As one of the preeminent wedding destinations in the world, there is no shortage of gorgeous wedding locations in Hawaii. From the black lava rock to pristine white sand beaches, each island has something unique to offer to you and your wedding party. If you’ve read our Ultimate Hawaii Destination Wedding Guide and are ready to begin planning your day, the first question is: Which island is best for weddings?

Choosing Your Island

While there are 8 beautiful islands in Hawaii, it is most likely that you would plan your wedding on one of the Big 4: Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and the Island of Hawaii (also known as The Big Island). Each of these islands has its own weather, geography, and social scene so it is important to choose your island location based on what you want your ceremony to be like.

When choosing your wedding location these factors are the most important:

• Weather

• Activities

• Crowds

• Cost

We at Beach Glass Weddings are based on the Island of Hawaii because we believe The Big Island offers an unparalleled secluded environment for our unique, customized weddings that range from off-roading to the beach for an early morning ceremony to flying in a helicopter to a secret waterfall.

So which of the Big 4 is the right island for your union? Below we’ll compare and contrast each island based on its weather, activities, crowds, and cost.

Weather

There are infinite ways to celebrate your union in the state of Hawaii, but you are likely considering an outdoor wedding. And why wouldn’t you when you have options like The Big Island’s stunning black cliffs overlooking pristine white sand beaches? Kauai hosts some of the most tremendous mountains and valleys in the world, and Oahu and Maui provide some of the most stunning beaches the globe has to offer. However, we have to remember that the Big Four are islands, and as islands, they have distinct weather patterns. 

The biggest weather concern when planning any outdoor event is obviously rain. With that in mind, it’s important to know that Kauai is one of the wettest spots in the world, and the majority of the venues that are available for weddings are on the east side which adds even more possibility of rain. However, this wetter climate makes for some of the most beautiful scenery in Hawaii - there’s a reason that we call Kauai the “Garden Isle” - as well as the best chance to capture stunning wedding photos with a double or triple rainbow in the sky. The possibility of rain doesn’t mean that you can’t get married on Kauai or any other east side location on the islands, but you should choose a backup location or a backup date just in case.

Maui, Oahu and the Big Island all experience less rain than Kauai, and they tend to be warm and sunny year round. In the southwestern areas of Maui and Oahu, the rain tends to pass quickly, lasting only a few minutes before giving way to sunshine again. The Big Island has the most diverse climate of the islands, with some areas being wetter and some areas getting almost no precipitation at all. At Beach Glass, many of our clients are looking for a picturesque sunset beach wedding, so all of our top venues are on the western shore, where the weather is generally stable and sunny. 

In general, the islands will get more rain in the winter months (November-March) and will be much warmer in the summer.

Check out these rainfall maps to compare the climates of the different islands for yourself:

Island of Hawaii | Annual & Monthly Rainfall Maps

Island of Maui | Annual & Monthly Rainfall Maps

Island of Kauai | Annual & Monthly Rainfall Maps

Island of Oahu | Annual & Monthly Rainfall Maps

Maps credit: Giambelluca, T.W., Q. Chen, A.G. Frazier, J.P. Price, Y.-L. Chen, P.-S. Chu, J.K. Eischeid, and D.M. Delparte, 2013: Online Rainfall Atlas of Hawai‘i. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 94, 313-316, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00228.1. Source link

Activities

When planning a destination wedding, it’s important to consider what other activities will be available to your wedding party and guests during the times when you won’t be entertaining them. Every Hawaiian island is unique and provides a singular experience, so no matter which island you get married on, you’ll be able to pick fun things for your friends and family to do. 

Beaches

Among the greatest benefits to traveling to a tropical destination are the beaches. Each island in Hawaii is home to world-class beaches, and they are as unique as the islands themselves. When we imagine Hawaiian beaches, we likely imagine iconic white sand beaches meeting turquoise water under the shade of palm trees. Hawaii offers this classic view in abundance, but many people don’t know that there are myriad other types of beaches in Hawaii as well.  The Big Island alone is home to three different types of beaches with different colors of sand: classic white, stunning green, and volcanic black. On Maui you can visit the stunning red sands of Kaihalulu Beach, or the golden Papohaku Beach, where the yellow sand lights up into a fiery orange at sunset. 

