Hawaiian Wedding Resources

For a tropical garden wedding on Oahu a fabulous location is Waimea Falls. There is a non-refundable site fee for booking a private ceremony, but it is definitely worth it. The gardens have giant tropical plants with mountain views in the background, a 30 foot waterfall, and beautiful tropical gardens surrounding the falls for your Hawaiian wedding photography.

Hawaii is famous for it’s waterfalls and the Waimea Falls location I recommend on Oahu is on the north shore, set slightly inland in a tropical forest. The area has been set aside as a natural adventure and cultural park. There are many weddings performed at the falls, but be aware that there is a short walk to the actual waterfall site so it may limit the type of set up you can do there. Wedding information and pictures can be found on the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Center website at http://gohawaii.about.com/cs/photogalleries/l/blgallery9.htm Nearby hotel accommodations can be booked at the Resort Qwest Plantation Cottages.

During our wedding ceremony, we saw dolphin off in the distance.  It was incredible.  I have always wanted a beach wedding.  There was no better way that I could think of to join in communion with my husband. 

Throughout my life I have always lived near water.  The ocean has a special place in my life and I felt like it was the ideal place to begin a new phase of my existence.  My wedding was everything that I thought it would be.

For my wedding, I wanted to have the most spectacular event that I could think of.  I’m not the type of girl who is interested in large churches or wedding halls, and thankfully, my fiancé isn’t either.  We definitely are different in a lot of ways, but one of the things that we agree completely on is the best way to spend money is to optimize our enjoyment of it.

So when we were thinking about our wedding, we both had pretty much the same idea.  Let’s have a Hawaiian wedding!  We booked with this really great company and it was the best decision that we made.  Not only were we getting married, but our honeymoon started even before the ceremony.

The blowing of the conch shell is a popular Hawaiian tradition that is a great idea for an innovative service for your Hawaiian wedding ceremony. It has been used in traditional Hawaiian ceremonies accompanied by the Hawaiian chant to announce the arrival of royalty or famous people. At a wedding the conch shell is blown in three directions to summon to the Gods at the beginning of the ceremony.

What a great way to include more traditional Hawaiian culture into your wedding of vow renewal ceremony!

Hawaii has no residency requirements for obtaining a marriage license, nor does it have a waiting period or blood test requirements. If you are 19 or under you may want to bring your birth certificate, otherwise all you will need is your driver’s license or passport and $65, the Department of Health does not take checks or credit cards,

If you are divorced you will NOT NEED your divorce decree. Be aware of the date your divorce was final, you will need to enter the date on the Hawaiian marriage license application.

If you are arriving on a week-end and planning your Hawaiian wedding ceremony on that same week-end, you can arrange for a field agent to meet you outside of normal Hawaii Department of Health business hours in order to apply for your Hawaiian marriage license. You can call the Hawaii Department of Health to get contact information for field agents who will meet you outside of regular department of health hours. The application fee is the same when you use a field agent as it is when you apply at the office. Be sure to schedule your appointment in advance, before arriving in Hawaii, the field agents do get booked up.

You can write to the following address to ask for a marriage license application; State of Hawaii Department of Health Marriage License Sections, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, Hawaii 96801 phone number- 808-586-4544.

Hawaii’s Polynesian Cultural Center, located about one hour’s scenic drive from Waikiki, is the top Hawaiian attraction for a reason. there are seven native villages that give visitors the rare chance to participate in the daily adventures of Hawaiian and other South Pacific cultures. Add Hawaii’s most authentic luau and the world’s largest Polynesian night show, a fabulous way to entertain your Oahu wedding guests with one stop shopping, the food, decorations and entertainment are all there, and you can also ask about a private booking for your wedding party and guests.

It’s a great way to enjoy all of the Polynesian Cultural Center PLUS the finest authentic Hawaiian luau in the islands.

The Alii Luau starts at 5 p.m. with a fresh flower lei greeting and includes hula, steel guitar music, and the Hawaiian Wedding Song. You’ll also learn to do a little hula, then eat all the poi and other great island dishes you want.

Please be aware, the Alii Luau sells out fast during peak seasons (June-August and December-January). Book early.

If you are planning a visit with 15 or more guests, be sure to ask about their group rate packages.

Butterflies are the symbol of transformation and freedom.

Live Monarch Butterfly Ceremonies

The monarchs are hatched and raised in a “butterfly garden collective” on the windward side of Oahu on a butterfly farm. Through their business venture,the butterfly farm has been successful at helping to replenishing the once nearly extinct monarch butterfly on the island of Oahu. By ordering the eco-friendly butterfly release as part of your Hawaii wedding ceremony, you are actually helping to ensure the efforts of increasing the population of these beautiful creatures.

Farm raised butterflies are much more tame than wild butterflies as they are raised in captivity instead of in the wild, it is common that they will land on the bouquet for a moment enhancing the photography and delighting the guests at your ceremony.

Hotel group rates provide a way to save money when you have many guests traveling to your Hawaii wedding destination location. You will usually be required to book 20 or more rooms to qualify for group rates, although every hotel has their own qualifying factors. If you get a group discount for your hotel, it disqualifies you from getting the discount on the combined flight and hotel rates. Research shows that on the average you will save about $240 by booking your flight and hotel together. In order to get group rates for your flight, most agencies require that everyone in your party depart out of the same city and travel on the same days, which is usually not very practical. This is the reason that I suggest booking flight and hotel together using one of the online travel companies so that each party is able to schedule travel at their convenience

Airfare and lodging may be more expensive in Hawaii during peak season in mid-December to mid-April so if you are planning your wedding during this time you may want to book your travel early to keep the cost down.