Getting Married In Hawai’i Frequently Asked Questions WRITTEN BY Aloha Bridal Connection
1. WHAT ISLAND IS THE BEST FIT FOR ME? All Islands offer something different, something special! We believe there is an island for every couple, wedding style and personality. Here is a brief breakdown of the 4 main islands for weddings:
OAHU
The most densely populated and touristy of the islands. It has a little bit of everything from beautiful beaches to breathtaking mountains to a solid infrastructure, with nightlife, resorts, restaurants, salons, shopping, and multiple hotel options. This island is the Hawaii Wedding industry Epicenter- many vendors base themselves out of Oahu and are willing to travel across all islands. Getting married on Oahu will give you the widest range of choice in vendors and venues.
MAUI The second most populated island. It doesn't necessarily have major cities like Oahu but you are still able to get pretty much everything you need! This island is gorgeous and has a little bit of everything which has led it to becoming a hot spot for resorts and weddings. Like Oahu it is possible to get away from the busy, touristed areas and really get lost in the beautiful nature of the island. Maui has a group of world-class vendors for your choosing.
KAUA’I
The Garden Isle. Kauai is the least populated and quiet of the main islands. Its nature is absolutely breathtaking. We recommend it for couples who want a little more of a low key wedding, love nature and love that local feel. The vendors on Kauai are a very special close knit Ohana feel between them!
BIG ISLAND
On the Big Island you will find black sand beaches, lush green jungle, snowy mountain
tops, active volcanoes and fields of black lava rocks. Nature wise it literally has everything, so take your pick for your wedding location. Not as much infrastructure or resources easily available. This island and its vendors offer the quintessential Hawaiian cultural elements.
2. WHAT TIME OF YEAR IS BEST FOR A WEDDING IN HAWAII?
Hawaii's weather is pretty perfect year round. We say its best for weddings YEAR ROUND! Thats why we love it here. The warm weather and breathtaking nature make it a prime destination wedding location. The peak wedding season for us is March - August during the summer. There is somewhat of a winter from October - January which means slightly cooler temperatures (this means warm not cold) and more frequent rain. But essentially it is prime wedding weather YEAR ROUND!
3. WHAT IF IT RAINS!?
Hawaii is a string of tropical islands, so it is bound to rain at least a little pretty much everyday. How much it rains and how long it lasts depends on the season. Weather apps and forecasts can give us an idea of what’s to come but we are still on a tropical island and all in all the weather is pretty unpredictable.
Our recommendation is to be prepared with a back-up plan. If you are having an outdoor ceremony, organize somewhere you can move it undercover need be or allow a little fluff time in your timeline in case you need to just wait for an afternoon shower to pass. For outdoor receptions we always urge couples to rent a tent. It is also always good practice to either provide or recommend guests bring an umbrella just in case!
Don't forget, in Hawaii the rain is a blessing from the Gods so a little sprinkle on your special day isn't the worst thing!
4. HOW AND WHEN TO OBTAIN MY MARRIAGE LICENSE?
Five easy steps!
Find a licensed minister in the state of Hawaii
NO more than 30 days before your wedding complete the marriage license application online https://emrs.ehawaii.gov/emrs/public/home.htmlÂ
Hawaiis marriage license regulations fall under the authority of Hawaiis Department of Health, So you must visit the DOH (on Oahu) or make an appointment with a marriage licensing agent to finalize the paperwork. Must be done together, in person - we recommend you take care of this as soon as you arrive on island, don't forget to bring a formal ID!
Bring the hard copy of your license on the day of your wedding (your coordinator will collect it and keep it safe!)
After your ceremony, your officiant will keep the hard copy to log it online. And then... you are OFFICIALLY married!!!
5. WHAT DOES A WEDDING IN HAWAII USUALLY COST?
The average cost of a wedding is $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the island and guest count.
6. WHAT IF I DON’T NECESSARILY WANT TO GET MARRIED ON THE BEACH?!
Getting married in Hawaii does NOT mean saying your vows ON the beach. While beach ceremonies are extremely beautiful and popular there are TONS of other options. Hotels and resorts offer ballrooms, private beach access as well as beautiful ocean side lawn areas. Estate weddings are our personal favorites, whether it be beachfront, ranches or old plantation houses.
7. ARE PUBLIC BEACH CEREMONIES LEGAL?
To sum up, YES! With rules and restrictions of course. You must have a state permit obtained my your officiant or coordinator.
