Hawaii is an absolutely stunning place to get married, but what if you want the perfect mix of beautiful views and a quiet oasis? Well, A Halekulani Hau Terrace wedding may be the perfect fit for you.
As a Hawaii wedding photographer, I have been to a ton of venues around the island, but the Hau Terrace is definitely one that stands out to me. Not only does it have beautiful views, but it also gives you so much flexibility in how you want your day to look.
Let’s dive into some key things you should know about the venue and look at how two couples create completely different, but equally beautiful, Halekulani Hau Terrace weddings.
About the Hau Terrace at Halekulani Hotel
The Halekulani Hotel is the perfect location if you want the beauty of Waikiki without dealing with all the crowds. The hotel looks out over the beach and the Pacific Ocean, but it still gives you the feeling of being a bit more private without having to travel too far out of the way.
Before we talk about the terrace itself, one of the things I love about hotel wedding venues is that it makes it so easy when it comes to the logistics of your wedding. Whether you are planning a destination wedding or you have friends and family coming in for the big day, you can’t beat having everyone staying right at the same place you are going to tie the knot.
Plus, the hotel itself is absolutely beautiful, and you definitely won’t be disappointed by your stay! It always tends to be a bit less crowded and very peaceful and quiet.
The Hau Terrace itself is one of a few different ceremony locations you can choose from, but it is definitely one of my favorites. It is a beautiful indoor-outdoor space that has incredible views of the ocean.
I would definitely say that smaller to medium-sized weddings are perfect for this spot, especially if you want to have your ceremony on the patio of the terrace. Then, you can pop inside the terrace for your reception (and to cool down a bit in the warmer months).
Another thing I love about this venue is that the terrace is surrounded by French doors on three sides, so even if you are inside, you can still enjoy the beautiful views surrounding you.
Because of the views and the natural greenery surrounding the terrace, the whole area has a very open and clean aesthetic to it. The great thing about this is that you can lean into that and let the natural beauty of the area shine, or you can add your own pops and statement moments that truly transform the space into something totally unique.
Let’s look at what each of these options could look like with two different weddings I’ve captured here.
Marissa & Bryce’s Colorful Hau Terrace Wedding
Marissa and Bryce are a super down to earth and chill couple that just loves being goofy and silly together. They wanted their wedding day to be easy and relaxed for everyone, but they also wanted it to be really fun. So, that’s exactly what happened.
They chose to go with a more colorful theme for their wedding and got some stunning floral arrangements to really brighten the space up and create an absolutely beautiful backdrop for their ceremony.
They went with bright pinks, purples, and oranges for their floral arrangements with subtle greenery throughout that really tied everything together with the natural greenery surrounding the terrace.
Not only did the flowers really make this wedding stand out, but they also incorporated so many traditions and moments with their guests that made the day memorable. They wanted to get married in Hawaii where his family is from, and they also had Marissa’s aunt and uncle perform a Buddhist wedding ceremony to truly combine all of their traditions.
Every choice that they made for the wedding, from the colors to who they had standing next to them, felt very intentional, and it made the day such a fun and vibrant one. You could truly feel the love coming from not only the couple but also everyone gathered to celebrate this next step in their lives.
Tyler & Ginny’s Classic Hau Terrace Wedding
While I absolutely loved the colorful and fun-loving vibe of Marissa and Bryce’s wedding, that may not be what you are looking for when it comes to your own wedding day. Tyler and Ginny also tied the knot on the Hau Terrace, but they went for a much more classic and elegant vibe for their big day.
Appreciating the quiet moments together was one of the biggest things Tyler and Ginny wanted to prioritize and that feeling was brought through every single part of their wedding. They went for a much more classic, white flower aesthetic for their wedding, and it gave the whole space such a peaceful and calming vibe.
They accentuated their arrangements with bright greenery that not only provided some subtle pops, but also made the natural landscape around them pop as well.
Outside of the florals, they also wanted to prioritize being truly present in each moment and spending time with each other and the people they loved who were there to celebrate with them.
They decided to do a private first look, and this is one of my favorite things to capture because it is such a special moment on your wedding day. You can really see the moment that it sunk in for these two that they were getting married that day, and that feeling is something they are always going to cherish. It was hands down one of the sweetest moments of the day.
Not only were they able to have this moment with each other, but they were able to enjoy a moment with each and every one of their friends and family with them that day as well. They took the time to give leis to each of their guests and got to hug and love on all of them individually.
I think that is something that is really special when it comes to your wedding day, and why I love a more intimate wedding. Oftentimes, so much is going on that you can also feel like you’re missing out on either talking to all of your guests or just enjoying each part of your wedding day.
But by having a smaller wedding like this, they were able to spend meaningful time with each person without feeling like they were being pulled in a million different directions.
To end the night, they had Mango Season Music playing live, and they were definitely a big hit. There was nothing but smiles all around and a beautiful celebration for the newlyweds!
Ready for Your Own Hau Terrace Wedding?
So, whether you are looking for something bright and colorful or somewhere with natural beauty that can shine through, the Halekulani Hau Terrace wedding venue is absolutely a spot that will not disappoint.
And, if you still need that perfect photographer to capture your incredible wedding here, I’d love to chat. You can click here to learn more about my wedding photography services, or you can head over here and get in touch to talk about what your special day!
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