Getting married in Hawaii is easier, more affordable, and less stressful than many couples think. We know planning from a distance can seem challenging, but with over 40 years of experience performing weddings, we know how to make your dream destination wedding absolutely amazing! As we like to say, "No stress...just get dressed, and we'll do the rest."

Getting Married in Hawaii Basics

1. Research the Hawaiian Islands

Oahu is the most popular island, followed by Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. All islands offer the quintessential Hawaiian elements, yet they're unique in their own ways.

A Small Hawaii Wedding - Easy and Affordable

Since 1978, Weddings of Hawaii has been planning small beach weddings and elopements here in beautiful Hawaii.

With most traditional weddings having a guest list of 150-200, many consider anything less than 100 people to be a small wedding. However, comparing a traditional wedding to a Hawaii destination wedding, "big" and "small" take on different meanings.

Many are surprised to discover we think of a "big" wedding as 50 or more. For us, a "small" wedding is usually 10 or fewer. We know a 10-person wedding sounds super small, but sometimes less is more, especially when getting married in Hawaii!

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.)

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! 

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.

Don’t let your big day become a big stress! Whether you're eloping, planning for a small Hawaii wedding, or a commitment ceremony, we have put together some quick tips to help. With feedback from our previous couples and coordinators these pointers will help ensure you are able to enjoy every part of your Hawaii destination wedding.

Be Okay Asking for Help

Is it your first time to Hawaii and not sure which ceremony location to choose? Which hotel to book? Where to have a dinner reception? Not sure if you should book a rental car? Let us know!

Although your wedding coordinators are not travel agents, they know their island home very well. We'd be happy to share some insight or offer our opinion. Even if you have never been to Hawaii before, you already have ohana (family) here to help. You can call or schedule a time for us to call you if you'd like to chat. Sometimes just getting in touch is enough to calm those nerves, and we always like talking to our couples :)