2 hour time limit
25 guests maximum including vendors (additional guests require additional permits)
No structures, furniture, or large decor allowed
You may not “save†an area on the public beach or ask beach goers to move for your ceremony Please clean up after your event to keep our beautiful beaches clean (loose flowers, petals, trash ect)
8. I WANT MY GUESTS TO GET A TASTE OF HAWAIIAN CULTURE AT MY WEDDING, WHAT CAN I DO?
We love when guests are interested in incorporating cultural items into their wedding celebration! These are our favorite suggestions: • Ceremony - Have a local Kahu perform your ceremony and include traditional Hawaiian elements like a lei exchange, Blowing of The Pu (Conch shell), an traditional Oli (chant) or Hawaiian ring blessing • Leis - Gifting Leis to special guests and family members • Food- Feature traditional Hawaiian or Polynesian dishes on your reception menu! • Hawaiian/ Polynesian Entertainment - Fire Knife Dancers, Local Musicians and Hula Performances
9. HOW DO I GET MY DRESS TO HAWAII!?
Start by calling the airline you are flying with to ask how they deal with large, precious delicate items such as a wedding dress. Carefully pack up your dress in a Garment Bag, and carry it on! You can more than likely schmooze the flight attendants to let you keep it in the captain's closet so it can hang during the flight. If not, place it very very carefully in an overhead bin. Look for an empty one or try to lay it flat on top of the other luggage. Once you arrive take it out of the bag to breathe! Pack a portable steamer, ask your coordinator to borrow one or arrange for it to be steamed once you arrive in Hawaii. 10. DO I HAVE TO HAVE A HAWAII STYLE WEDDING?
One of the many reasons we love weddings In Hawaii... any theme or style goes!!! While the most popular is a more relaxed, aloha style wedding we have also had extravagant formal events. We usually like to encourage couples to keep the weather in mind when choosing their style - a tux on the beach isn't the best combo, but there is also nothing wrong with that. Our couples usually land somewhere in between a laid-back aloha style wedding and semi formal.
11. HOW DO I GET ALL MY DECOR THERE? There are a few options for this
Pack it up in a suitcase (or bin) and bring it with you -- you will likely have to pay extra baggage fees but this is just a cost that comes with a destination wedding
Ship it -- we allow brides to ship us their decor or even order pieces from Amazon and have them sent directly to us to store for them till their wedding! We can start collecting shipped items within 2 weeks of the wedding day. (make sure you allow PLENTY of time for it to arrive, just in case!)
Rent it-- consider renting items on island rather than purchasing (arrange this in advance) - in the end it could save you a lot of money
12. HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD I COME BEFORE THE WEDDING DAY?
We recommend arriving no later than 3 or 4 days before your wedding. You will need enough time to pick up your marriage license, meet with your coordinator, have a rehearsal and wrap up any last minute details and most importantly take a few moments to RELAXbefore the big day!!!
13. WILL YOU BOOK OUR HOTEL, RENTAL CAR, AND ACTIVITIES FOR US?
We do not directly take care of directly booking hotels, rental cars and activities for our couples however are happy to offer recommendations and point you in the right direction!
14. WHAT TIME SHOULD I HAVE MY CEREMONY?
This is decided based on a few key elements but primarily dependent on sunset time! What time of year it is will be a big factor. We typically recommend at least 2-3 hours before sunset time.
How many program elements you wish to include, type of dinner you will be serving (buffet vs. 3 course plated etc), how many hours you have your photographer booked for and what you want them to capture are all elements which will also affect the ceremony time.
15. WILL THERE BE AN ABC WEDDING PLANNER WITH ME ON MY WEDDING DAY?
Yes!Our team will be the first there and the last to leave! Our team will take care of everything to ensure you have a stress-free day. This means on-site coordination of prep, set up, ceremony, reception and breakdown. We work as a team to ensure everything runs smoothly from start to finish. Your lead coordinator will arrive first thing in the morning during hair and make up to collect marriage license any final payments and gratuities to distribute on your behalf. The set up team will take care of and oversee any ceremony and reception decor set up.
The rest of the day we are there for timeline and vendor management and to deal with any issues that may come up. Our team will ensure everything runs smoothly and according to plan! Finally, we oversee a complete breakdown in a timely manner to avoid additional venue charges. Our primary goal is to eliminate any stress from the couple to ensure they have the best possible wedding day!
