How do I buy alcohol for my wedding? This is a very common question! There are pretty much three basic types of wedding bars: beer and wine only, full bar, and the something in-between sort of modified bar. Aloha Bars is a full service cocktail catering company here on Maui! Once you know which type of alcohol you would like to offer at your wedding or party, then you can get into the details of whether to purchase the alcohol on your own, or having the caterers provide the alcohol. I have listed some information on Costco alcohol vs premium alcohol in order to help you decide!

Buying alcohol from Costco can be a great option if you are trying to cut down on your budget. Alcohol can get expensive very quick. There are definitely some pros and cons to weigh in on before deciding where to get your liquor and wine from!

You do not need to be a Costco member to buy alcohol

Many states (including Hawaii) have a law prohibiting stores from requiring membership to purchase alcohol! This means, you are able to buy alcohol at Costco without a club card. Certain cashiers may not be aware of this law. Make sure to go in ready to discuss with a manager!

Costco’s wine markups are half that of most stores

Many boutique wine shops sell bottles for up to 50 percent more than what the wholesale price is! Wow! The markups for Costco hover around 14 percent. The cost of the same bottle of wine purchased at Costco versus another retailer could differ greatly.

Costco is the largest wine retailer in the U.S.

Wine makes up nearly half of the big box store’s yearly alcohol sales. Costco’s most recent number was $1.69 billion in 2016 sales. This placed Costco as the largest wine seller in the country.

You can stock an entire bar with Kirkland brand booze

Now, you can pretty much buy every spirit under Costco’s signature in-house label: American and French vodka, Scotch, whiskey, bourbon, rum, tequila, and gin. Don’t forget all of the craft beers and wine!

Returns on alcohol NOT accepted at Costco

Costco is notorious for it’s very liberal return policy, but they do not budge when it comes to booze! Be prepared for this as you will not receive a refund, even if your containers are still completely sealed.

Big-name brands make some Kirkland spirits

Kirkland items:

• Beer is brewed by Gordon Biersch.
• Scotch are distilled by either Alexander Murray and Macallan Distillery.
• Bourbon and rum is produced by Jim Beam.
• Vodka is made from the same water source and by the same employees that Grey Goose uses.
• Tequila is produced in the same distillery as Cielo tequila.

Costco’s prices are tough to beat

Buying your own booze always tends to be the cheapest way to go. The alcohol at costco tends to be 20 to 40 percent cheaper than store-brand spirits.

If you have unopened bottles, usually your local liquor store will accept returns. This is a HUGE bonus if you are concerned about not being able to return bottles to Costco!

Now, there are many different reasons why it would be a great idea to purchase your own alcohol. Don’t worry, your caterers will still be able to make your drinks and serve them to your guests. But now you just saved more money by purchasing it on your own. If you are feeling stressed and do not want the extra “burden” of purchasing the alcohol, then it is best to let the catering company that you are working with take care of it.

Sometimes saving the extra dollars can be nice, and especially necessary! Other times, the help is what you truly need and some of the planning weight lifted off your shoulders. Make sure to do your research and know the difference between Costco alcohol vs premium alcohol!

Photography : @dmitriandsandra

Kukahiko Estate Wedding Venue is a stunning wedding location in Makena, Maui. This breathtaking estate is surrounded by the ocean and marine life, making it one of our favorite locations. The beautiful home on the estate is furnished in island style tradition. Kukahiko is a magical place for all weddings. Whether you are having an intimate elopement, or a bigger celebration, this is the place! Above all, having a destination wedding on the ocean in Hawaii is a dream come true. Look no further!
Amanda and Lap’s wedding recently took place at Kukahiko Estate. We are very excited to share it with you. The joyous couple had an unforgettable day. We would like to give a huge thank you to all of the vendors who took part in it!

Aloha Bars Maui

Aloha Bars Maui  provided the mobile bar service at Amanda and Lap’s wedding. An assortment of specialty drinks was chosen by the bride and groom. The “Crimson Heart” and “Bride’s Bouquet” cocktails featured different edible flowers and garnishes, pairing perfectly with the colors and theme of the wedding. To see the recipes to the above drinks and many others click this link to go Aloha Bars Maui website.

