Sunday, November 6, 2011

5 QUICK TIPS for planning a STRESS FREE wedding on Maui!

We hear it often..."The groom and I are just so STRESSED when we start talking about having to plan a destination wedding." I feel badly for newly engaged couples who really don't know where to start. The excitement of the engagement wanes a little bit when the reality that wedding planning across an ocean (and often much farther) is hard work. THUS, I'm hopeful that these 5 QUICK TIPS for planning a STRESS FREE wedding on Maui will provide you some relief!

1)DON'T TRY TO DO IT YOURSELF:
Enlist the help of a caring and very experienced wedding planner. This will save you time and in the long run money $$..time is money. (Just imagine,in the amount of time that you can call one photographer and ask about packages and specials and how he works, we could have already given you the names and shown you their work of at least 10 excellent photographers for consideration who we work with often! We know them, we trust them and so can you.) Your day is entirely too imporant to plan it from thousands of miles away without knowing who you can trust. We are trustworthy, experienced and very caring.
2)IF A PRICE SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, THEN IT PROBABLY IS..BEWARE.
Don't stress yourself out trying to find the BEST wedding package prices because less is not always more and more can be affordable but shouldn't be done cheaply. You may get what you paid for it..and nothing more.
3)WEATHER CAN'T BE PREDICTED ..EVEN BY THE BEST OF WEATHER MEN!
Watching the island weather report two weeks prior most likely will not give you an accurate report of what the weather will be like WHERE YOU ARE and THE TIME OF DAY where you are on Maui. With many eco-systems too numerous to count (almost!) please don't lose sleep seeing the smart phones show rain on your wedding day. And..showers are considered blessings and rainbows are added blessings.
4)WRITING YOUR OWN VOWS may not be your best choice for BOTH of you. The groom often stresses out seeking the PERFECT words for a short paragraph of vows while the bride may have written page after page of affirming vows..or visa versa. Instead consider using the ministers vows that you like and then memorize or just say something to one another after the vows. (i.e., "The first moment we met I....")
5)DECIDE WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE TWO OF YOU. Trying to impress or please others can ideally ruin your wedding day but also your entire honeymoon. Working with your planner to make sure that all planning is as YOU WISH. If you feel that someone is going to be a hindrance to the JOY of the occasion then seriously discuss whether they should be invited or not. AND.. Make time for YOURSELVES. Carve out time for yourselves and if necessary then spend a few days with guests and then choose some nights in another resort away from your guests. I hear people very often say, "We love our family but we really wish we could have some time to ourselves both before and especially after." Do it YOUR way and enjoy friends and family but remember that you are beginning YOUR life together so to be together is key.

Dolphin Dream Weddings strives to make sure that your wedding planning can be as "stress free" as possible. Often as planners and coordinators we try to aleviate your stress by asking you to let us worry about the little and big details. We may not know every answer to a concern or problem but with having planned thousands of weddings we have learned to be problem solvers and most of the time we can prevent a problem before it occurs anyway! And, isn't this what a great wedding professional should be doing for you anyway?

Call us today so we can answer your questions, lead you in the right direction and relieve some of that stress for you! 808.669.8787

Saturday, June 25, 2011

WHICH SEASON IS BEST FOR YOUR MAUI WEDDING?

Each Season on Maui offers wonderful reasons to get Maui'd!!! However, almost every day of the week I have someone ask me, WHICH SEASON IS BEST?

Planning your wedding date is often one of the most perplexing tasks for an engaged couple. One of you may love the idea of a wedding in the SPRINGTIME and another may think that waiting until SUMMER is best. And, for many reasons the best answer is not always ONE SEASON but Maui really does have something to offer for anyone wanting a wedding any day of the year. However, I do suggest that you consider some of the following tips for planning one of the most important days of your lives!

1)Determine WHO you want to invite (if anyone!) and consider when will be the best times for them to be away for your weddingmoon. Those with school aged children may not be able to travel until a school break or the summer. And, grandma in Alaska may be snowed in during January. Check first with your KEY guests /family members and those whom you have asked to be in your wedding party.

