1. Decide on a Date

Hawaii is always beautiful, but there are a few months that guarantee better weather than others.  Summer lasts from May through October and generally, there is less rain and wind during these months. June and October seem to be our busiest months, so maybe stay away from these months to avoid crowds. Honestly though, there are weddings here in Hawaii all year long, so if there is a specific date that is special to you that may be a good choice also.  Weekdays are always better than weekends if you’re going for a beach wedding. See our blog post on - the Best Month to Get Married in Hawaii for more info. and details on the weather, temperature and ideas on how to choose a date. 

2. Find an Ordained Hawaii Officiant 

If you are working with Best Day Ever, we will help you to find an amazing officiant that best fits your style and needs.  An officiant is automatically included in the Hawaii Beach Wedding package. If you are not working with us, you should start by researching Hawaii officiants on Yelp, The Knot, and The Wedding Wire. 

Make sure your officiant resides on the island you want to get married on and contact him/her to check availability and to confirm the booking.  Usually, a good Hawaii officiant will cost anywhere between $150.00 - $350.00 USD. You should go over your ceremony with your officiant ahead of time and make sure you feel comfortable with him or her.  It helps to send your officiant a photo and tell them a little about yourself so that your officiant can create a ceremony that will best reflect you as a couple. 

Some officiant can provide Hawaiian blessings if requested or blow the conch shell.  There are also many religious officiants as well as many non-denominational (non-religious) officiants here in Hawaii so make sure to find one who best fits your specific needs. 

If a friend or family member is going to be your officiant, make sure he or she is ordained legally and registered with the state of Hawaii ahead of time. All of this can be done online and is a fairly simple process. 

Make sure you know your officiant's legal performer name, you will need this when you apply for your Hawaii Marriage License. 

3. Apply for your Hawaii Marriage License

Go online to https://emrs.ehawaii.gov/emrs/public/home.html click on "Start Application". You will need to know your officiant’s name to complete this step.  Make sure to know what his/her full registered performer name is before starting the application. Do this in the months prior to your wedding date, and bring a printed copy of the application to the marriage license office 30 days prior to your wedding.  The cost is $65.00 USD. 

A FEW NOTES: 
- The Hawaii marriage license allows you to get married on any of the Hawaiian islands. 
- You must be at least 18 years old.  If you are 16-17 years old you must obtain written consent from both parents, a legal guardian or from the family court. 
- If you are 19 years old or older you must provide a valid ID like a Visa or driver’s license. 
- If you have been previously married, you must provide a divorce decree or death certificate to present to the marriage license agent in the final 30 days prior to your wedding date. 
- Same sex marriages are allowed in Hawaii - :)
- You do not need to be a US citizen to apply or to legally get married in Hawaii. 

4. 30 Days Prior to your Hawaii Wedding -

Get Your Official Marriage License

The marriage license office is located at the Hawaii State Department of Health - 1250 Punchbowl Street, located on the corner of Beretania Street in the Kina‘u Building. It is a white three-story building across from Queens Medical Hospital. Parking is located in front of the building. Go to the marriage license room on the first floor. The process should take about 20 minutes and it is quick and easy.  Both of you must be present.  

Click on the Google Map to the right for more info. and directions.

Most couples traveling from out of state visit the marriage license office the week prior to their wedding.  You must go in to see a marriage license agent to get your official paperwork to be legally married.  

You will receive a pink paper - this is the official marriage license that you will bring with you on your wedding date.  Everyone will sign this paper and your officiant will submit it so that your marriage is official. You will not need a witness to sign.

5. Choose a Ceremony Location

This step should really be done before step 3, but can be done anytime prior to your wedding date.  If you have never been to Hawaii it can be confusing with so many beautiful venues and beach options, plus many different islands and an array of rules you may be unaware of, so let me give you a basic idea of where to start. 

THE ISLANDS

O’AHU - the main island which is likely the first island you will get to. Most flights pass through this island. Honolulu and Waikiki are located on this island. It is a tourist friendly island with a lot of activities and many hotels. Each side of the island is very different though and this island also has some of the prettiest beaches and mountain scapes plus amazing hiking. A great place for many different types of people that is easy to book and has lots of travel and hotel options.

