When planning a destination wedding or vow renewal, it may seem stressful at first. Not only do you have to plan travel, you also have to plan the details of your day. Fortunately, we’re here to help as much as we can. We want to make the whole process as easy and stress free as possible, which is why we’re always happy to chat and answer all your questions.

To help even more, we’re always trying to improve the information we provide on our website, and we thought this week’s blog post would be a good chance to write out some of our most frequently asked questions.

For this article, we tried to think of the average flow of questions from the first time we speak to a couple up until their big day. While it’s impossible to cover all your questions, these are ones we think will be most useful to you.

1. Hawaii Wedding Packages

Can the wedding packages be customized?

Yes! We’re happy to customize your wedding package for you.

Capturing memories with photo and video is an important part of your day, and we want to give some tips to make sure you look your best and are comfortable with your team.

Keep in mind your attire can be a factor in how comfortable you'll be. There's a big payoff for choosing wisely for your beach wedding dress and groom attire for a beach wedding! Besides your clothing, here are our tips for your photo and video shoot.

Photography

Our professional photographers will greet you with a warm aloha and lead you through everything from start to finish. They know it’s not every day you turn up for a photo shoot, so they’ll do their best to make you comfortable.

Tips to Remember:

• Relax and enjoy yourselves. The day is meant to be fun, so don’t take the photo shoot too seriously.
• Let your photographer know if you have any special requests. If there’s a particular pose or photo you’ve seen on our website that you know you want, just ask.
• Have good posture. Standing and sitting up straight are more flattering.
• Not sure about your smile? Mix it up. Your photographer will take a lot of pictures, so feel free to try a variety of expressions.
• Don't be late to your ceremony or it'll cut into your photo/video time.
• Following your ceremony, your photo shoot will start with group shots. If you have a large amount of guests, prep them so they know not to disappear. These take more time than you might think. 
• Love on each other. You’ll see the emotion and joy in the final pictures!
• Here are another 9 photography considerations to help you be as prepared as possible.
  

If you've read a lot of our blog posts, you've probably come across something like this on a few occasions: One of the best things about a destination wedding is that it's non-traditional by nature, so it's up to you what you decide to incorporate into your special day.

A few weeks ago we asked if any of our couples would like to share their proposal stories. We love hearing these! So fun to hear the stories, and we are always honored to be a part of it! 

Waimanalo Beach weddings are by far some of the most beautiful ceremonies you'll see on Oahu! With around three miles of pristine beach to choose from, a turquoise blue ocean, three islands off in the distance, and nestled by beautiful mountains on all sides, it's no wonder that so many couples choose to say "I do" on this stunning beach!

From the moment you drive past the Makapu'u Lookout, you'll understand why Waimanalo Beach was named one of the best in the world. While the drive around the coast is breathtaking, once you reach that lookout point and see the sweeping views, glistening white sand, and turquoise water, you'll know you made the right choice for your wedding day.

Views past Makapu'u Beach with Waimanalo Beach in the distance.

As you pass Makapu'u Beach and head into Waimanalo, you'll notice a calmer pace and several areas that make you want to stop and get your toes in the sand, but we recommend continuing past Waimanalo Beach Park and instead head to our favorite beach ...

Once you decide to have your wedding or vow renewal in the beautiful state of Hawaii, what steps are involved in to make sure you and your partner have an amazing, stress-free experience?

1. Apply for Your Marriage License (not required for vow renewals)

It's super easy to get a marriage license in Hawaii. Although it can be done last minute, it is required, so plan in advance.

To apply for a Hawaii marriage license, fill out the online application on the State of Hawaii's website.

Once you arrive in Hawaii, you'll both need to meet with a licensing agent to pick up your license. The process takes around 15 minutes.

For details on requirements, process, and more, visit our marriage license page.

FAQs:

• There are no state residence or U.S. citizenship requirements.
• Blood tests are not required.
• The legal age to marry is 18 years for both applicants.
• A valid I.D. (passport) or driver’s license may be presented for anyone 19 years of age or over.
• If previously married, proof of original divorce decree or death certificate needs to be presented to the marriage agent by the applicant if the divorce or death was final within 30 days of applying for a marriage license.