Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden FAQ’s
What will our day of timeline look like?
90% of our Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden weddings have a start time of 9:30am. This is because the gardens open at 9am and doing an early wedding ceremony allows us to have the garden all to ourselves. This is ideal so that there are not other tourists or bystanders around watching or in your photos. Also, this time is a little cooler (brides & grooms, don’t get too sweaty), and the lighting is ideal for photography. If you have decided to do a later wedding time, you will need to get this approved by your planner and a custom timeline will be sent to you.
9:30am Ceremony Timeline
8:45am arrive at Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens gate (vendors, groom, guests)
9:00am gate opens (drive in to selected ceremony site area, we will give you a map)
9:10am park, get settled, use restroom if needed / at this time set-up will also be happening by your planner
9:15am bride arrives (wait in car until your wedding planner gets you)
9:25am ceremony site set and guests, groom, officiant, photographer all in place ready to go
9:30am CEREMONY
10:00am Photos
10:30am end
11:30 or 12pm Wedding Brunch or Lunch
We want to take our guests to lunch after the ceremony - any suggestions?
Yes, tons! But it depends on a lot of factors, the type of food you like, how many guests you have, where you are staying, etc. Your planner can send you a custom outline of lunch or brunch options - you just need to reach out to her and request it.
Or - check out this list of some of our favorite spots that we’ve recommended to other couples who have gotten married at Ho’omaluhia.
Are their restrooms or a changing spot at the gardens?
Yes, there are restrooms located on site at the garden depending on the ceremony location you picked. They are clean but there are no mirrors or hanging stations. These will be open for guests to use as needed. You can use these spaces to change as needed but we highly suggest you come dressed and ready to go.
How likely is it to rain on my wedding day? What happens if it does rain?
On the morning of your wedding we check the weather report and radar and watch the rain carefully. If it is pouring all morning (this is really rare), then we'll call you and discuss options with you. 95% of the time even on a very rainy day there are patches of sunshine. Usually we wait out the passing showers and will do a ceremony in between showers. The skies usually clear beautifully and photos of the clouds over the mountains here are magical. In Hawaii we consider rain showers to be extra blessings so don't be afraid of rain. So far we haven't had a wedding get completely rained out and even rainy days here end up being pretty. We have even had weddings go off without a hitch on hurricane/tsunami days. Please note, if you have picked the “Kahua Nui” ceremony location there is a covered area that still has the mountain backdrop. We use this spot on rainy days. We do also have 10 umbrellas on hand (just incase).
We don't like your photographer and want to hire someone else can we do this?
We really think you'll be quite pleased with our photographers but if you're sure that you would like to bring in another photographer then we can credit you $250. Our main concern is that you are happy with how your wedding day turns out.
My friend is going to officiate, is that ok?
Yes, most definitely! You just need to make sure that your friend is ordained and that he or she is registered with the State of Hawaii to do the wedding. This must be done a few weeks prior to your wedding. Click here for more information. There are no pkg. discounts if you decide to bring your own officiant.
Do we need to do a wedding rehearsal?
We do not do rehearsals for our Botanical Garden Weddings because the ceremonies are generally pretty simple. We will have a basic outline of the bridal party processional and will send this to you along with your timeline a week or two prior to your wedding day. You should go over the order of how your bridal party will walk down the aisle with everyone involved ahead of time. On the day of the wedding we will line everyone up and let them know when to walk, where to walk and how to stand. It is a simple process and we will guide you through all of it.
Any tips on how to make our wedding more personalized?
Check our our CEREMONY DECORATION page - adding some simple florals like a bridal bouquet, aisle flowers and a boutonniere, is an easy way to make a simple wedding feel a lot more special. Florals are personalized to your liking and look amazing against all the greenery in photos. Also, little touches like pretty fans, parasols or sunglasses for guests and bright bouquets / boutonnieres for the bridal party can go a long way.
Bright colors look amazing against all the greenery in the mountains. Colored parasols look great in photos and provide good shade for guests too (order on Etsy or Amazon).
I also love the idea of honoring everyone who flew all the way down for your wedding with a lei. You can present everyone with an orchid lei at the end of the ceremony, it's a nice touch and doesn't cost too much money. You could also honor parents with a parent lei ceremony (where you'll present your mom and dad with a lei honoring and thanking them for all they've done for you).
What is the address / directions to the garden?
Click here to see the address and to get directions.
When should we send out our invites?
Destination weddings involve a lot of travel planning and often taking vacation time. We suggest sending out a Save the Date as soon as you have your date set. You can send out an official invite 4-6 months prior.
Can we do a Champagne Toast and wedding cake after the ceremony?
We are not allowed to serve alcohol at the gardens. Also cakes are best saved for the lunch reception. If you would like to do a wedding cake, special request one from the restaurant. Or you can have one made from a specialty cake company and delivered that day. If you need cake company recommendations, check out our Preferred Vendor Page.
Got more questions? send your planner an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can :)
~ Nicole & the Best Day Ever team