If a Hawaii wedding is your dream, but you live out of state, planning the event will require extra finesse. Here are a few tips to ensure all the details come together for you to tie the knot in paradise.

How to Plan a Destination Wedding in Hawaii

1. Know Your Budget

Since a destination wedding in Hawaii will naturally require more funds for travel and accommodations, the ceremony and reception don’t have to be as lavish. As with any wedding, limiting headcount and staying casual will help you save money. Traveling in the off-season of spring or fall will make airfare and hotel rates more affordable.

Also, don’t overspend on flowers and decorations. Instead, make the most of Hawaii’s scenic beauty.

You aren’t expected to pay for guests’ plane tickets and hotel rooms, although some couples generously do. But to make your guests feel welcome, assembling gift baskets with sunscreen, bug spray, water bottles, and snacks would be a nice touch.

2. Set the Date

Because invitees need time to determine if their budgets and schedules can accommodate a trip to a destination site, choose the venue as soon as possible and send out save-the-date postcards at least nine months before you wed.

Three months before the wedding, mail the formal invitations. Include an insert with details about hotels where you’ve reserved blocks of rooms. If you have a wedding website, add the URL, and use it to keep guests in the loop about hotel rates, possible discounts, maps, and information about getting around the island. 

3. Secure a Marriage License

Although you can apply and pay for a license to marry in Hawaii online, you’ll need to meet with an agent on arrival who will verify your identities and issue the official paperwork. A license is valid for 30 days.

After the ceremony, your officiant will complete the form and sign and submit it. After a month or two, the State of Hawaii will mail a certificate to you, confirming you’re legally married.

4. Arrive Early

To recover from a long flight and settle in before the ceremony, give yourself a time cushion by traveling to your destination at least two days in advance. You’ll then have time to meet with your event manager and go over last-minute details.

5. Incorporate Island Traditions

At a Hawaii wedding, it’s traditional for brides to wear lei around the neck and haku lei on the head. Grooms wear maile lei, open garlands of green leaves, around the neck. It’s also customary to present lei to the officiant and special guests like your parents before the ceremony.

Dreaming about a destination wedding on Oahu? Contact the staff at Waimea Valley in Haleiwa to get started. They help couples stage stunning Hawaii weddings inside their historic botanical garden, which features a spectacular 45-foot waterfall and a variety of indoor and outdoor venues. Visit them online to learn more about their attractive amenities, or call (808) 638-5858 to speak to an event manager.  Header Photo credit: Sarah Jual Photography