Makena Weddings

Makena Weddings is a full service wedding planning and design company offering their services on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Because they genuinely love meeting and working with couples of all walks of life, makes them so special. This brilliant team consists of 3 highly experienced professionals: Laurie, Cindy and Reverend Al Terry.  Makena Weddings is able to service clients with a wide variety of budgets from small intimate gatherings to luxury private estate events. We have worked closely with Makena Weddings for years and would highly recommend them for your wedding planning needs. They will work closely with you and help you choose the best! From the venues and vendors, to your style and budget. If you are looking for stress-free planning, making all of your visions come to life, and having an absolute blast at your own wedding, certainly Makena Weddings is for you!

Photography

Meewmeew Studios is an award winning Maui Wedding Photographer that we had the pleasure of working with on this beautiful day. We would like to thank them for providing all of these stunning photos! Meewmeew studios knows how to capture the moments and paint a picture of the couples story. They are able to feel the love and passion between each couple. These are the types of photographers that see something special and then portray it through an image that will last a lifetime. Meewmeew has photographed hundreds of weddings. Each and every time they going above and beyond with their talent, creativity, and connection with the clients. As a result, working with Meewmeew Studios will guarantee wonderful wedding images.

Vendors

Here are the vendors for Amanda and Lap’s wedding:

Maui Wedding Planner: Makena Weddings

Maui Wedding Venue: Makena Private Estate

Wedding Photographer Maui: Meewmeew Studios

Minister: Reverend Al Terry

Floral Decor: Dellables Floral Design

Bride’s Hair and Makeup: Maui Makeup Artistry

Ceremony Harpist: Kristine Snyder

DJ Entertainment: Take 3 Events, DJ Mike Penn

Rentals: Rio Event Design

Mobile Bar Service: Aloha Bars Maui

Catering: Cafe O’Lei Restaurants

Cake: Maui Wedding Cakes

As you can see, the Kukahiko Estate wedding venue is absolutely magical.

In conclusion, having these lovely and talented planners, vendors and photographers by your side will create the most unforgettable day. We hope you love the Kukahiko Estate.

Your friends and family have traveled from near and far to join you for one of the most important events of your life! Although there are probably not enough words to describe your how grateful you are, putting together a little selection of wedding favors with your loved ones in mind is always a nice way of expressing that gratitude. When selecting your wedding favors, I would recommend keeping in mind the venue and location of the wedding. For example, chocolate may melt if you are having a wedding at the Olowalu Plantation Estate. Did your guests fly in for a destination wedding? Then you will probably not  want to gift them anything fragile such as glass. You may also personalize these in a way that represents you and your fiance. Aloha Bars Maui has a selection of their favorite bar oriented wedding favors, and we would like to share these ideas with you!

Customized cocktail napkins

Add a fun and unique touch to your cocktail napkins. You can customize these to your preference, and even add monograms, or pets on them! This will make your guests smile, and is an easy way to add a more personalized touch to your wedding party.

Hangover kits for guests

You have had a killer party and everyone had a blast. But now…morning has come and the hangover is here. A hangover kit is the perfect gift to give your guests, reminding them of the fun that they had last night while helping them survive the morning after.

What do you put in a wedding hangover kit?!

You can pack the kit in a fabric bag with a custom stamp, or create a take away box or basket. Get creative!

• Hydration is key. A big bottle of water, packaged combo of your personal hangover cure (coffee or tea), or a bottle of coconut water or other drink
• Let’s help your guests get comfortable and back to normal! Cozy slippers are a great gift for this. Dental floss, mints, mouthwash, eye drops, a couple packages of ibuprofen for that blasting headache, or some ginger and peppermint to assist with nausea and digestion.
• Your guests are feeling better! Let’s give them a few more goodies to make them look more alive. Pack of wet wipes or makeup remover, a pair of fun sunglasses, lip balm, lotion, a refreshing spray, or hydrating face mask.

There are plenty ideas of what to put in your hangover kit, these are just a few! You can even personalize the items, or make them pretty funny. Sticking a little hand written note with some breakfast ideas is a nice little touch.

Custom made flasks

We recently had a wedding where the groom personalized flasks for all of his groomsmen! This can be personalized with each individuals name, a funny quote, or something else that you would like.

