Cafe Julia Hawaii is a romantic, historic wedding venue in the heart of downtown Honolulu, HI. This breathtaking site is located across the street from the only palace on US grounds - Iolani Palace. Cafe Julia Hawaii was the first public building in Hawaii to be the product of a female architect, Laniakea Julia Morgan, and is so named after her. Her talent and skills throughout the 1920s brought this site to life and gave it a rich and unique history.
This venue is a work of art, boasting beautiful arches and endless photo opportunities for nearlyweds. The three event spaces can accommodate welcoming parties, ceremonies, cocktail hour, and receptions of up to 180 people. The courtyard is a stunning place to exchange vows as friends and family gather to witness that love and joy. As the attendees move into Cafe Julia for drinks, the on-site staff can transform the courtyard into a reception setup for a romantic, outdoor setting under draping fairy lights. The Elizabeth Fuller Hall is a beautiful indoor reception area, ideal for larger groups or unpredictable weather conditions.
Cafe Julia Hawaii offers a selection of packages for nearlyweds to choose from. These options include a variety of in-house services. The professionals work diligently to ensure couples and their guests experience an unforgettable, magical experience from start to finish.
Elijah and his team are amazing!!! They answered all of our questions and were so helpful and responsive when we reached out. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience! Everyone loved the venue space and the food! We’d recommend this place to anyone looking for a beautiful space to have any event. Reviewed on 19-12-2023
Lani Leon(other)5 out of 5 Rating
If you’re looking for a venue other than a hotel, I would definitely recommend going to Cafe Julia. This venue is located in town right across of Iolani palace. Going through this wedding process was obviously stressful but Elijah went above and beyond to answer any and all questions I had. He truly made the planning process a lot easier! On our wedding day Elijah and his team killed it! They were on a roll with making sure everything was perfect for our special day. They followed all directions and made sure everything was executed in a timely manner. I couldn’t ask for anything better! Elijah was beyond accommodating and he truly did such a great job! The venue has these beautiful lights that makes the venue look even more romantic for your special day! Also, all my guests couldn’t stop raving about the food! I saw a lot of people go back for seconds! But overall my experience at this venue and working with Elijah and his team exceeded my expectations. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. So if you’re thinking about doing your wedding at this venue JUST DO IT and I promise you won’t regret it! Thank you Elijah & team for all your hard work! I am beyond grateful & thankful to have the pleasure of working with you all! Reviewed on 26-11-2023
Held my wedding this past summer at Cafe Julia. The staff led by Elijah did an excellent job. They were helpful in helping us having a wonderful experience with their support and expertise. The food was also delicious and everything overall was at a great value. Reviewed on 16-10-2023
Keila Balbuena(other)5 out of 5 Rating
My husband and I could not be happier with how our wedding went at Cafe Julia. The venue is absolutely beautiful, the staff were amazing and the food was soooo good. What really drew us to Cafe Julia in the first place was that so many things were already included in the venue, so we didnt have to go through other vendors. And everything went so smoothly! Elijah was so awesome to work with. He always responded so fast to our emails, and offered great info for whatever we asked. Our wedding day could not have been any better, and we're so glad we chose Cafe Julia! Reviewed on 22-09-2023
Samantha Ly(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Cafe Julia is a beautiful venue in downtown Honolulu with stunning architecture. We had our wedding here and it was a delight to work with Elijah and the staff at Cafe Julia. We got a ton of compliments on the venue and food, and the staff did an amazing job of taking care of us the entire night! Reviewed on 21-09-2023
Allen Khemaroth(other)5 out of 5 Rating
My new wife and I just recently had our destination wedding reception at Cafe Julia in September 2023. We basically started out by googling venues, and we saw this venue had beautiful arches, a pool, an enclosed courtyard, and patio lighting on trees. Our criteria was to have a venue that would have the capacity for approximately 50 guests or more, a DJ, dance floor (some venues require you to rent a floor to on top of their own floor to prevent scratching), photo booth, and a private outdoor venue with a backup indoor space should the weather not cooperate.We reached out to Cafe Julia to inquire about the venue and in a couple of days, Elijah responded to us and answered our questions, and even provided the pricing information as well as layout of the venue with some photographs to give us an idea of what the venue would look like during the day/night. This was a