Hawai‘i Wedding - Oahu vs. Maui, Which is Better?

O'ahu is an urban paradise with a little bit of everything. There are a mix of locals and visitors intermingling throughout the island. O’ahu has lots of shopping, restaurants, tons of things to do and experience. Plus there are beautiful beaches, lots of hiking, it is home to the North Shore where there is lots of surfing, and yes, there are beautiful waterfalls. It has a more tourist-populated city area, and quieter more local-populated countryside.

Maui is a resort-filled, island utopia. Picture-perfect sunsets and beaches but quite populated with visitors. It has been built up to cater to visitors and feels more touristy than local overall. It is home to some of the most amazing waterfalls and natural landscapes I have ever seen, but expect to be there with a crowd of visitors who all want to experience the same thing. Maui moves at a slower pace than O’ahu and has a more laid-back vibe overall.

What about weddings?

Do you want a beautiful location where guests can experience a little bit of everything, including some adventure, some beaching, maybe some shopping and nightlife too? You should probably look into wedding venues on O’ahu.

Are you wanting more of a romantic get-away, something more laid back and relaxing for both yourselves and your guests? If yes, you may want to start with looking at Maui.

>> Want to learn more? Let’s get into a little more into detail ↓ <<

Major Differences - O‘ahu vs Maui

O‘ahu has a little bit of everything. There is lots to do, with plenty of relaxation and natural beauty intertwined.  It has a less of a touristy, resort-like feel and intermingles locals with visitors.  Oahu has many different sides of the island each that feels completely different from the next.  While the South Shore may feel more urban and is home to Honolulu (skyscrapers, downtown, chinatown, shopping) and Waikiki (hotels, restaurants), the North Shore feels like a surfers paradise (bikinis, sea turtles, big wave surf contests) and the West Shore has a very old-Hawaii feel (Jurassic Park was filmed here).

Maui has a very resort-like feel overall.  Although the island naturally is postcard perfection, it will be hard to find that perfect Instagram shot without tons of other tourists in the background. Think beautiful beaches, and idyllic sunsets with whales spouting in the sea but it is unlikely you’ll be experiencing this beauty alone. It is largely filled with visitors and catered to create a perfect vacation, mai-tai in hand. Expect to see gorgeous waterfalls but there may be hundreds of other visitors there joining you.

weather / temperature - O‘ahu vs Maui

O‘ahu and Maui are both islands in a very tropical location with average temperatures of 70-85 degrees.  Both offer sunshine perfection intertwined with natural cool breezes. It does rain in Hawaii but not often and not for very long. The weather on both islands is near perfection during most months of the year.

overall vibe - O‘ahu vs Maui

O‘ahu offers a well-rounded Hawaiian vacation with incredible restaurants, lots of shopping, fire dancing luaus, incredible hiking, an array of fun bars and nightlife, beautiful waterfalls and a variety of beaches. People are always on the go in O’ahu and for good reason, theres always so many amazing things to do.

Maui has a more laid back vibe, think tropical island, resort romantic vacation. Maui has all your natural comforts - shopping, nice restaurants, and offers lots of little adventure but in general, things move slower on Maui. It’s a place for relaxing and chilling out.

the cost - O‘ahu vs Maui

Cost - Generally speaking, Maui is more expensive than O'ahu. Expect to spend quite a bit more if you’re going to Maui vs going to O’ahu.

FOOD - O‘ahu vs Maui

Both islands offer a variety of food options and a variety of dining experiences. There are many well known chefs on island who intertwine local foods with modern preparations. There are farm-to-table restaurants, fresh poke bowls, local-style Hawaiian plates, asian style Thai noodles, island coffee shops, vegan restaurants and more.  O'ahu has a larger variety than Maui but both have a mix of island-fusion, intertwined mainland chain restaurants like Denny's, Outback Steakhouse, and McDonalds. 

FLIGHTS - O‘ahu vs Maui

There are direct flights to O'ahu from most mainland and many international airports.  Flying into Maui may require you to fly into O'ahu before transferring over to a smaller local plane that will take you to Maui. This may be an extra flight which can cost more money.  

