SECLUDED PLACES TO GET MARRIED ON OAHU
If you clicked on this link looking to find my secret places to get married on Oahu, you better keep on clicking, because you’re not going to find them here. Or – anywhere on my site, on my podcast, or – look, I learned my lesson. Back in the early 2000’s when I started my company, and had a pretty awesome basic HTML website, I was out there – telling all of my secrets. “I didn’t care that my competitors scoped out my site for information,” I told everyone.
Well, I was the new kid in town, thought I knew better. Then the old-timers retired from the wedding business, and in stepped these new-timers who were cunning as hell. They took my information, some even took my pictures. One company, oh wait, I’m sorry, TWO companies even created names similar to mine – to steal my business and reputation! So, I learned my lesson. My competitors use my site as some type of Hawaii Wedding wikipedia.
So you know what happened? Those “secret locations” back in the early 2000’s, are not too secret anymore because of big mouth! But here’s the good news. I didn’t give away all my secret spots! And the only way to find out where these locations are, is by booking with yours truly. But I’m not going to leave you high and dry. Here’s what truly makes a good location.
Holy Shnikies, that’s secluded, Batman!
YOUR WEDDING LOCATION IS LIKE A BURGER JOINT…
Think of your wedding in Hawaii like a restaurant. Location is everything. The more secluded your location, the better. The more secluded your location, the more romantic. That’s usually the commonsense equation. Taking it a step further. What also matter is where the sun sets or rises. If you’re looking for a sunset wedding, you have to choose a shore that faces west, because the sun sets in the west. You can’t choose the east shore for a sunset wedding because the sun set is on the opposite side of the island. If the sun sets on the east shore, the end of the world is probably near, and that’s not good news.
What’s better? A West or East shore wedding? Definitely West.
Why?
Well, not only are East locations filled with tourists, who wear too much speedos, and manifest themselves into every photo I take there – but it’s very windy. The State of Hawaii is blessed with tradewinds, which blow from east to west. These tradewinds help keep our islands cool, and our humidity bearable. We may have 85% plus humidity, but it doesn’t feel like it because of those those strong cold winds coming in from the north east. Tradewinds are great humidity, not great for weddings, because you guessed it, it’s bad for hair, which makes it bad for photos. Also, strong winds affect which way you can shoot. You always want your model to walk into the wind. Well, if the wind is strong, you can only walk one way. And unfortunately, when you walk that one way, on the east coast, the background isn’t very nice.
Now, on the West coast, the tradewinds are not as strong. Plus, when you walk into the wind, the background – is cherry.
Yes, the wind is blowing into their face
WAIT, YOUR WEDDING IS LIKE A BURGER JOINT
THAT WANTS TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS
If you noticed, I’m doing horrible on these analogies. Pretty soon, I’m going to tell you that your wedding is like a box of chocolates, because you never know when Tom Hanks is going to show up. But why is your business now like a burger joint that wants to go out of business? Well, it’s because you don’t want foot traffic at your wedding. The less tourists, the better. The less locals, the better. And you want a lot of parking – but you don’t people parking, in the parking lot. I know you’re laughing now, but this is all true.
Do you know that my competitors choose the worst of the worst locations for their weddings? The majority of the weddings on Oahu either happen on Magic Island or Waialae Beach Park. I wrote a review of Waialae Beach Park, aka Kahala Beach that you can read here. To sum it up, most weddings at this beach venue happen 20 feet behind a freaking condo. And of course, clients are not told this. Imagine traveling thousands of miles, crossing an ocean, just to get married there. Magic Island isn’t as bad, although it’s still not ideal. It’s filled with locals and tourists. On Maui, a lot of couples tie the knot at Makena Cove. There are so many couples there, sometimes, you have to wait your turn to find a good spot. I do realize, seclusion isn’t for everyone, and sometimes these locations work out. But companies need to tell their clients the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – right?
Guess where this is? I’m not saying!
THE PERFECT LOCATION IS VERY SUBJECTIVE
All joking aside, there really is no such thing as the perfect location. Every client will have their own definition of perfect. This year, we had a vow renewal for a couple who had to have wheelchair access. Well, the perfect location in that scenario was Magic Island. And you guessed it, it was far from secluded. There was, in fact, homeless people at this park (not year the ceremony). But this was the only place the groom could go, get a great shot of Diamondhead, and exchange vows with his wife of 50 plus years. So, it was perfect.
Perfect to me is a secluded location, perfect for sunset, lots of parking, and very little wind. But that’s my opinion. Of course, your idea differs from mine, and it most likely will, I can find that perfect location for you on Oahu. Just call me. It may be private estate, a public beach, or a tucked away cove behind a resort that very few people know about, but I can find it.
Give me a buzz at (808) 479-0685, or an email at info@dreamweddingshawaii.com, or just fill out the form below.
Steve Young
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