding plans because of the hurricane. We look forward to welcoming you to these beautiful locations! 🌺💕

​

Restaurants are reopening. Tours and activities are returning. Beaches are beautiful. Roads are open. And each additional week brings even more progress. 🌺

If you've dreamed about getting married on Kauaʻi, we see no reason to give up that dream.

​

​

🌴 Having Trouble With Your Kauaʻi Accommodations?

If your original hotel, resort or vacation rental was directly affected by the hurricane, you don't necessarily need to cancel your Kauaʻi trip. Moving your accommodations to another part of the island may be a much simpler solution.

​

There are now accommodation options available in several parts of the island. The East Shore — including Kapaʻa, Wailua and Līhuʻe — is particularly worth considering because it was among the areas least affected by the hurricane, offers a wide range of accommodations at different price points, and is wonderfully convenient for exploring both the North and South Shores.

​

The South Shore also has resorts welcoming guests again, including Koʻa Kea Resort and Grand Hyatt Kauaʻi.

.

​Here are several options to check:

​

Availability is changing quickly, so please check directly with the property for your particular travel dates and confirm its current operating status before making or changing reservations.

If your existing accommodations are open and able to receive you, there is no need to change them simply because they're on the South Shore. These suggestions are primarily for couples whose original accommodations were directly affected or are temporarily unable to receive guests.

​

A change of hotel doesn't have to mean a change of island — or a change of wedding plans. 🌺💍

​

​

🍍 Restaurants Are Open & Welcoming Guests!

Wondering where you'll celebrate after your wedding? Kauaʻi's restaurants are reopening across the island, and couples once again have some wonderful choices for everything from a casual dinner to a romantic post-wedding celebration. 🌺🥂

The restaurants below are not the only restaurants currently open on Kauaʻi — we've selected these in particular because they're lovely options for wedding dinners, intimate celebrations and special evenings during your honeymoon.

Here are a few of our current favorites:

​

 

Reservations are highly recommended, particularly for wedding dinners and larger groups. As individual restaurant hours and operating schedules can still change during the recovery, we also recommend confirming directly with the restaurant before heading out.

And the list continues to grow! We'll keep adding more of our favorite wedding-dinner and honeymoon options as Kauaʻi's restaurants continue returning to their regular schedules. 🌴🍽️💕

​

 

🌴 Tours & Activities Are Returning!

Your trip to Kauaʻi is about much more than your wedding day. For many of our couples, this is also a long-awaited vacation or honeymoon — and we know you want to explore the island, get out on the water, see the Nā Pali Coast, enjoy a luau and experience the Kauaʻi you traveled all this way to see. 🌺

​

The good news is that Kauaʻi's visitor activities are returning quickly. Helicopter and airplane tours are already operating, Nā Pali Coast boat tours are resuming, luaus are returning, and other island activities continue to reopen.

This is not intended to be a complete list of everything currently operating on Kauaʻi. We're simply highlighting some popular activities that may be of particular interest to our wedding couples, honeymooners and their families.

​

Here are some of the options currently available or reopening shortly:

​

​

Because schedules and availability may continue to change during the recovery, please check directly with each company and make reservations in advance.

​

​

Your Kauaʻi Vacation Is Coming Back Too 🌺

This is exactly what we hoped to see. It's not only Kauaʻi's roads and utilities recovering — the experiences that make a Kauaʻi honeymoon or vacation so special are returning too.

​

You can fly over the island, cruise the Nā Pali Coast, attend a luau, tour a coffee plantation, enjoy beautiful beaches, go out for dinner and explore much of Kauaʻi.

And every day brings more choices.

​

If your wedding is still several weeks away, please keep that rapid progress in perspective when deciding whether to change your plans. The Kauaʻi you see in hurricane footage online is not necessarily the Kauaʻi you will experience when you arrive.

​

The sun is shining. The beaches are beautiful. Weddings are happening. Restaurants are open. Tours are returning. And Kauaʻi is ready to welcome you. 🌺🌴💕

 

 

​Please Remember: Kauaʻi Is More Than One Viral Video

Some of the most dramatic storm footage being shared repeatedly online comes from particularly hard-hit locations. Those images are real — but they do not represent the entire island.

Conditions can look dramatically different just a few miles away.

 

One unexpected silver lining for couples traveling to Kauaʻi over the coming weeks may be a quieter island experience. With some visitors having changed or postponed their travel plans following the storm, you may encounter quieter beaches, less traffic and a little more privacy for your wedding ceremony and photographs. 🌴💕 For couples who love the peaceful, natural side of Kauaʻi, this could actually be a particularly beautiful time to experience the island.

​

Our team is on Kauaʻi, and we're receiving firsthand information every day. Before cancelling your wedding or your trip, please contact us. We can tell you what we're actually seeing on the ground and, when necessary, help you make simple adjustments to your plans rather than give up your Kauaʻi wedding altogether.

​

The sun is shining. The beaches are beautiful. Restaurants are open. Tours are returning. Weddings are happening. And Kauaʻi is welcoming visitors back. 🌴☀️🌺

​

If you've been dreaming about your Kauaʻi wedding and honeymoon, we can't wait to welcome you.

We'll continue updating this page as even more of the island's hotels, restaurants, activities and services return.

 

Aloha,
Your Kauai Island Weddings Team 💕

Come to Kauai - 1.jpeg
KauaiFlower.heic
Kauai Island Weddings Celebration - 2.jpeg
17-9-15 Kidem Camera A-74.jpg
Snorkling-1.jpg
Hawaii Kauai Na Pali coast landscape scenic cruise Couple watching dramatic mountains famo
Hula-1.jpg
bottom of page