Well, it was finally here, and what a perfect day it was. Another Maui’d Forever wedding was about to begin. Dave, along with 12 of his and Stacy’s closest friends and family members, made their way down the beautifully landscaped walkway of Makena Surf. Hawaiian Minister Kimo Kirkman holding Conch Shell in hand, sounded the Brides arrival. Popular Maui photographer Alejandro Koziolas moved in and out of the group capturing every moment at every possible angle.
The Sky was blue, the water looked warm and inviting, and the day proved all that Dave and Stacy had hoped for and more. Pastor Kimo, commented how lucky we all are to be in such a perfect place at such a perfect time. The look in Dave and Stacy’s eyes, could do nothing, but agree.
We at Maui’d Forever, wish them health and happiness, and as always, hope they stay,
Maui’d Forever.

Forty five white wedding chairs lined the perfectly manicured Lower Wedding Knoll at the Sea Watch Resort, in Wailea. Bride, Marianne, her two sisters, and ten year old daughter Makeala,waited patiently for the last guest to arrive. Groom, Stephen, standing nervously in a Beautiful Circle of Flowers awaiting his Brides entrance turned to Officiate Bill Armstrong and said,” everyones here, we’re ready ” So began another memorable Maui’d Forever Wedding. There were tears, laughter, and the unmistakable look of I LOVE YOU written in the couples eyes. Harpist Lisa Porter, sang The Hawaiian Wedding Song, to the delight of all, while photographer Terry Rowe snapped photo after photo, capturing every important moment till the sun had disappeared into the ocean.
We wish Stephen and Marianne all the good that life has to offer, and from myself, Bill Armstrong, along with my business partner, Mark Steffan we hope they stay MAUI’D FOREVER.

An extremely wet morning gave way to clearing skies. Our wedding started at 5:30pm at Makena Surf. See that wedding site.

The couple arrived in their silver jeep wrangler. We sent the groom down to be microphoned while we got photo’s of the bride coming down the lush path. The bride, Melissa was adorned in a beautiful white wedding dress while Matthew was dressed in a dark blue pinstripe suit.

In the cove we had a circle of flowers where Matthew, Rev. Cleighton and Guitarist Kaleo waited for the bride. The wedding was blessed with a very comfortable cloud cover. The ceremony started with a glorious chant by our Hawaiian minister. You could see the joy in both the bride and the groom during the whole ceremony. After being pronounced man and wife, Kaleo played a great version of Brother Iz’s “Somewhere over the Rainbow”.

At the conclusion of the ceremony we did some after wedding photo and video shots including the famous “heart drawn in the sand” with the words “Maui’d Forever” written within. Another great shot was had when photographer Mark Steffan had them jump for joy with the ocean in the background.

Finally we drove the couple down to North Maluaka where chef Massimo had a tiki torch accented dinner for them both. We took a few pictures of the cake cutting and left the happy couple to enjoy their romantic gourmet dinner. They had the beach to themselves!

In order to rate or rank which beaches are best for a wedding on Maui, we first must determine what criteria we should use in coming up with a result. Having worked on thousands of weddings on the Islands, I can say from experience what it is that matters most to the newlywed couple. The beach must first be romantic with a beautiful backdrop.

Photos are of paramount importance. Given that, there should be a certain level of privacy. All the beaches in the Hawaiian Islands are public and therefore privacy is not guaranteed anywhere!

Next, access should not be difficult. Good parking and public restrooms are a plus. Proximity plays a role for most. Your wedding beach needs to be relatively close to where you are staying. Last but definitely not least is weather. Many couples ask to be married next to a waterfall not realizing that the romantic photo they are looking at fantasizing about their dream wedding is that photo was taken on the only day it did not rain there that month. You do not want to be rained out.

For more information about Maui weddings and the best beaches, visit http://www.mauidforever.com.

The top beaches for weddings in Maui are as follows:

1. South Maluaka. Located behind the Maui Prince Resort, this location offers many beautiful venues. The park above the beach has a very private lawn area encircled by tropical vegetation. Several other grass knoll overlooks of the ocean and lava point are other excellent choices. Of course the sandy beach is very nice too. This beach has public restrooms and showers and plenty of parking. The 4 Island views from this locale offer excellent photography and the sunsets are to die for. Good for larger weddings.

2. Makena Surf. Exactly 1.1 mile south of the Fairmont Kealani lies a secluded stretch of sand not too well known even to Maui locals. Access is through a public easement and a flower laden walkway down to the beach is lovely. The beach itself is a long with golden sand and accented with black lava outcroppings. Plenty of beautiful wedding spots dot this very good choice for a Maui wedding. The biggest drawback: No public restrooms. Good for larger weddings.

3. Makena Cove. Probably the most famous of Maui wedding beaches, Makena Cove is quite spectacular. Probably the most striking little cove on Maui. Little is the operative word. Being so popular and so small means a sometime literal wait for you to be able to have your wedding there. No restrooms, little parking compound the problem. Consider this option for a smaller wedding only.

4. Wailea Elua. Maui’s most luxurious community has a beach access popular with snorkelers and scuba divers. This site is a black lava point with 2 sandy coves to either side. Good parking and public restrooms make this a good choice for many. The point and both sandy coves offer several excellent wedding choices. Only consider this for a late afternoon sunset wedding as regular beachgoers don’t make this a good choice for morning weddings.

5. Kapalua Bay. The only one of our top choices located in West Maui. So if you are staying in Lahaina, Kaanapali, Napili, Kahana or Kapalua this is essentially the only and best choice for you. Excellent parking, public restrooms and a wide sandy bay make this an excellent choice for a wedding. At this time there is a grass knoll overlooking the bay on the south side of the bay (closest to the parking lot) and is a spectacular wedding site in Maui.

About The Author

Mark Steffan is the coordinator and founder of Maui’d Forever, Mark is very attentive to detail. Mark will help you to create the wedding of your dreams within your budget. Mark is the founder of the Total Life Planning Institute whose mission is to assist people in creating the life of their dreams. Having his life-planning business in the honeymoon capital of the USA (Maui) is the reason for the formation of Maui’d Forever. We want to help those newlyweds in creating a happy and long-lasting life together.

Beach weddings in Hawaii are quite popular. Over 20,000 weddings each year and most are held at the beach!

Remember, ALL the beaches in Hawaii are public so there is no way to reserve a spot. The best beaches (least crowded with beach goers, great view and great sunsets, with easy access) often have several weddings going on simultaneously.

We are constantly scouting new possible locations and have found a great one in South Maui (right between Kihei and Wailea). This site overlooks the ocean and is on a totally manicured lawn. Plenty of palm trees in the background too! The sandy beach is a short walk away for those necessary beach photos.

Call Bill Armstrong at Maui’d Forever to book your wedding at our NEW favorite spot!