Why a Simple Hawaii Beach Wedding is NOT Simple
One of the biggest misconceptions destination couples have is that getting married on a beach in Hawaii is EASY. You just show up on a beautiful beach in Hawaii with a photographer and officiant, and a beautiful ceremony magically happens, right? NOT true. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. 🤔 ⠀
Here are a few of the reasons why …
There are so many LITTLE DETAILS you need to consider.⠀⠀
👉🏻 PARKING.
How far do you have to walk from the parking area to the beach? Is there parking at this beach or are there only 5 spots that are always filled? Knowing what the parking situation is like ahead of time is PRICELESS. How many cars are coming? How long will it take for everyone to get parking? Is it better to hire a car for drop-off? ⠀⠀
👉🏻 PERMITS.
Do you need a beach permit? How do you get one? Most wedding planners have a special type of insurance that allows them to get a legal beach wedding permit. Many officiants do as well. A legal beach permit is necessary to get married at any Hawaii beach. Make sure that this is handled by one of your vendors ahead of time.
EXTRA TIP: Some beaches also require a special PHOTOGRAPHY permit too, if your beach requires this make sure your photographer gets the necessary legal paperwork before the wedding ceremony and brings this permit to the wedding.
👉🏻 CROWDS.
Will there be hundreds of people around you while you say your vows? Nobody wants this! Make sure you are familiar with the beach and have experience with how busy it gets and at which time of the day. ⠀⠀
👉🏻 TIMING.
Will the sun be blaring you your eyes as you say “I do”? What time do you really need to get there?⠀⠀
Knowing what time to arrive, start and end for the best possible lighting, weather and least amount of crowds is KEY to creating a perfect beach ceremony.
👉🏻 WIND.
What’s the wind like at this beach? ⠀Know which areas of the beach are LESS WINDY or sheltered so that you don’t get wind-blasted during the ceremony.
👉🏻 TIDE.
What time is high tide and low tide? Will your shoes get wet? ⠀
Make sure to check the tides in the morning. Know what a high-tide is like at your beach, what a low tide is like and plan accordingly. Choosing the perfect spot means checking the tides ahead of time and planning a wedding ceremony during a lower tide.
👉🏻 RESTROOMS.
What if one of my guests needs to use the restroom? Trust me, it’s going to happen. Somebody is going to have to use the restroom, right before, during or after the ceremony. Know where the restroom locations are, how far they are, how clean they are and if they aren’t at the beach, where the nearest location is so that you can make a pit-stop before the ceremony if you need to.
👉🏻 LOCATION.
How do you find an intimate, quiet, empty BEAUTIFUL beach location? The simple solution is to hire an experienced planner who knows all the best spots, when to go to the best spots and how to get to the best spots.
Not wanting to spend the money on a planner? Ask your photographer or officiant - a professional, experienced photographer or officiant would know this as well.
👉🏻 ... and so much MORE!⠀⠀
For example —> Knowing how to give GOOD directions to your Limo driver. Knowing what time you need to leave the hotel to get to the beach. Understanding what the traffic is like at that time of day. Knowing which way the bride should be facing so that her hair is not blowing in her face. Handling the set up and picking up the petals at the end. Organizing your vendors, your guests, and your music!
An EXPERIENCED wedding planner would be able to handle ALL of these details.
They will help you choose the perfect beach, get your permits, get you information on where the best parking areas are, make sure you are aware of the restroom situation, pre-check the tides and wind, choose a ceremony time with ideal lighting and the least amount of crowds, and so much more.
These LITTLE things you could coordinate and figure out yourself … but WHYYY? 🤷🏼♀️
It’s these LITTLE things that are going to create a seamless, perfect, day that you’ll remember forever. They’re important. Super important! And your day is is YOUR DAY! Make sure someone is there to support you, handle all the details and oversee any issues that may come up. It’s 💯 worth it!
If you're interested in learning more about a Simple Hawaii Beach Wedding in the PERFECT location and you just want to SHOW UP with NO WORRIES and STRESS, definitely check out our packages page. OR click on the LINK below.
🙌 Comment below and let me know your biggest wedding planning worries. ⠀
…
Happy Planning ✌️
Nicole
PS. We have Private Venue Beach Packages too - that help solve all of these problems, leaving you with the ultimate intimate romantic wedding experience. 💕
📷: Ashley Goodwin Photography
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.