2)If your ceremony is indoors then weather may not be of huge concern. And although it is highly unpredictable EVERYWHERE , we do have some past SPRING rainfall records that can help us steer you away from particular months for outdoor ceremonies that may be known to often have a bit more precipitation. However, it is very true that almost every day on Maui is considered a beautiful day...even those days of few morning showers which allow for beutiful rainbows for your afternoon weddings. A good rule of thumb is to just make some back up plans in case of rain for anytime if you want to be guaranteed to always stay dry! Some of private estates either require or highly recommend a tent with certain guest numberes and in some locations.

3)SUMMERs on Maui tend to warm up through September or even October with higher humidity and some days are windier than others any day or time of day. It can all change quickly. Don't speculate that because your MARCH is windy in your city that this will also be the case in Hawaii! We welcome some light trades and often the stronger trades push out some clouds or voggy conditions. (Just remember that a voggy day often paints the sky the most beautiful vivid colors at sunset!)

4)You might reconsider a FALL wedding if you have always visualized the changing of the color of the leaves. We have an abundance of lovely orchids of all colors, as well as ginger, antheriums, plumeria and more vibrant greens that you can imagine much of the year.

5)WINTERS with ice and snow on the mainland may deter you from making a flight due to a cancellation on your end, but December here may be just as warm and sunny as a summer day anywhere else. You might want a light jacket in the evening but if the men are in long sleeves or tuxedoes then they may be quite uncomfy during ceremony and the photo shoot. Enjoy the lighting of the BANYAN TREE and see the lovely lights at all resorts and especially at The Ritz and Four Seasons which makes for some lovely dinner and reception lighting without the added cost to you!

Anytime of year really is beautiful for your Maui wedding. Call and discuss the pros and cons of each month with us, but remember that almost every day on Maui is the BEST day for you to get "Maui'd".

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A NEW YEAR OF WEDDINGS..HAPPY 2011! START YOUR YEAR RIGHT BY PLANNING A LOVELY DESTINATION WEDDING ON MAUI!


It is a NEW YEAR and a time for NEW BEGINNINGS! Hopefully now is the time that you are ready to begin planning a lovely DESTINATION WEDDING or VOW RENEWAL on Maui! CONGRATS!

To get started, here are a few questions that we are frequently asked.

How do we book your planning/coordination services? Call us to reserve your date, time and location with a very small deposit! (A credit card over the phone or a check mailed to us if time allows.) Many couples tell us that they waited to book with a planner because they thought that they would need to place "large sums of money" toward their wedding at the time of the booking. This is simply not the case with DOLPHIN DREAM WEDDINGS. We reserve your date and time to ensure you are on our schedule, we set up your file and then begin planning the location, the vendors and special details. In most cases you can pay your entire wedding balance anytime up to 31 days prior to your wedding!

Why use a planner? We can save you time, $$$, and much STRESS. You might want to plan a birthday or anniversary party but unless you live on Maui and have all vendor contacts, knowledge of wedding planning and locations for wedding and receptions..do you really want to plan your own wedding? Don't trust yourself or friends for the many hundreds of hours that it would take you to do what we do every day of the week. Trust us, we will take great care of your most special day.

Why Maui? Why NOT Maui? Maui is a world apart from the mainland but it still in the United States, with safe drinking water, same currency, and the most beautiful beaches and private locations for lovely photos. The resorts are great, the shopping is better than most imagine and if you want to see Pearl Harbor, spend some of your time island-hopping then you are just a day trip away. Best of all..our VENDORS are GREAT!

Why DOLPHIN DREAM WEDDINGS? We love doing weddings, are experienced and CARING planners. We have a great team of assistant on-site coordinators who do an absolutely wonderful job on your wedding day.

DON'T DELAY..CALL US TODAY TO BEGIN A NEW BEGINNING AS HUSBAND AND WIFE AS YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING WITH DOLPHIN DREAM WEDDINGS!