destination wedding reception, so that meant we never saw the venue in person. Elijah was kind enough to do a FaceTime call to walk us through the venue and how things would be set up there. Having him take the time to FaceTime us and answer our questions and show the venue online really showed us how inviting and proud he is of Cafe Julia. For me, I think that was a quality that stood out and helped us determine to use Cafe Julia for our reception. When we chose the venue, Elijah had a mini floor plan of what our venue would look like based on the number of tables that we required, and where our head table was, and much more.The day of the wedding reception, we had the groomsmen drop off our wedding cake and favours, suit, dress, and miscellaneous items in advance, which helped us a lot. We came in early with our parents before the start of the reception to set up everything, and Elijah and his team were so prepared. We had a banner that we wanted to use as a photo backdrop to take photos at the beginning, and Elijah recommended to either move it or tie it down further and weigh it down to not get blown/knocked over. Elijah and his team have the experience and knowledge of the venue, if they make a suggestion, I would recommend that you listen to them because they are well knowledgeable of their venue. Elijah and his team were into the details such as the design of a napkin to hold your dinner menu. They had extra easels (even suggesting where to place an easel so it doesn't get blown over), flower plants, uplightings, extension cords and hid them well. When it was almost time to start, our photo booth arrived and they needed a table. I just made a quick call to Elijah and he got a table for us so quickly. Our reception had the buffet style dinner, but unfortunately we didn't get much time to enjoy it too much since we had a tight agenda for the night. However, the feedback for the buffet food was a positive review, which was a bonus. Afterwards, the dance floor was open and it was just nice to have the space for guests to mingle, take photos, and dance.Overall, everything was amazing that night for us. We couldn't emphasize enough how great Elijah and his team were to make everything run so smoothly for our special night. The whole Cafe Julia venue, the staff, the food, the setup was all on point. Reviewed on 17-09-2023
Ashley Llamas(other)5 out of 5 Rating
I absolutely loved this venue it was beautiful and so clean and professional. Elijah was great throughout the whole process. The food was so delicious as well. My guest absolutely had the best time. Reviewed on 25-07-2023
Lauren K(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Cafe Julia was an excellent venue for us! We loved the proximity to town and waikiki for our guests. It made planning and set-up so much easier because I could get family to help deliver the cake/florals/alcohol without too much hassle. I really appreciate that they provide a lot of the little things like table linens, napkins, water, tea, and coffee. They even helped set-up my cake and had cute stands for my french macarons! Their staff was incredibly efficient with set-up and flipping from ceremony to reception. Elijah was great to work with and made everything go smoothly! He helps with all of the little details like leaf blowing to make sure the courtyard is clean! Reviewed on 23-06-2023
Nancy F(other)5 out of 5 Rating
I attended a friend’s wedding here and was blown away. The inside was gorgeous and the details were exquisite. The proximity to Waikiki was convenient as it was just a short car ride away to where most guests were staying. I would absolutely recommend this venue to anyone looking for an alternative to a beach wedding but still wanting to be in beautiful Hawaii. Reviewed on 31-05-2023
Felicia S(other)5 out of 5 Rating
This place is so magical and beautiful! It’s as if you stepped back in time. The first time I went, ( yes I’ve been there a few times!) I didn’t expect this peaceful garden feel when looking from the outside. The open air is nice. Even with an event with a lot of guests, it doesn’t feel cramped or crowded. The servers were professional and very pleasant. The food is exceptional too!! Reviewed on 29-05-2023
Kathryn Hurd(other)5 out of 5 Rating
This is the perfect venue to host your next private event- the atmosphere and food, will not disappoint! If you love Hawaii and the historic down-town vibe, but aren't into a beach or overly-tropical event- this is the venue for you! The venue has a stunning courtyard but also offers a banquet room as a back-up plan for adverse weather (no need to rent an expensive event tent). The venue offers day-of coordinator services, so there is no need to hire a coordinator on top of booking your event space (many venues require you to do this). The owner is a long-time restraunteer in Hawaii, and has had many successful restraunts in the state over his career- I have personally eaten at most of his previous establishments, and the food never disappoints! Same is true for the cuisine at Cafe Julia- well executed and delicious! The venue also offers a long list of trusted vendors, including ones familiar with providing draping and lighting, specific to their venue. They also welcome you to source your own vendors- which is great, especially for local couples with their own network of event vendors, and those who hire a planner professional. This established venue will provide you with professional services for a stress-free, amazing event! I can attest to this first hand as a professional wedding vendor, who has done events at this venue for the past 5 years. I have also attended weddings, as a guest, at Cafe Julia, over the years, and have always enjoyed myself, thoroughly! I highly recommend Cafe Julia for your wedding, rehearsal dinner, or other special event! Reviewed on 28-05-2023