Mini alcohol bottles
Adorable mini alcohol bottles such as rum (or whatever the bride & grooms favorite is) are great favors. You can attach a little hang tag to them with a thank you note or fun drinking note to make them more personal.

Wedding favors are an easy, inexpensive way of saying thank you to your guests. These are a few of our favorite bar oriented wedding favors. Now, let’s have some fun and get ready for that destination wedding that you have been planning!

Choosing your wedding venue is one of the most important things on the “to-do” list as a bride and groom. All of the little details will slowly come together, but figuring out your venue will help you to organize everything else.
We know that every single bride is searching for the perfect place to have the wedding of her dreams. Whether you are a local to Maui and looking for a venue, or visiting Maui with a destination wedding, here are the top three wedding venues on Maui that we would like to recommend to you!

After years of experience bar tending in premier restaurants on Maui, Kirsty Sinclair (owner of Aloha Bars), decided to create Aloha Bars Maui. Kirsty specializes in providing a high quality, professional mobile bar service that gives your guests a real “taste of Maui” all while staying within your budget! I’m sure you can imagine that Kirsty has had quite some experience working on different venues across the island. These are her favorite venues and she is excited to share them with you!

Olowalu Plantation House

One of her absolute favorites, and an incredibly magical wedding venue, The Olowalu Plantation House. Aloha Bars Maui has provided service for over 400 weddings at this venue! This location is definitely in the top three wedding venues on Maui. A classic plantation house stands on a beach front property located in Olowalu, Maui. The tall and majestic West Maui Mountains sit on one side. On the other side you have the clean, clear, calm ocean. The photo opportunities are endless! The space is big enough to have a day of celebrations. Your ceremony will be steps from the water, and then your reception with twinkle lights set in the trees. As night falls, you will spot the moonlight glistening on the sea as you dance. A moment in time to never be forgotten.

This property can host parking for 30-50 cars, 60 cars maximum with a parking attendant. You may also have a shuttle bus, from the approved vendor list which Kirsty highly recommends, especially when you have an open bar at your event. The Olowalu Plantation House is on the Westside of Maui, closest to Lahaina Town. This is about a 24 minute drive from the airport.

Kukahiko Estate

This absolutely breathtaking property in Makena, Maui is owned by many generations of the Kukahiko family. If you are looking for a magical venue surrounded by the ocean and marine life, this one is for you! This gorgeous 2 bedrooms 3 bathrooms home is furnished in Hawaiian island tradition. A loft with a spiral staircase and disappearing sliders open the entire living space to the crashing waves and the stunning sunsets. You will immediately feel welcome here! Aloha Bars Maui is also proud to offer their services at this venue!

Nearby locations include Makena beach AKA Big beach, and the town of Wailea. Kukahiko Estate is located 32 minutes away from the Kahului Airport.

Maui Pineapple Chapel AKA Steeple House

This beautiful wedding venue is located in Kapalua, Maui. It is a magical, light and airy chapel just steps from the ocean. With the backdrop of Makaluapuna Point meeting the Pacific ocean, the photo opportunities are abundant! This chapel hosts up to 500 guests and is 1,500 square feet. There is a beautiful outdoor terrace and lower lawn. The ceremony and reception can either take place outside, inside, or both! Inside of the chapel you will find ceiling fans and a private bridal suite for your wedding party. This space also accommodates for altar ceremonies. There are many more services offered for the Maui Pineapple Chapel such as pre-wedding showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, elopements, and more! This is even a pet-friendly space, so that you can bring your fur babies to join the fun!

Steeple House also has a thorough list of preferred vendors (including us) that will enhance your special day with their unique services. There are many different types of packages to choose from. Ceremony only packages, or booking the entire property for a full-day of celebration! There is parking for up to 40 cars and a parking attendant will be provided with 50 + cars. Places nearby include Oneloa Bay, Flemings Beach, Napili and Kapalua Bay. The Kahului airport is 56 minutes away from this venue.

Now that I have shared some information on the top three wedding venues on Maui, maybe it will help you decide where to have your special day! All three of these venues have many beautiful and diverse qualities to offer, it really just depends what YOU want. Good luck planning, and stay tuned for more information on these locations!