Las Vegas Wedding or Maui Wedding?

Compare Las Vegas Weather with Maui -- It goes without saying that Las Vegas gets really hot in the summer. But winter can also be surprisingly chilly. I was there last January and I felt positively COLD. The funny this is that one of the DJ's on the radio was bragging about their weather for winter, and I was shivering. Living on Maui, I'm afraid, spoils you for going anywhere else. Fall and spring are the best times to come to Vegas.

Maui's temperatures, year round run from the low 70's to the mid eighties. Because of the trade winds, the temperature hardly ever reaches 90. And even in the dead of winter -- it never gets too cold. WINNER: The clear Maui.

Crowded Conditions? -- If you've been to Vegas in the last couple of years you know that it is experiencing an incredible boom. The city now sprawls in all directions and the streets and the freeways are often locked in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. It is easy for visitors to get disoriented and find themselves lost. That's exactly the situation I was in last year when I visited Vegas. I got lost again and again. I could see a landmark sticking up on the Strip, where I wanted to go, but then I would take a wrong turn and get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic while I headed in the wrong direction. Very frustrating.

Maui does have its own share of traffic congestion on one or two roads, but it has many quiet country roads and unspoiled beaches. Unlike Honolulu, it still have a very rural feeling and it is very easy to explore by rental car. WINNER: Clearly Maui.

Wedding Locations? -- In Vegas you would usually not want to get married out of doors. You will no doubt end up in one of the many Las Vegas wedding chapels. The prices are low and if you don't mind being just one of the many couples waiting your turn for a chapel ceremony and piped in music, it certainly is quick and comparatively inexpensive.

Maui doesn't have many wedding chapels, because it doesn't need them. On Maui you can tie the knot on an uncrowded, FREE public beach. What could be better that this natural, romantic setting, which waves lapping at your feet, fragrant leis around your neck, and a golden sunset in the horizon? WINNER: Maui.

Wedding Atmosphere? -- If you've ever been to Vegas you know that there is a certain "attitude" in the air. In most of the resorts and casinos and among the ever-present slog machines, you feel like you are imposing on the help. Perhaps this flavor is the result of 24-hour gambling and the never-ending adult entertainment services, but it is a real tangible feeling, especially in the strip, that does not contribute much to a romantic atmosphere.

On Maui, it doesn't take you long to experience what the locals call the "aloha spirit." From traditional lei greetings to the warm, friendly presence of the Hawaiian people, you know that something is just "different" and refreshing about this island paradise. WINNER: Maui.

The Value of Your Wedding -- Las Vegas wedding chapels are surprisingly inexpensive. You can even do a drive-through wedding out of the back seat of your car. Of course, you can also pay big for your Vegas wedding, but if you want fast and cheap, it can certainly found in "sin city."

In comparison, Maui wedding packages offer great value. A ceremony on this island is far more in line with the traditional storybook style of wedding. Beautiful flowers, a gorgeous setting, tropical fragrances, that special romantic feeling -- these are just some of the things that paradise wedding dreams are made of. You may pay a little more, but as the saying goes, you do get what you pay for on Maui. WINNER: Maui.

Do the Maui Comparison -- We could go on and on, but the only way you'll really know if Maui is the place to tie your knot is to do your own research.