Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Karma Hill

When online costs range from $5,750 to $32,900, finding exact Hawaii destination wedding cost figures can be very difficult. Fortunately for you, we’ve decoded the costs in this thorough essay! Luckily for you, we’ve demystified the prices in this comprehensive article!

First, we’ll break down the costs, starting with the typical beach ceremony and reception fees. Next, we’ll discuss venue ceremony and reception fees and travel and lodging expenses until arriving at a simple GRAND total. Along the process, we’ll go into the specifics and even throw in a few real-world wedding scenarios for illustration.

Whatever your financial constraints or budget, Simple Maui Wedding is here to assist you in making your fantasy wedding a reality!

Hawaii Destination Wedding Cost

~ Table of Contents ~

Read all the way to the bottom for a full breakdown, from plane tickets to “I do.”

Hawaii Destination Wedding Costs – Explained

Before discussing the travel and lodging expenses, let’s get right to the heart of the subject and compare beach and venue pricing for Hawaii weddings, from the bare essentials to all the add-ons.

Now let’s look at how we got those numbers. Keep scrolling for travel and accommodation prices! 

✦ Hawaii Beach Wedding CEREMONY Cost

Our four Maui beach wedding packages at Simple Maui Wedding range in price from $2,550 to $3,850. The “Beach Elopement” option, which includes an hour of photography coverage, is the one we start with. Our biggest package, called “Stunning Beach Wedding,” comes with 3 hours of photography coverage. Our “Simply Beautiful Beach Wedding” package is the most popular, which costs $2,850 and includes 1.5 hours of photography coverage and all of the elements listed in the chart below, is the most popular.

Not every couple decides to include extras, but when they do, our most popular add-ons for Maui beach weddings are the custom bouquet upgrade ($85), flower crown ($125), and rental of our one-of-a-kind “Just Maui’d” Sign ($95). Other frequent requests include vendor services like videography ($1100) and live music ($350). 

✦ Hawaii Beach RECEPTION Cost

While a typical dinner reception is not permitted on a Hawaiian beach, we can provide a delightful “Mini Reception” as part of our beach wedding packages. A one-tier white wedding cake with fresh flowers, a cake table, plate, napkins, and a cake server are all included in the $1,075 price. Also included are sparkling cider toasts for the couple and their guests, a hula dancer, a musician, the couple’s first dance, and an additional half-hour of photography.

In addition, we provide a $525 “Cake Cutting Ceremony & Toast Package” that includes cake, cider, and an additional half-hour of photography. Instead of throwing a big reception, many of our couples choose items ala carte such as one of our elegant yet understated wedding cakes ($175) and cider for their guests ($50), then go out to dinner at a chic restaurant or luau afterward.

✦ Hawaii Venue Wedding CEREMONY Cost

Location, property type, and demand are three variables that affect the price of Hawaii wedding venues. While the price of a hotel or resort can easily exceed both, a private location will generally be more expensive than a restaurant. Let’s look at Simple Maui Wedding’s venue packages, which cover all three of the aforementioned varieties, to get a solid idea of the entire figures.

Our Maui venue wedding packages range from $4,300 to $10,200, bookended by the beautiful and affordable Gannon’s restaurant (our most popular venue) and the luxurious Four Seasons Resort in Wailea. Check out our price guide below to get a visual rundown of what each package offers. 

Add-ons for Hawaii venue weddings often cost a little more than beach affairs because of the ceremony arch ($475 – $800) and the florals for the attendees of honor. Many of our couples also opt for vendor services like extra photography time, videography, live music (included in the Four Seasons Package), and custom bouquets. 

✦ Hawaii Venue RECEPTION Cost

Although we don’t organize receptions at Simple Maui Wedding, we can put you in touch with the events staff so you can make a direct reservation with the vendor of your choice. We’ll run the numbers against the average guest count for our Hawaii destination weddings to determine the expenditures associated with the reception: 15.

Gannon’s Reception Costs

• For a simple venue reception with only 15 guests at Gannon’s, the bare minimum adds up at roughly $2,250.

A two-course meal at Gannon’s restaurant costs roughly $51 per person. For an unforgettable night, you’d also want to reserve their lower lawn ($500), open a cash bar ($100), rent their sound system ($300) and mini dance floor ($200), and include a cake and toast ($300). 

Four Seasons Reception Costs

• On the other hand, the booking prices of a reception at the prestigious Four Seasons in Wailea range from $3,500 – $11,000 plus. 