HIKING AND WATERFALLS - O‘ahu vs Maui

O'ahu has beautiful waterfalls, many that you will need to hike to.  There are many hikes available that can be experienced with little to no crowds in beautiful settings. Maui hands-down has some of the most amazing waterfalls I have ever seen in my life. Expect however, to be surrounded by hundreds of other visitors. In my opinion, this takes away from the overall experience - but some visitors don’t seem to mind the crowds. Finding hikes and waterfalls with people is a lot more tricky on Maui. 

BEACHES - O‘ahu vs Maui

Both O'ahu and Maui have postcard-perfect beaches, the trick is to find a beautiful beach that allows beach weddings and which isn't swarmed with people.  This overall is easier to do on O'ahu as the tourist population is condensed on one side of the island. 

weddings - O‘ahu vs Maui

Maui is the wedding capital of the world. There are an insane amount of weddings happening on Maui daily. The island caters to weddings and there are many wedding venues to choose from. Most of the hotel resorts have wedding packages and there are tons of wedding venues with gorgeous landscapes. Beach weddings are also a big thing on Maui, but because there are so many weddings, expect to see other brides nearby. Overall weddings on Maui are likely going to cost more than a wedding on O’ahu.

O’ahu has many weddings as well, but not nearly as many as Maui. It has a variety of wedding venues from resorts to beach-front villas offering a little bit of everything. Beach weddings on O’ahu are still popular but not as frequent and it is definitely possible to have the beach mostly to yourself if you choose the right location.

Understanding the different islands is important in ensuring you have an ideal wedding and vacation experience. Maui and O’ahu are generally the two islands we hear questions about most. So, to keep things simple, I just did a comparison of these two islands. There are however, other islands you may want to consider - mainly Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i (The Big Island).

My personal opinion is that O’ahu has the best wedding beaches and venue options. If you’re wanting a ceremony on the beach, followed by dinner with an ocean view, beautiful Hawaiian flowers, tropical drinks and amazing food, a live musician and maybe a deejay for the end of the night - all of that can be found on O’ahu. O’ahu also offers your guests a vacation in which they can experience a little bit of everything, appealing to a wider variety of personalities.

Expert Tip:

Have all your guests book hotels in Waikiki. There are tons to choose from and they are all within walking distance from each other. In Waikiki there are tons of amazing restaurants to choose from, many with outdoor seating, live music and an ocean view. Schedule in a few set dinner parties before the wedding, where everyone meets up at a fun restaurant for dinner one or two nights. Check out the pool bar at The Queen Kapiolani Hotel which has live music nightly. Choose a day where everyone meets in front of the Duke statue to do a surfing lesson (the beach across from the Hyatt Regency Waikiki). Here you can get lessons right on the beach. Maybe add in a day trip to visit The Aloha Swap Meet as well. A wonderful place to explore and buy fun little gifts to bring back. In the evening, have everyone meet up at Dukes Waikiki on Sunday evening for live music and mai-tais.

Having a few daily day-trips lets your guests go off and explore on their own while having a few fun little get-togethers where everyone can meet and mingle. Then on your wedding day - schedule a Party Bus or nice mini-bus to pick up all guests and drive to the ceremony location. This eliminates the chance of guests getting lost, guests having to deal with parking issues, and allows everyone to get in the wedding mood - before the wedding starts. The same bus can take all guests home at the end of the night, allowing guests to really relax and not worry about drinking and driving.

Maybe after the wedding do one last get together having all guests meet up at a Hawaiian Luau with fire dancing, hula shows, and a full Hawaiian dinner before heading off to Maui for a solo-vacation honeymoon. A little more romantic and relaxing for the new Mr. & Mrs!

There really is no wrong decision here - all the islands here in Hawai‘i are completely unique and absolutely breathtaking. Hopefully you found this guide helpful and now have a little more insight as to what Hawaii is like.

Got questions? Comment below, we’d love to help!

Happy Planning ✌️

Nicole

Nicole Salmoiraghi is the author and owner of  Best Day Ever Hawaii Events + Weddings, where she helps brides + grooms bring their dream weddings to life. She is an expert planner and has over 10 years of planning experience. Follow her on Instagram, on Facebook and on Pinterest for more wedding inspiration, and Hawaii wedding insider tips.