Cafe Julia Hawaii

We had our wedding here this Sept, and it exceeded our expectations. SO many pros to this venue. I loved that it was more a european vibe; the architecture is amazing, the greenery inside the space is beautiful, and it really shines at night. My husband's family is from Oahu, my family is from Washington, so I really liked that it was different than what maybe someone would think of when they thought of a Hawaii wedding.

Elijah and his staff are amazing. I did not have a coordinator, but I did have 2 points of contact for him and his staff day of (I did not do a bridal party, so my sister and one of my best friends were his contact. They said he was organized and really showed that they do this every weekend). I'd give him 48 hours to respond to emails, but week of he was available by call/text and is way more organized than you think! I probably overly communicated with him!

They do all the setup and cleanup for the ceremony and reception. The tables, chairs, linens & napkin rings were included with the venue fee and we added on the table runners for $5 a piece. They even put our table numbers out for us! I thought everything looked great and was in great condition.

The banquet captain and bartender were very attentive to my husband and I during the reception; they plated our entire meal including the cocktail hour food we didn't eat because we were too busy socializing and repeatedly kept our drinks filled! Our guests could not stop raving about the food! I got numerous compliments that this was some of the best wedding food they had had before. We did buffet style + carving station with the full roasted pig and it was a hit! We also did the pay per person bar option with 4 sodas/wines/seltzers/beers + 2 signature cocktails. We bought our alcohol/mixers/purees from Costco & Chef Zone and dropped it off the day before. We ended up having ~$300 worth left over that the bar packed up on a cart to get to our car and we returned the next day at Costco.

They allow outside desserts so we got coco puff cakes from Liliha Bakery (they stored in their fridge and placed at the dessert table for us!) and we also hired Black Sheep Creamery for scooped ice cream.

Also important to note- weather is not guaranteed! They do have an indoor banquet hall that looks out to the courtyard, and though that was NOT my vision, it was nice to know there was an option if there was rain. Luckily, we were able to have our wedding/reception outside in the courtyard.

If your looking for a relatively all inclusive venue with incredible staff, food, vibe, and a little different than a typical beach wedding, I would strongly recommend Cafe Julia! There truly isn't anything I would change! Thank you Elijah & his team for a truly magical day!

Thank you so much to Elijah and the Cafe Julia staff! We planned our wedding from outside of the US (and without a planner), and it wouldn't have been possible without them. On top of the beautiful venue, Cafe Julia has some of the best wedding food I've ever had. They provide the perfect variety of options to make the wedding fit your own style and preferences. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a wedding in Hawaii.
Also recommended for lunch!

Cafe Julia really made our dream wedding come true. We had our reception in the evening under the cafe lights and night sky. Elijah and staff were very accommodating and helpful throughout the wedding planning process as well as the day of the wedding. They provided the floor map, tables, decorations, utensils, napkins, sound system, and anything else needed for that day. They always checked up on us and even made us a plate to eat since we were so busy taking pictures and greeting guest. Talking about food, the food selection is great and everything tasted fabulous. All of our guest mentioned how great the food was and how stuffed they were upon the end of the reception. Cafe Julia really made our wedding memorable and I cant thank them enough for everything they have done for us. I highly recommend this venue. You will not be dissapointed.

I am beyond happy we went with cafe Julia for our wedding! It was beautiful. Food was absolutely hands down the best wedding food we’ve ever had. We work with Elijah for all of our planning leading up and he was so informative and transparent. They worked beautifully with all of our vendors. They offered so many decor choices which made things super convenient. I would pick this venue 100x over!

Our experience with Cafe Julia and Elijah was nothing short of exceptional. Living in Canada, all of our planning was done over email and one visit to Cafe Julia over 2 years! Elijah and his team were great at communication, ease of planning, open and honest feedback with any questions, we truly could not have had a more pleasant planning experience.

