The Royal Hawaiian is one of the most loved wedding venues in Hawaii, and for good reason. It’s historic, the location is incredible, and every inch of it is stunning. If you’re considering a Royal Hawaiian wedding, keep reading to see my full guide to planning a day here that feels personal, layered, and completely expressive.
Every Detail You Need to Plan a Royal Hawaiian Wedding
Let’s start with the main details about The Royal Hawaiian to make sure it fits with your guest count and priority list.
What to know first:
- Maximum guest capacity: You can have anywhere from your favorite 10 people up to 500 people here easily, and it works beautifully either way.
- On-site accommodations: Yes, and the hotel spaces only add to the incredible feeling of it all.
- Wedding weekends: The Royal Hawaiian is a great place to host a wedding welcome party and even a small sendoff brunch, if you’re looking to celebrate for the whole weekend.
- Indoor and outdoor venue options: Yes (which I’ll tell you all about below).
- All-inclusive packages: Yes! The name doesn’t come from just anywhere – you really get that royal treatment.
Why Couples Love The Royal Hawaiian
The Royal Hawaiian is one of those venues that works well for any kind of wedding: intimate or grand, destination or local, understated or layered with intentional design, and letting the venue do all the heavy lifting for you. I see all kinds of different days here, but each one has one overarching theme: connection.
Family and guests love this space just as much as the couple does, because everything is so well thought out. The ease of timelines here and the flow between spaces is one of those things that goes noticed by everyone throughout the day and lets every single guest really settle in. So, if you’re looking for a place that has a lot of structure without needing forceful direction, a Royal Hawaiian wedding checks those boxes.
The Venue Spaces at The Royal Hawaiian
If this is already creeping its way up to the top of your “dream wedding venues” list, I totally get it. The venue spaces here are just going to make you love it even more, because each one is gorgeous and filled with so much character.
Here’s every option you’ll have for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception:
The Ocean Lawn
In my opinion, what Hawaii does best is ocean views. And the Royal Hawaiian? It has a spot with uninterrupted waterfront views that feels extremely picturesque.
The Ocean Lawn is a great place for a Royal Hawaiian wedding ceremony. It’ll wow your guests as they arrive, then create a backdrop for your vows that feels elevated without trying. It’s one of those places that you have to pause to take it all in, which is the kind of setting that works well for a wedding that feels special.
This space also holds cocktail hours and receptions well, if you’re looking for a space that’s a blank slate with ocean air and views that you can’t find just anywhere. It’s versatile, and it’s beautiful every time, no matter how it’s set up.
The Monarch Room
If you’re picturing yourself dancing around a grand ballroom than you are in a carefree, lived-in outdoor reception, The Monarch Room is the place for you. This is the indoor space for a Royal Hawaiian wedding, and it feels luxe for a formal reception.
My personal favorite part of The Monarch Room is the floor-to-ceiling windows that still give you views of the ocean, without having to be in the heat to see them.
Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove is the space that’s in the middle of everything, but somehow always feels easy and never chaotic. You’re tucked in a courtyard surrounded by palm trees and the bright pink hotel, and it creates the perfect atmosphere for a reception that flows well past the sunsets.
Even if you’re having a reception with hundreds of people, this space creates a sense of closeness and connection. It’s so easy to imagine yourself here under string lights, bouncing around to tables, belly-laughing with your favorite people with the sky behind you in the most gorgeous performance of colors.
The Helumoa Garden
Last, but certainly not least, is The Helumoa Garden. It’s similar to Coconut Grove in the sense that it’s nestled into the pink buildings, but it’s even more lush with open lawns, tropical plants, and a garden feel.
This area is perfect for ceremonies with a unique, editorial background, or receptions that feel like you’re at an estate without feeling overly stuffy. You can’t go wrong with anything here, because every corner has something jaw-dropping.
Design That Works Well for a Royal Hawaiian Wedding
My #1 tip is that Royal Hawaiian weddings look best when they feel true to you. No matter what design style you follow, make sure it all has the same goal in mind: keeping the meaning of the day at the forefront. Don’t get so lost in making your wedding look good that you forget that it’s supposed to feel good.
That being said, design opportunities for a Royal Hawaiian wedding are endless. With the oceanfront views and the pink exterior of the hotel, there’s so much you can do that looks incredible!
Things that I always recommend for a wedding at The Royal Hawaiian are:
- Bold, tropical color: Leaning into the bold color palette of the resort with ocean blues, bright pinks, lush greens, and pops of yellows or oranges always works really well.
- Understated vintage Hawai‘i: Details that feel like a nod to old-world Hawai’i like striped umbrellas, a vintage wedding dress, and a retro font feels very, very intentional here.
- Elevated black tie: Taking a nod from the estate vibes and going for a classier look with statement floral arrangements and a black-tie dress code works well at The Royal Hawaiian.
The Best Time of Year for a Royal Hawaiian Wedding
The Royal Hawaiian holds weddings year-round, but as an Oahu wedding photographer, I’m here to say that my personal favorite time for a Royal Hawaiian wedding is summer. The bright colors blend so well with Hawaii sunsets. Since days last long and nights are comfortably warm, receptions feel like they could go on for hours and hours, where you feel unrushed and get to keep making memories with your favorite people.
Everything a Royal Hawaiian Wedding Package Includes
One of my favorite things about the Oahu wedding venue is that your wedding package is tailored to you. You work with the Royal Hawaiian wedding staff to create your fully personalized day to ensure that everything they provide works for you.
The best way to see your package inclusions is to reach out directly to the venue, but with an all-inclusive planning offer, they help with things like catering, bartending, planning, and even some decor options. And anything that makes planning easier for you is something I adore as your photographer.
A Sample Timeline for a Wedding at The Royal Hawaiian
The best Royal Hawaiian weddings start with a good plan. A calm timeline is at the heart of a day that’s easy to live in, and when you plan it right, you and your guests relax. That brings an authentic, honest feel to the day, which leads to more expressive portraits, natural reactions, and photographs that feel open and unguarded.
This is the timeline that I usually find works best for a Royal Hawaiian wedding:
10:00 am: Start getting ready in your hotel room
12:00 pm: Detail + getting-ready photos
1:00 pm: First look, private vows, and couples portraits in front of the water
2:00 pm: Wedding party photos in The Helumoa Garden
3:00 pm: Get tucked away while guests arrive
4:00 pm: Ceremony on The Ocean Lawn
4:30 pm: Family photos + cocktail hour
5:30 pm: Reception entrance + special dances
6:00 pm: Dinner
7:00 pm: Dance floor opens
8:00 pm: Sunset portraits
What I Love About Photographing Weddings at The Royal Hawaiian
The Royal Hawaiian is a space that I could spend hours photographing, but there are a few things that really stand out to me (and locations that you can always expect portraits at with me as your Oahu wedding photographer):
- The juxtaposition of the pink architecture against the blue of the ocean
- The variety of textures and backgrounds without ever having to leave the property
- So many opportunities for film photography that feels nostalgic
- The indoor/outdoor transition spaces that let me play with editorial lighting and shadows
- Having spaces that both feel editorial and show off Hawai’i’s scenery, all in one place
Leslie Carbajal | Oahu Wedding Photographer
If you’re looking for a photographer for your Royal Hawaiian wedding who knows the space well, reads the room, and never needs to be told what’s next, I’d love to be there to capture the moments that you don’t even realize are happening. Click here to inquire.
