May 25, 2020
When seeking out the best options for your Maui wedding coordination, there may be a small voice in the back of your head wondering if you should just do it yourself. After all, DIY-ing can be an immensely rewarding experience… But is it a wise idea to transition the self-doing from outside of the craft-zone and into the sphere of BIG life events?
In this article, we’ll breakdown what goes into doing your Maui wedding coordination yourself versus hiring a professional planner.
If you’re amazing at organizing and keeping names, emails, and phone numbers from multiple people straight to make sure they all show up on time for a 1 to 2-hour window — Or are you the type of person who wouldn’t hire a contractor to manage your construction project? Then DIY-ing your wedding coordination might be right up your alley. The outcome you get is all up to how well you manage all the moving pieces.
We are soooo happy we came across Simple Maui Wedding because it was exactly what we needed. They made EVERYTHING well, simple!
~ Taylor ~
However…
Maui wedding coordination is an extremely time-consuming endeavor. It can take as much time as a full-time job.
That’s not to say it’s impossible to DIY… but planning a wedding on Maui is a lot different than organizing a ceremony back home. You’ll be dealing with vendors you know little about and making important decisions about places you’ve never seen in person.
Even if you’re able to do the paperwork during your Hawaii vacation, think carefully about taking time away from lounging and indulging in your trip with your special someone and family. You’ll need to plan the details, answer emails, and track down the many components that go into creating your dream Maui wedding all to the last minute.
Keep in mind that:
If you’re set on DIYing your Big Day, then follow along with us as we help you detail out the steps involved in planning your perfect wedding in Hawaii.
This is probably the most important element of DIY wedding planning. We use a wide variety of locations that meet and exceed the needs of any Hawaii destination wedding. It’s taken our Maui wedding coordinators years to secure a list of quality venues and beaches that are both consistent and gorgeous, but doing so took hundreds of hours worth of research and on-site inspections. It’s certainly possible to book a location overseas, but keep in mind that online images may be dated. A quality Maui wedding planner will keep you updated with details like nearby construction sites, beach closures, or other changes.
If you plan on doing it yourself, then the first thing you need to consider is what location type you’d prefer: a venue or a beach?
Oftentimes venues won’t work with clients if they don’t have a planner. Ceremonies and receptions can turn into total chaos without a conductor at the helm to make sure everything goes to plan. However, there is a handful that will communicate with DIY wedding planners, you’ll just have to spend extra time shopping around as you make note of the following considerations:
Our Maui wedding coordinators know all the ins-and-outs of Hawaii beach weddings. Almost all beaches in the state are open to the public and that means they’re subject to a long list of regulations and restrictions. If anyone’s a pro on this topic, we are! We know how to ensure an officer isn’t going to tap you on the shoulder as you’re saying “I do’ and ask for your wedding permit. We also know how to make split-second decisions based on weather, location, crowds, wind, and even your guests. Whether you’re just eloping or having a wedding of 30 people, there’s a lot to juggle with a Maui beach wedding. That said if you’d like to DIY, start by following the considerations below.
You’ll need to vet all the vendors you’re planning on hiring, and that includes your minister. Research multiple Maui ministers and browse their reviews to see if they’re a good match for you. Do they provide a quality ceremony? Do you know anyone who’s worked with them before? It’s important to figure out who this person is and how they’ll perform the ceremony. We work with many of the same ministers over and over because we know they’re passionate and trustworthy.
There’s a reason why they say a picture is worth a thousand words. High-quality Maui wedding photography is irreplaceable. No matter how beautiful your memories are, if they’re not captured behind a lens they’ll eventually fade with time. You’re going to want to relive this moment and share it with those who weren’t able to make it. We work exclusively with our highly-reviewed sister company, Karma Hill Photography, which means our coordinators and the KHP photographers work in tandem to seamlessly capture all of the most important moments, from the first-look to the posed portraits.
Read our blog to view real Hawaii Destination Weddings! See all the true moments!