Water Sports

There are many unique aquatic activities on the islands that visitors of any skill level can appreciate. Did you know that Maui is the only island where you can windsurf? Maui is also home to Molokini, a crescent-shaped volcanic crater in the Alalākeiki Channel between Maui and Kahoʻolawe. Diving at this beautiful formation is a singular experience for those who love underwater excursions. Fearless adventurers should look to Oahu for shark diving, and to the Big Island for one of the only two places in the world where you can snorkel or dive with manta rays. At Beach Glass Weddings, we always suggest that our parties take an introductory scuba course when they arrive on the Big Island because the exceptionally calm and clear water surrounding the Big Island makes it a top scuba diving destination worldwide. The North Shore of Oahu is famous for its surfing competition, but even if you’re a novice, Waikiki Beach is a great place to take a surfing lesson if you want to try it out. For those who want to be on the water in a less sporty way, the Big Island has the calmest waters to enjoy a sunset sailing cruise. 

Nature Adventures

As iconic as the beaches of Hawaii are, its astonishing mountains, valleys and volcanoes are equally a must-see. On the Big Island, you may lose yourself in the cosmos as you stargaze on top of Mauna Kea, the highest mountain in the world measured from the seafloor and the fourth-oldest volcano in the world. A popular activity on Maui is to venture to the top of the East Maui Volcano Haleakalā and bicycle down to the bottom. Climbing and foothiking are beloved on all of the islands, but a particular attraction is Waimea Canyon State Park on Kauai. This stunning nature preserve is also known as “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” The canyon is about 10 miles long and as deep as 3,600 feet at some points, offering some of the most breathtaking views in Hawaii. For the coffee lover in your wedding party, the Big Island is home to seven distinct coffee production regions that welcome visitors year-round.

Shopping & Nightlife

For those who prefer the bustle of city life but still want to take in the tropical climate, the island of Oahu has a wider variety of nightlife and shopping choices than any of the other islands. Oahu’s Waikiki Beach is home to internationally renowned restaurants and some of the best shopping in the world. For those wanting some serious retail therapy, look no further than the Ala Moana Shopping Center, the gorgeous outdoor mall where you can find Balenciaga, Gucci, Chanel, and the hottest styles from Japan.

Crowds

Another factor in planning your Hawaii destination wedding is the crowds. Population density is a serious consideration in Hawaii, not just because tourists could end up in the back of your wedding photos, but because it affects traffic and availability of accommodations as well. Oahu and Maui are both wildly popular destinations for tourists, and trendy beaches like Waikiki Beach can see as many as six wedding ceremonies within 50 ft of each other happening at a given time. On Kauai and Oahu, the traffic on the roads tends to be quite dense so you will always need to factor in transportation time when choosing a wedding location and booking any activities. As the biggest island, the Big Island is not as densely populated as the others in the Big 4, and the traffic is generally much easier to navigate. The beaches also don’t get quite as crowded as they do on Maui and Oahu, except during the month of October when the Ironman Triathlon takes place and the island is flooded with athletes and spectators.

Cost

When you imagine your dream Hawaii wedding, you may be a bit overwhelmed anticipating the price tag. Luckily, there are wedding venues for every price point in Hawaii so it is possible to create a beautiful wedding on any budget. One thing to consider is how trendy your chosen location is. Maui, for instance, is an iconic location that conjures the ideal image of Hawaii, and that sentiment is reflected in a Maui wedding’s price tag. Weddings on Maui tend to cost about double what it would cost to have the same wedding on the Big Island. The difference in cost between the islands is also reflected in daily necessities such as the price of food and car rentals. Food and car rentals are both more expensive on Kauai than on the Big Island, and we’ve found the price of parking in Oahu to be exceptionally high. It takes a little time and planning, but investigating the costs of all aspects of your stay can really pay off - by finding ways to save money on some key aspects of your wedding, you can stretch that leftover budget to pay for things like additional activities for your guests or thoughtful customizations to your special day. There’s a lot to balance when making a wedding budget, but with the diversity of offerings among the islands, it’s entirely possible to create a fantastic, fun and affordable wedding with a little research.

The Payoff

At the end of the day, every island in Hawaii is beautiful and unique, so it’s possible to personalize your experience to your exact specifications when planning your dream wedding. Instead of seeing the differences between the islands as something to contend with, see it as a great opportunity for optionality and customization! If you think you may want to plan a wedding on the Big Island or are still unsure and don’t know where to start, reach out to us! We’d to talk with you about the magic Hawaii has to offer.