Hawaii Weddings And Three Key Hires

Have you considered having a wedding on one of the islands in Hawaii or some other destination location? If so, the key is to start your planning early. Remote paradises such as Hawaii often book fast and any of the best vendors book up even faster. There are many things and people to consider for your ceremony and reception, but none more important to book or to make your day special than the wedding photographer, florist and your reception's master of ceremony.

Wedding Photographers

One of the keys to your wedding planning, and especially for a destination wedding such as Maui for example, is the photographer. A local photographer will know all the best locations on the island for any photo or theme you are looking to accomplish. In addition, the wedding photographer probably knows just about everyone to recommend for you to put together a successful wedding.

Maui wedding photographers get booked up quickly, so plan ahead and do your research. Check out their sites for their portfolios and contact them as soon as you can to book your date. Often you will need to leave a small deposit to hold that date, but if you wait, you may not get the date or photographer you want.

Selecting the right photographer is about your gut instincts. Talk on the phone more often than email so you can have that personal touch and emotion to see if you two connect or not. You will find that your working relationship with the wedding photographer will be the most important relationship to have during the wedding process. Get to know them and allow them to get to know you. Your photos will reflect this connection.

Wedding photography is not cheap, so the sooner you plan, the sooner you can budget. However, most photographers will offer different packages and one might be within your budget. Talk to your photographer about all their options. If you plan to be in Maui early, or you are a resident, some packages may include engagement, pregnancy or vacation shots if you have family and friends there with you to celebrate your day. If these and other shots are not part of a package, often they can be purchased at an additional cost.

Everyone looks to save money, but in the end, it's the quality and peace of mind a good wedding photographer will bring you during a very stressful time period.

Wedding Flowers

Quite often the floral arraignment sets the tone for the wedding ceremony as well as the reception. Flowers bring beauty and a touch of grace, and it is the florist's job to coordinate the colors to match in every aspect, including the bouquets, flower petals, the altar, cakes, centerpieces, the head table and any other trim needed. If the wedding is in Hawaii, they see to the leis as well.

Florists book up quickly, so start your search early. A good florist should have referrals and photos of their work so that you don't sign up blindly.

Emcee / Master of Ceremonies

As many can attest, your emcee or master of ceremonies can dictate whether your reception is a memorable one or not, and hopefully for the right reasons. Often couples try to save money and ask their most outgoing friend or relative to handle the responsibility. If this is something you are considering, be sure they have some public speaking experience or have emceed a wedding before. Being funny or even loud is a great attribute to start, but for one to maintain it for a large crowd and for long periods of time is very much different that being the life of the party in a crowd of just a few.

In addition, when you have a larger crowd that is there for a wedding, they will have to deal with different taste, therefore telling inside jokes can lose a crowd. Also sure to lose the crowd are those awkward moments of silence, losing their train of thought or telling off color and inappropriate jokes in front of grandma after having a few drinks.

Unless you are sure about someone you know your best move is to hire a professional. Find someone who has experience that can produce references as well. Do your due diligence and check out their website if they have one or search for any possible reviews from other clients of theirs. Good emcees are hard to find, so book early once you found someone you really want.