One of the most common questions we get from couples when making their travel plans is whether they should get a rental car or not. It’s an added expense, after all, and it’s good to know what other options are out there, especially if you're trying to have an affordable destination wedding.

Everyone is different. Some people like to hang out at the hotel, while others like to get out and explore. While there's never a one-size-fits-all answer, we like to provide as much information as possible to our couples and their guests. 

In this article, I’ll try to cover all the transportation options available to get around Oahu.

Walking

If you don't mind walking, you can get to a lot of places in Waikiki. From end to end, it’s about a 30-minute walk down Kalakaua Avenue, the main street loaded with shopping, restaurants, and hotels.

If you’re eloping in Hawaii or do not have guests attending your ceremony, all you have to worry about are the two of you. As our motto goes, “No stress...just get dressed, and we’ll do the rest.” You can relax and enjoy yourselves knowing our team will have everything in place for your special day.

If you have guests, on the other hand, you'll need to share with them information to help your day go as smoothly as possible.

Here are some of our most important tips to share with your guests.

1. Be on Time!

We can’t stress the importance of this enough. Your ceremony team is scheduled for a set time, and the last thing we want is for you to feel rushed!

Your ceremony team will arrive early and be ready to meet you and your guests at the meeting point. If your ceremony time is 12:00, for example, ideally you’d be set up and ready to go at that time. It’s a good idea to tell your guests they should arrive by 11:45.

We know that looking your very best on your big day is so important! A big part of your look is your hair and makeup for the day, and that’s something we can help you with. You may have some ideas for your hair or makeup style, but we wanted to share a few of our tips with you.

Many brides ask us if we can refer them to a salon or stylist. We highly recommend our team of in-house hair and makeup artists. They are some of the best in the industry, and they’ll come right to your Waikiki hotel room to help you look amazing on your wedding day!

 Our stylists have beautiful natural looking lashes for your special day! 

“I want to do dinner after my ceremony, but I don’t know where we should go. Do you have any suggestions?” It’s something we coordinators hear all the time, and I am here to provide my recommendation!

Signature Prime Steak and Seafood is my favorite restaurant for a celebratory meal for two main reasons: The view is lovely, and the food is fantastic (with that said, what more could you want?!). But for the skeptics, let me elaborate.

 From the 36th floor of the Ala Moana Hotel, the views are quite beautiful.

Will reality meet your expectations?

When dreaming about your Hawaiian beach wedding, you probably imagine beautiful blue skies with a handful of white, puffy clouds. You’re both wearing sunglasses as you make your way onto the beach. The trade winds are blowing. Your photographer’s snapping away, framing the moment around an amazing backdrop of ocean and mountains. The temperature’s a comfortable 83 degrees, which is around 27 degrees Celsius for our international couples ;-)

You’re probably picturing something like this:

As your trusted Hawaii wedding planners, we do our best to make sure your day goes as smoothly and perfectly as possible, but there are a few things that are up to you. These are the tips and reminders we’re always trying to communicate to our couples.

We speak from experience here, so please trust us that these are some of the best tips you should consider for your special day.

Here Are Our Top 10 Tips for Your Hawaii Wedding Day:

1. Bring Your Marriage License and Wedding Rings

Don’t forget your marriage license and wedding rings! Your officiant needs your license, and your rings are part of the ceremony. You will need to pick up your marriage license from the Hawaii Department of Health or a license agent before your ceremony to be legally married. Here are more details on the marriage license process.

(Note: a marriage license is not required for vow renewals.)