Maui is an island with a surplus of immense beauty. Complete with sandy shores, an abundance of lush greenery and palm trees, and breathtaking landscapes it’s no wonder that it’s so popular when it comes to destination weddings. While Maui can host some incredible large-scale weddings, the island is also home to some of the best intimate wedding venues you can find throughout the Hawaiian islands! That’s why today I figured it was time to cover 6 of my favorites as well as what to look for when looking for an intimate wedding venue. Let’s get into it!

What To Look for in an Intimate Wedding Venue

As we’ll see later, there are some incredible intimate wedding venues on Maui which can make it hard to decide on the one that’s right for you. This list is by no means an all inclusive one, but it will give you an idea on some of the best of the best venues the island has to offer. As you look through these venues though, or other options, there are some key things you’ll want to keep an eye out for when choosing your venue.

Feel and Experience

One of the biggest draws of an intimate wedding is the level of creativity and flexibility they offer to the couple. Intimate weddings often forgo some standard wedding traditions for a more personal and unique approach to the wedding day. This means that you can create a VERY unique experience for your wedding day, which is why you’ll want to look for an intimate wedding venue on Maui that helps facilitate that experience. Find a venue that fits your vision, both for the setting of your day as well as what they allow your wedding day to include.

Vendor Lists

Going along with the concept of creating a wedding experience wholly unique to you is making sure your venue lets you work with the vendors you want to. Some venues have vendor lists that you have to book through in order to have your wedding there. While it’s true that these vendor lists are usually very reliable as a venue isn’t going to partner with a vendor they do not trust, if you have a very specific vision for your day and the vendors that are a part of it this could be a deal breaker, or at the very least something you and your partner should discuss before booking.

Capacity

A big factor to keep an eye out for when choosing your intimate wedding venue on Maui is the guest limit and requirement when booking. Every venue will have a guest limit of some sort whether it’s 50 or 500, some venues actually have a minimum guest requirement though. If you’re planning on having an intimate wedding day of only 20 guests, be sure that your venue doesn’t have a minimum requirement, or at the very least you meet that requirement.

Ease of Travel

Last but not least you’ll want to look into how easy it is for your guests to travel to your venue and if there are any nearby locations for them to stay at. Luckily with you looking for an intimate wedding venue on Maui and it being such a popular tourist destination there are plenty of travel and stay accommodations throughout the island. If you do book a venue that is more out of the way though you’ll want to do some research prior for your guests. That way you can give them recommendations of where to stay and how to get around the island to keep things as simple and stress free as possible for everyone!

My Top 6 Intimate Wedding Venues on Maui

Phew! Now that we know what we’re looking for in our intimate wedding venues on Maui and what exactly an intimate wedding is, we can finally get into my top 6 venues on the island.

The Plantation House

On the Northwest tip of Maui you’ll find our next intimate wedding venue which is one of my all-time favorites, The Plantation House! The venue offers an open-air dining room or a space on the grass looking out over its gorgeous golf course for you to choose from for your wedding day festivities. Both spaces give you gorgeous views, and the staff of The Plantation House is seriously next level making your wedding day a guaranteed dream come true! The venue is also in close proximity to Kapalua Resorts giving you and your guests a ton of options to choose from for your stay! The venue can host up to 90 guests, but trust me it is perfect for intimate weddings as well!

Gather in Maui

Further south down the shore from Sugar Beach Events you’ll come across Gather in Maui, an intimate wedding venue found on the Wailea Gold and Emerald Golf Courses. As a wedding venue, Gather in Maui brings a ton to the table! With incredible views both of the ocean and the rolling fields of the golf courses, a stellar staff that goes above and beyond for their couples, and an incredible in house kitchen service to create the wedding menu of your dreams. The venue is a true intimate wedding space, with its lawn ceremony space having seating for up to 30 guests while its main dining room can host up to 80 guests. Have your ceremony looking out over the gorgeous ocean and then celebrate the night away on Gather in Maui’s outdoor terrace for your reception!

Merriman’s Kapalua

On Maui’s northwest shore you’ll find Merriman’s Kapalua, a stellar restaurant that doubles as a one of a kind intimate wedding venue. With Merriman’s Kapalua being a gourmet restaurant you can count on the catering being of the utmost quality. The appeal doesn’t stop there though! The venue has either an open grass area or their large patio that you can use for your ceremony and cocktail hour, and then a covered space for your reception. The staff is also incredibly helpful and are a HUGE benefit when planning your dream wedding through them!

Travaasa Hana

The east coast of Maui is home to Travaasa Hana, a luxury resort that is also a perfect option as an intimate wedding venue! The Travaasa Hana has eight different spaces available as wedding venues and also offers different wedding packages to its clients based on their guest count. While some of their spaces can host up to 150 guests, most are smaller and better suited for intimate weddings. With gorgeous views of the ocean, the landscape of Maui, and tons of greenery all around, the venue is the perfect tropical paradise setting for an intimate wedding. Being a resort means there are also plenty of options for your guests to stay on location making things even easier for everyone.

Hotel Wailea

Slightly north of Gather in Maui you’ll find the fabulous Hotel Wailea! Similar to Travaasa Hana, Hotel Wailea is a venue that offers couples a variety of spaces to choose from when creating their perfect intimate wedding day on Maui. With 7 different spaces available with guest counts ranging from 25 to 250, each with their own distinct feel and personality, there really is an option here for almost everyone. With an in house planning team and catering, the venue sets its couples up with success and helps each step of the way in creating their dream wedding day!

As you can see there is no shortage of amazing intimate wedding venues across the island of Maui! No matter the style and feel you’re going for, there’s something here for you. That being said, there is a LOT more that goes into planning an intimate wedding on Maui than just choosing a venue. If you’re in the planning process of your own Maui wedding and are feeling a little stuck take a look at my top 5 tips for planning a Maui wedding as well as what my client experience looks like as a Maui wedding photographer. And if you like what you see send me an inquiry so we can start planning your intimate wedding together!