Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa

There are not enough words I could use to describe how wonderful my experience with Nicole Tam was. On our first call, she was clear with understanding my wants and my concerns, helping to make me feel that my dream was possible. The planning process went very smoothly. That, I can’t emphasize enough. She made me feel that I was in control the whole time, no need to rush things giving me plenty of time to research. I have a tendency to micromanage, so the feeing of being in control was very important to my confidence during this experience. Planning a wedding from a different state is complicated and difficult, and even though she was able to make me feel confortable about the choices i made, I was still scared of the outcome. And let me tell you something, I’m hard to impress, but there was not a single thing that didn’t exceed my expectations. All the details were even more than I could have dreamed. Everything was perfect and delicious. Due to the distance, I hadn’t tried any food beforehand, and every single thing from the appetizers, to deserts, to drinks was absolutely not only very beautifully displayed, but more importantly it was utterly delicious. I had people saying “It was the best sushi I ever had”, “the best margarita”, “the best mai tai”, and “the best cake”. The buffet had endless choices, and everything very well done. I would like to give a shout out the team Nicole was able to put together. The attention they paid to all of the guests was very much up to Disney’s standards. We had a person dedicated to serve just us (the bride and groom) and I thought this was an amazing detail. My cup was always full and there was always something available to eat. It was a night to remember. Like my cousin said “I haven’t seen a wedding like yours, not even in the movies.” Nicole Tam…you were born to make dreams come true. With all our gratitude, Mahalo Jezica and Leandro Dias

My husband and I knew we wanted a Disney wedding, and we’re thankful we decided on Aulani! We had never been to Hawaii before and figured it would be the perfect place for our destination wedding and honeymoon. We connected with Candice, who was welcoming, kind, and instrumental in helping us decide on Lanikuhonua as our ceremony and reception venue. Initially, we aimed for the 'Ama 'Ama patio or the Rainbow Reef Patio, but those were already booked on our date. As it turned out, this worked to our advantage, as we later discovered those locations weren't as private as we hoped. I was thrilled when Nicole was assigned as our wedding coordinator, having heard she was the best (and she certainly lived up to that reputation). Working with her was an absolute joy as she guided me through every step of the planning process. Our monthly phone calls felt like conversations with a friend. Nicole streamlined the entire experience by presenting choices for DJs, floral arrangements, hair/makeup, and photography. When I encountered challenges securing a limo and ordering leis just days before the wedding, Nicole took charge, arranging for the limo company to contact me and even handling the lei order. On our wedding day, Nicole and Kamalani were on hand to ensure everything ran seamlessly. It seemed Nicole had shared some insights about my husband and me with the vendors because they all knew our story and our likes. With our intimate gathering of around 30 people, everyone remarked on the lovely and relaxed atmosphere. It's often said that the bride and groom are too tired to eat, but my husband and I were able to sit down and truly enjoy our meal. Planning any wedding can be stressful, especially a destination one, but Nicole's expertise made it remarkably smooth. Aulani is fortunate to have her as a wedding coordinator, and I would wholeheartedly recommend anyone considering a wedding at Aulani to go for it! Our wedding was an absolute fairy tale thanks to Nicole and her team!

We visited Aulani for the first time in 2021 and absolutely fell in love with the place. After we got engaged in 2022, we knew we wanted to get married at a Disney property in 2023 because we knew we were going to get exceptional service in addition to being huge Disney fans. The setup / contract: We decided to go all out and go for the Aulani for a wedding of 80 people. We reached out to Disney Fairytale weddings online and a representative from Disney got back to us quickly. We got connected with Candice who was super helpful in walking us through the logistics of all the packages and options that were available. We worked with Candice for about a month, signed the contract, and we were connected with our incredible Wedding Manager, Nicole Tam. Wedding Planning: We weren’t sure what to expect when trying to plan a wedding at Aulani from California but I know it would not have been possible without the incredible Nicole Tam. From our very first meeting, my husband and I knew we were in very good hands. We wanted to have a wedding that blended our Jewish and Japanese backgrounds and Nicole listened to all of the ideas we had and found ways to make it happen. Nicole also gave a ton of her expertise in giving us suggestions which made our big day even more special or easier. Nicole even helped book reservations for the Luau for our welcome dinner and secured dining reservations for the day after the wedding. She makes you feel so confident going into the day of the wedding and is there every step of the way. Also, the Aulani team is absolutely incredible and so much fun. Our guests had such great things to say about every interaction they had (they raved about the food for a few days after.) Nicole was so thorough during our monthly meetings making sure we were on track and was extremely communicative outside of the meetings. What was even more helpful is the communication and relationship Nicole has with the Aulani approved vendors, and how she works through the timeline with them. The Tasting: We were able to visit the Aulani for a menu tasting a few months before the wedding, and I knew from that experience that the wedding would be perfect. If you can make it out for a tasting, I highly recommend it. We reworked a lot of our menu, including the cake flavors, because we fell in love with a few dishes we had in person. A big plus also is Aulani bakes in the cost of the tasting into your package unlike other venues that charge you for the tasting. The vendors: The Aulani has an approved vendor list which is great. Note that you can also use your own outside vendors but will cost you extra vs. using the vendors approved by Aulani. For us, we had an amazing set of vendors Photography (Bianca Photography), DJ/MC/Lighting/Photobooths (Hawaii Events Unlimited), and Flowers (Love Letter Weddings), all highly recommended. The Big days: We had our welcome dinner at the Kawa’a luau the night before the wedding, had the ceremony on the stunning AMA AMA Patio facing the beach, cocktail hour on the Kipuka Lawn and reception in the Kaiona Ballroom. Nicole was all hands on deck for us the entire day and made it so easy the day of the wedding as well as the days leading up to the wedding. We wanted to create a magical and unique experience for our guests, and the way it turned out was beyond what we even thought possible. Nicole made It was a truly unforgettable experience and the cost itself was well worth it just to have Nicole work with us. I would tell anyone that if you are thinking of getting married at Aulani, just do it.