MAUI - a very popular and busy island that is a huge tourist destination. Some of the most beautiful beaches and waterfalls are located here, but they also come with big crowds. Luxury resorts and easily accessible from O’ahu and the mainland US.

KAUAI - less crowded, more greenery, quieter and more isolated than O’ahu and Maui. This island is gorgeous, but there is also less to do here, it is more about relaxation and enjoying nature. Beautiful beaches, hiking and scenery.

Big Island - the largest of the island chain and the newest island. An active volcano is here as well as mountains with snow. There is a warmer side with sunny beaches - Kona and a cooler, and more rainy side - Hilo. Fewer tourists here, and a lot more space to cover. A great place to visit but not as picturesque as Kauai, Maui or O’ahu which have more dramatic mountainscapes and beaches (since they are older islands).

Larger weddings of 25 guests or more are probably best suited at a private venue or hotel space.  There are many beautiful ones with ocean-front settings reserved for weddings.  Smaller weddings of 2-15 guests can be quite nice right on the beach. 

HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS:

- Get married on a Beach in Hawaii
- Get married at a Botanical Garden
- Get married at a private venue, perhaps something ocean front and grassy
- Get married at a hotel with a beautiful ocean front or mountain setting

If you're planning on getting married on the beach here are a few things to consider. You'll need a Hawaii beach permit (usually obtained from a Hawaii wedding planner), and sometimes also a photography permit (depending on the beach location chosen). It is illegal to get married on a Hawaii beach without a permit and you could get fined. That being said, there are tons of beautiful beaches in Hawaii and a beach wedding could be a perfect, simple location to tie the knot.  Choose a beach with fewer people and ample parking and a ceremony time that also ensures fewer crowds.  

If you're lost on choosing a location we do have several all-inclusive packages that will help you find the perfect location and we will help guide you through the process of planning your wedding ceremony - Hawaii Beach Wedding. Bonus - we take care of all the permits!

6.  Invite Guests

If you are having a larger wedding, more than just an elopement, start telling your guests as soon as you have the date and officiant secured.  Guests will need ample time to plan for travel so send out a “Save the Date” right away.  You may want to consider a wedding website that includes all wedding details including ideas on where to stay and what dates to arrive by.  Most couples will also send out a printed invitation but these days, a wedding website and e-vite can do the trick too.  There are some really pretty online wedding invitations available like The Paperless Post, and we usually recommend Appy Couple for wedding websites.  

7. Secure Wedding Vendors

You'll want to at least secure a professional photographer, officiant, and a wedding planner.  Depending on your budget you may also want to get a hair and makeup artist, transportation, a videographer and a live musician for your ceremony.  Start by researching ideas on google or The Knot.  If you booked an all-inclusive package with Best Day Ever, we will handle all of this for you.

If you haven’t booked with us, online research is the way to go.  Check reviews, call vendors and get pricing, and start narrowing down your search.  Make sure at least one of your vendors can get you a legal venue or beach permit.  They will need wedding insurance to do so and will need to be registered with the state of Hawaii. 

8.  Finalize Travel Plans

Book your flight, your hotel and possibly a few activities (whale watching, shark diving, snorkeling).  You'll want to do all of this before arriving in Hawaii so that when you arrive everything is set and ready to go.  Be aware of where your hotel is in relation to your ceremony site and assist guests with transportation to the ceremony if needed.  If you have a package with Best Day Ever Weddings we can assist with this but if not, look into limo companies and van transport.  At many beaches, parking can be an issue so getting dropped off and picked up will be ideal.  

9.  Get to Hawaii and Get Married! 

The only thing you officially need to do once you have arrived is to get your marriage license (see step 3).  If you have followed all the steps above, everything else should be booked and you are ready to enjoy your stay here in Hawaii!

If you need help with any of this, our all-inclusive Hawaii Beach Wedding package does include a personal planner that will help guide you through the steps above.  Just contact us

If there are questions please feel free to comment below, we'd be happy to help. 

Can’t wait to see you in Hawaii!

✌, Nicole

Nicole Salmoiraghi is the author and owner of  Best Day Ever Hawaii Events + Weddings, where she helps brides + grooms bring their dream weddings to life. She is an expert planner and has over 10 years of planning experience. Follow her on Instagram, on Facebook and on Pinterest for more wedding inspiration, and Hawaii wedding insider tips.