Just as everything on this list, finding a Maui florist begins with research. You’ll want to contact at least 3 vendors and ask for images of the bouquets they offer as well as a list of price points. Many of the brides we work with request custom bouquets that our hand-selected florists can artfully match. If you’d like to add this personalized touch, reach out to your florist with photos of your desired bouquet. If it’s possible for them to create, make notes of any upcharges or additional fees.
If you’re not working with a Maui wedding coordinator, then finding a quality musician on the island can be tricky. Many local professionals find work via Facebook or word of mouth, so our advice is to check multiple social media sites as well as Craigslist, refreshing often. Keep in mind that separating talented musicians from those just starting out is crucial. Be sure to request a sample of their LIVE work to ensure quality and only seek out musicians with reviews from previous clients. All of the musicians we hire are well-established and have built a portfolio of quality performances and punctuality.
If you’re not an accountant by day, paying all of your vendors on time/correctly might be difficult to juggle. Some vendors may require partial payment upfront, others will want it in full, while some might send you an invoice weeks after providing their service. Using a Maui wedding planner means you’ll be able to pay us in your most convenient method, and we’ll pay the vendors. We use a system designed specifically to sort out vendor fees and keep track of any upcharges to ensure you’re not overcharged or hit with unnecessary late fees. If you plan on DIYing your Maui wedding coordination yourself, then consider a quality bookkeeping program that will help you manage the finances, or hopefully, you are good with Excel.
You might be thinking, “This is so much work! Can I do all of this?” Well, if you’re an excellent planner, you might be the rare personality type that CAN pull off a beautiful DIY wedding. To give you an example of what that entails, we combed over our own high standards for our day of wedding coordinators on Maui and composed this checklist from the attributes they have in common.
To be honest, doing your Maui wedding coordination isn’t feasible for most people. A Maui wedding planner will help you with the fine details. We’ll ensure deliveries arrive on time, handle payments so you can manage them in one easy way. Our coordinators will take care of all the last-minute tasks, so you can just enjoy your vacation and spend time with your guests before the wedding.
Maui wedding coordination takes a lot of behind the scenes work. Most of the time, our clients only know a fraction of what we’re doing because we want their Hawaii wedding experience to be carefree. This gives our couples’ time to relax and indulge with their friends and family. We’re the ones who will break a sweat.
It has taken our company 13 years to perfect wedding coordination in Maui. Using Simple Maui Wedding gives you instant access to reliable vendors who are thoroughly vetted and true professionals. An amazing staff that has completed thousands of weddings and has seen nearly every situation. A vast list of wedding industry contacts on every side of the island, so if something goes sideways behind the scenes, we know who to call and fix it at a minute’s notice. Every one of our staff and vendors thinks on their feet and creates solutions to any situation your special day may throw at us. We love the challenge.
To put it another way, being a Maui wedding coordinator reminds us of this famous anecdote:
A woman approached Picasso in a restaurant, asked him to scribble something on a napkin, and said she would be happy to pay whatever he felt it was worth. Picasso complied and then said, “That will be $10,000.”
“But you did that in thirty seconds,” the astonished woman replied.
“No,” Picasso said. “It has taken me forty years to do that.”
Everyone needs a little help every now and then, and your Maui wedding coordination is no exception! Let us be your trusted advisor. We’ll make an incredibly difficult task look easy and feel stress-free.
We’ll handle your Maui wedding planning while you sunbathe by the poolside. Enjoy your trip together, and let us handle the rest.
Interested in hearing more about our Maui wedding packages or have a question? We would love to hear from you!
Fill out the form below or email us at:
Office Location:
1787 Wili Pa Loop #3A
Wailuku, HI 96793
due to our event schedule, hours may change without notice
OFFICE HOURS:
M-F 8AM-4PM, closed SAt/SUN
WANT TO CHAT? 808-873-0789
aloha@simplemauiwedding.net
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