Events in this private venue require a minimum food and beverage spending of $300 per person excluding tax and service fees. This price point usually consists of cocktail reception appetizers, dinner selection, wedding cake, and beverages. Any optional enhancements or upgrades will increase the overall price tag. 

✦ We put the following numbers at the top of this article but figured they were so important we should list them twice!

Using the above averages, here’s a quick ballpark estimate of where your money will go in both a beach and venue Hawaii destination wedding: 

Hawaii Travel, Hotel & Flight – Expenses

Airfare Cost For 2 to Hawaii

• Average Round trip for two: $1,524

Valuepenguin tallies a roundtrip to Hawaii from $400 to more than $2,000, but these averages include first-class travelers. Most of our couples can fly coach to Honolulu from the continental U.S. for between $500 and $800 and then island-hop for an extra $112 each to Maui. 

Total roundtrip travel costs average out to $1524 a couple, but many cities like LA (where most of Maui’s visitors visit from) can get tickets for much cheaper. 

LODGING + SPENDING

• Total $5,407 = Lodging ($2,892) plus weekly spending ($2,515)

Lodging

Visitor statistics estimate the average daily lodging price on Maui to be $104 per person, with an average visitor stay of one week (7.7 days). For our estimates, we’re going to double this cost because the prices have likely been skewed by backpack travelers who opt for timeshares, Air BnBs, family accommodations, and even tents. Oahu lodging rates will also tip the numbers because their accommodations tend to be more affordable due to the dense population. This brings the bare minimum price of lodging to $1,456 per week. 

However, when it comes to hotels, our clients tend to favor the Hyatt, The Westin, and The Marriott Wailea Beach Resort. The average price for a 1-night stay at these award-winning resorts tallies close to $465 (ranging from $328 during the off-season in November to up to $800+ in the peak summer months). We estimate most couples will stay at least 2 nights (the day before and the night of their wedding), and looking at the experience of our own clients, we agree with the government data that reports most visitors stay for roughly one week. 

With hotel costs calculated in, this brings the estimated lodging cost up to $2,530 for a 7-night stay with two nights at a high-end hotel or $3,255 for an entire week at one of these pricier resorts. 

Spending

According to Hawaii government data, the average Hawaii visitor spending is roughly $109 a day ($829 x 2 = $1,658 total). However, suppose you’re coming to get married. In that case, this trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we advise tacking on an extra $500 for extra add-ons with adventure activities and Honeymoon expenses. That puts the estimated spending at $2,158 ($1,658 + $500).  Add to that the price of a rental car (averages to $51 a day when fees are calculated in), and the total spending for one week comes out to $2,515.

Hawaii Destination Wedding Cost “GRAND TOTAL”!

Here’s where it actually matters: Let’s calculate a precise estimate of the cost of getting married in Hawaii, including everything from your airfare to saying “I do”… 

✦ Hawaii BEACH Wedding Grand Total

✦ Hawaii Venue Wedding Grand Total

Do remember that these costs can differ widely and can cover everything from a beach elopement to a standard beach wedding with 15+ guests, all the way up to an extravagant venue wedding with a lavish reception.

What Should Your Hawaii Destination Wedding Budget Really Be?

We advise you to create a budget that works for you, but plan for it to exceed that estimated amount by at least 15%. According to a WeddingWire research, couples typically budget about $23,000 for their wedding but actually spend close to $30,000. That is a 30% increase than allotted. So plan a budget with some wiggle room when estimating the price of your Hawaii destination wedding.

Not only are there countless wedding must-haves, but when you plan a destination wedding in the “Aloha State” and discover all of the fantastic attractions here, you’ll see why spending a little more can result in memories that will last a lifetime.

While planning your budget, be sure to also weigh in these considerations: 

• How many people do I want to come?
• Can my family afford to make it out?
• Would it be better to have a Hawaii destination elopement for the budget I have?
• How much photography coverage do I need?
• Do I want a big reception or will a simple cake-cutting suffice?
• Would I prefer a live musician or would a simple Bluetooth speaker work?
• Do you want to stay in one location, or use some of your budget to explore other islands?
• Should the majority of our budget go to our vacation trip/honeymoon or to the ceremony & reception?

One FINAL thing to consider:

The price of an average US wedding is close to $30,000 while the average Hawaii destination wedding costs between $9,500 and $15,600…

Lastly, for all you visual learners, here’s a breakdown of the Hawaii destination wedding costs examined in this article.