Aljane Benito(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Review: Cafe JuliaI recently had the pleasure of hosting my wedding at Cafe Julia, and I must say it was an absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. The event manager, Elijah, did an outstanding job in ensuring that everything went smoothly and that all our needs were met. I couldn't have asked for a better person to oversee our special day.One of the highlights of our wedding at Cafe Julia was undoubtedly the food. The culinary team did an exceptional job in preparing a delightful menu that left our guests raving about the flavors and presentation. From the appetizers to the main course and desserts, everything was delicious and exceeded our expectations. The attention to detail and the quality of the ingredients used truly made the dining experience memorable.What made Cafe Julia stand out for us was the fact that everything we needed was provided for us. The venue itself was beautifully decorated, and the ambiance created a warm and inviting atmosphere for our guests. We didn't have to worry about sourcing additional decorations or equipment because everything was readily available. This ease of use made the planning process much smoother and allowed us to focus on enjoying our special day.One of the biggest benefits of choosing Cafe Julia for our wedding was how it took all the stress off our shoulders. Elijah and his team were incredibly attentive and responsive, ensuring that every detail was taken care of. From coordinating with other vendors to managing the timeline of events, they were always one step ahead. This level of professionalism and dedication allowed us to relax and fully immerse ourselves in the celebration, knowing that we were in capable hands.Overall, I cannot recommend Cafe Julia enough for anyone looking to host their wedding or any other special event. The exceptional food, the provision of everything needed, and the ability to alleviate the stress of planning made it a truly remarkable experience. Thank you, Cafe Julia, and especially Elijah, for making our wedding day a memorable and joyous occasion. Reviewed on 26-05-2023
Richard Nguyen(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Wow! What can we not say about Cafe Julia!Covid really ruined our time to get married. We had to postpone from 2020 to 2022. We decided around December of 2021 and looked at potential venues. We reached out to Cafe Julia and Elijah, the Banquet Manager got back to us real quick! We were able to do a site visit within the week and he explained everything to us and even gave us recommendations for potential wedding contractors like florist, DJ, dessert and even decorations! We were able to set the date that day and reserved for May 2022! They have 3 different areas to offer depending on the size of your party. The outdoor Courtyard, the indoor Banquet Hall and the actual Cafe itself. We did our Ceremony on the Courtyard, had our cocktail hour in the Cafe, then the Reception back out on the courtyard. The Banquet hall was there just in case it rained. For Catering, they literally did all of our food for us! We had the 2 Entree Buffet Style of course for 170 Guests. Their selection of food items were phoenomenal! We even had to do a prime rib carving station and sushi platters of course! For the Bar, we decided to purchase all of our alcohol from Costco. They even held on to the extra alcohol for us until the next day. They also provided the bartender, barback, glassware, straws, napkins and a digital menu! If you don't want to purchase your own alcohol, they do provide that as well and have a pretty good selection. For Supplies, they also provide everything! They have staff on hand to serve, bus, restock food and even a security! They provide all the tables, chairs, silverware, plates, napkins and even table numbers! Their staff will do all the heavy lifting which includes set up, breakdown and literally everything in between. It makes it such a huge relief to not have to worry about any of that on your special day. For parking, there is street parking as well as a United States Post Office Meter Parking close by. We just got dropped off in front by a limo and plenty of people took an Uber. We would highly recommend Cafe Julia for your wedding venue. They will definitely take all your stress away and have a high standard for catering towards their guests. You can even book them for any type of events whether it be birthdays, graduations, company parties or even a place to meet and greet! Reviewed on 26-05-2023