Last Updated on October 2, 2024 by Karma Hill

You’re engaged! Congratulations! As you launch into preparations for your Best Day Ever, we’ve put together a list of our favorite tips for creating the stress-free wedding day of your dreams. Read our favorite Hawaii wedding planning stress melting tips from top wedding industry professionals to help you avoid unnecessary pain and headaches, and navigate any hiccups along the way.

While bringing any vision to reality takes research and hard work, having the right team and plans in place ensures that things go as smoothly as possible and that you avoid last-minute pressures that often make things feel overwhelming. With 12 years experience in the realm of wedding photography and planning, we’ve definitely picked up some tricks (and good old-fashioned wisdom) for making the day of your dreams go as smoothly as possible.

A Helping Hand

One of the biggest things you can do to cut out stress surrounding your wedding day is to hire a quality wedding planner. No matter how big or small your wedding is. They take so much pressure off of the entire process, in everything from the timeline to selecting your vendors. You can relax throughout the process, knowing that someone with years of experience is coordinating the details and making sure everything is getting ordered, paid, and set up in perfect timing. They have connections with trusted vendors–they know who is dependable, gives the best service, and is the best fit for your vision.

A coordinator always helps with communication with your guests, so that you won’t have to worry about fielding a million questions. The last thing you want to do on your wedding day is have to think about figuring out where the bathrooms are or worry about having to make sure that the place is cleaned up afterward! A coordinator will oversee setup and tear-down, and keep your schedule clutter-free so that you have time to relax and focus on what’s truly important: sharing this day with your family and the person that you love.

We have sister companies on Maui and Oahu that specialize in planning small intimate wedding ceremonies and have packages that include our photography, Simple Maui Wedding and Simple Oahu Wedding For couples looking for a full-service wedding planner who can take care of reception planning and event design as well, we love working with:

 Makena Weddings

White Orchid Wedding 

Vows Maui 

Recommendations for wedding venues that have on staff coordinators, we love:

Sugar Beach Events

Four Seasons Maui  

Wailea Beach Resort 

Additionally, when you book your wedding with us, we are happy to provide additional recommendations for coordinators and other wedding professionals for both Maui and Oahu that we feel would be a good fit for your vision and personality.

Expect the Unexpected

Setting up a great timeline can help you anticipate the unexpected by building in “wiggle-room” for yourself throughout the day. It gives you space to breathe and ensures that a domino effect isn’t created by one or two things going off-schedule (which tends to happen regardless of the best intentions). It’s important to go with the flow and enjoy the day as it unfolds. Don’t stress things that are completely outside of the range of anyone’s control–that means not looking at the weather forecast, and taking any setbacks in stride.

Pamper Yourself

We always recommend hiring professional hair and makeup artists! It may not seem like a big deal, but having someone there to help you get ready and pamper you make the day so much more fun and relaxing. It’s really a great way to start off the day! Remembering to take time for a little self-care is so important amidst the flurry of activity on your big day. It’s the little things that can make a world of difference: remembering to plan a breakfast that you can take a moment and enjoy, scheduling little sections of time to relax or spend quality time with your spouse throughout the day, and being intentional with communication. It will ensure that you don’t feel rushed or overly-jittery (and especially not hangry).

Hair and Makeup Vendors we love:

Salon 253 Bride

MeLi Autumn Beauty

Maui Makeup Artistry

Hair and Makeup by Heather

Keep it Simple

It’s easy for weddings to get cluttered with a lot of unnecessary details. Sorting out the things that have special meaning to you and your spouse is a key element of creating a stress-free day, and ensuring the focus is on the things that matter most. Do you really need those favors that people will likely throw away or could you put that budget towards a more gorgeous bouquet or upgraded wine at your wedding dinner? This helps not only with creating a more relaxed timeline but is also a great way to put less pressure on your budget.

Enjoy the Moment

Having a relaxed wedding day is a balance of preparation and flexibility. Take time to enjoy the little moments: the romantic dates leading up to your big day, the time with loved ones before the ceremony, the dreams of the marriage you’ll build together. Don’t let pressure steal the joy of the process. Be intentional with taking care of yourself, and fostering good communication with those around you.

Hire an amazing Hawaii Wedding Photographer ….Us!

We’re passionate about helping you create the wedding day of your dreams! Our Maui photographers are friendly, warm, and professional. They know how to make your day fun while providing structure and gentle guidance as needed to get the perfect shot. We treat our couples the way we would want to be treated on our wedding day, with high levels of service, not just around the photography, we are there for whatever you need.  You can rest assured that you will be well taken care of and that you will have beautiful photos to look back and remember this special day in both of your lives.

The Best Day Ever

Those are our tips! The more that you can do to keep the focus on the excitement and anticipation of getting married, and less on the stress of planning the event itself, the better! It’s worth investing in for the things that matter to you, and the things that will make sure that you can relax and actually enjoy your day when it arrives. And above all, to be able to truly be present in the moment with your future spouse–that’s what truly makes for the best day ever!