We're so happy we picked Cafe Julia for our ceremony and reception venue! Elijah, the event manager, was so helpful from the moment we inquired about hosting our wedding here. Scheduling a site visit was so easy, and once you see the beautiful architecture, string lights in the courtyard, and plumeria trees you will be hooked! We were looking for something different than a beach wedding or hotel banquet hall. Cafe Julia was exactly what we were looking for; a gem in downtown. Our budget didn't really allow for a wedding planner/coordinator so what drew us in to Cafe Julia was that 1) a coordinator wasn't required, and 2) Elijah assured us the staff are very helpful so one wouldn't be necessary. He is 1000% a man of his word. With a year to plan, along the way he made sure to check on our progress and sent reminders for due dates. On the day of, Keli'i was our banquet captain and he was so gracious to work with. He and the staff helped set up our reception tables with decorations we had brought ourselves. Our wedding party took cues from him when it came to navigating the venue and sticking to our timeline. The staff made sure that we ate dinner, packed leftover plates and our cake to take home, and provided guests umbrellas when it started to drizzle. We had a totally stress free experience getting married here! We came out feeling so lucky and will never stop singing praises for Cafe Julia.

Cafe Julia was such a beautiful venue that came with food/drinks, tables w/runners, speakers, microphones, lighting, and exceptional service. They allowed us to get there early for set up and to store items. Elijah was very easy to work with and accommodating! He was responsive to all of our texts, emails, and phone calls. There was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders whenever working with him. I have already recommended others to book Cafe Julia for their wedding!

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding venue! From the stunning atmosphere to the exceptional service, everything exceeded our expectations. The food was absolutely delicious, receiving rave reviews from all our guests. But what truly made our day unforgettable was Elijah, the venue coordinator. He was incredibly attentive, organized, and genuinely invested in making our day flawless. Elijah went above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfectly executed, allowing us to fully enjoy every moment. If you’re looking for a venue with top-notch service, beautiful ambiance, and an amazing coordinator, this is the place to be. Highly recommend!

From beginning to end Elijah at Cafe Julia helped us every step of the way! Guiding us towards the best decisions so that we could enjoy our big day without any regrets. He was so professional in always responding to us right away, answering all of our questions no matter how trivial. He has so much experience at this beautiful venue and all of his recommendations turned out to be the best decisions for us. The food was fabulous! Everyone was fed quickly with ample time to go back for more at the buffet. They made sure that we were able to have heaping plates of food so we were able to try it all. They even gave us two bentos of our food for the next day. They took care of set up, clean up, and transforming the venue from the ceremony layout into our reception set up. They provided so many services, so we did not need to hire multiple additional vendors. Our guests all had a wonderful time, sharing that they felt like we in a movie! We highly recommend Cafe Julia!

Words can’t fully express how grateful and overjoyed we are with our experience at Café Julia for our wedding day. From start to finish, everything was absolutely perfect — the kind of day you dream about and hope to relive over and over again.

First of all, the venue itself is breathtaking. The historic charm, the elegant open-air courtyard, and the surrounding architecture made for a picture-perfect backdrop. It felt intimate, romantic, and uniquely “us.” Our guests couldn’t stop talking about how stunning the space was — it truly felt like a hidden gem in the heart of Honolulu.

But what made Café Julia truly unforgettable was the incredible staff. Every single person we interacted with was professional, kind, accommodating, and genuinely invested in making our day special. They took the time to understand our vision and went above and beyond to bring it to life — from the timeline to the table settings, everything was seamless.

And the food? Outstanding. Our guests are still raving about the delicious dishes! From appetizers to dessert, everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The drinks were equally amazing — refreshing, fun, and perfectly suited to the celebration.

We felt so supported every step of the way, and on the actual day, we were able to be completely present knowing we were in great hands. It was everything we hoped for and more.

If you're thinking about having your wedding at Café Julia — do it. You will be blown away. It’s the kind of place that makes magic happen.

With all our love and gratitude,
Kent and Melissa