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Hawaii Weddings Frequently Asked Questions

This is where you will find answers to commonly asked questions about getting married in Hawaii or renewing your wedding vows. If there should still be any questions left, don't hesitate to contact us.

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Hawaii Wedding Questions

How long in advance should I make a reservation?
It is always wise to plan ahead of your trip to Hawaii for your wedding on Maui, the Bog Island, Oahu or Kauai. We receive many reservations for up to a year in advance, mainly for weddings. Especially of you have a memorable date inmind, we recommend to send in your reservation as soon as possible.
Do I have to make a deposit?

Yes, we ask for a (refundable*) $100 deposit to secure date and time with us. We do this to ensure each couple that their preferred date and timed is available.

Unfortunately we receive several reservations without a serious inquiry and therefore we ask you to arrange for your deposit as soon as you are certain that you want us to organise your ceremony.

*Please note: Refunds are given minus the PayPal fees (currently 3.5% and the paid GET tax (current 4.25% in Hawaii)

Can I cancel my reservation?

Yes, we accept your cancellations at any time prior to the ceremony. We are able to refund deposits and full payments minus PayPal fees (currently 3.5%) and already paid GET tax (4.25% in Hawaii).

Please note that if you cancel last minute we may have to keep your deposit to pay for advance expenses.

If you do not let us know that you have to cancel your wedding ceremony with us, we may have to ask you to pay the entire amount as our ministers and vendors did reserve the time for you and have not been able to accept an alternative booking based on their commitment to you.

Can I change my reservation/ add something later?

Yes, we are always happy to make adjustments to your reservation at any time prior to the ceremony. Just get in touch with us.

Please keep in mind that if we organise vendors ahead for your wedding or vow renewal, we would appreciate if you to let us know  any changes as soon as possible to allow us and our vendors/ partners to have time to accept other bookings.

Do I need a marriage license?
If you want to get married, you have to apply online with the State of Hawaii for a marriage license. Once you have done that you will also need an appointment with one of the marriage license agent on any of the Hawaiian islands. Please read our Marriage License Info section under FAQ for more detailed information.

About the Wedding Ceremony

How long is the ceremony?
Each of our personalized Maui or Big Island wedding or vow renewal ceremony is about 25 to 30 minutes long. It all depends id you like to add in personal vows, ring exchnage, a dance, etc. If you add a photography package, please consider a full hour of your time for the ceremony and beautiful pictures afterwards.
What are the best times for a wedding or vow renewal?
We recommend a ceremony either in the early morning around 9am before visitors come to the beach or at sunset time. During the day it is usually very hotand crowded at Maui's and Big Island beaches. We do however have ceremonies taken places throughout the entire day.
Where do you offer your weddings in Hawaii?
We do offer our weddings and vow renewals on pretty much any of Hawaii's beautiful beaches. Just let us know where you will be staying and we will be happy to provide you with our recommendations. We do know alternative locatiosn as well such as waterfalls, parks, private estates and properties. Just let us know what you have in mind.
How many guests can attend our wedding?

We can obtain beach permits for up to 30 people on any permitted beach in Hawaii. That inlcludes the officiant, the vendors, the couple and their guests. Everything above that has to take place at an alternative location/ private estate or home.

For ceremonies in Florida the amount depends on the beach and permit obtained/ issued.

Is the beach permit included?

We include the beach permit in all our Hawaiian ceremony packages. Please note that permits issued by the DLNR are limited to 30 people. That includes the minister and all vendors, the couple and the guests. Above that the event has to take place on a private property.

For ceremonies in Florida, permit fees have to be added and depend on location and amount of people attending. Please contact us if you have questions.

What if it rains?

In Hawaii we are depending on the weather patterns and all events booked through us take place rain or shine.

We get this questions a lot as couples tend to lookup our weather report ahead of their travel. We do have several climate zones in Hawaii and you will easily see that there is rain in the forecast any of our islands. However, most beaches are located in the dry zones with very little or no rain. We do have backup locations for most beaches on Maui and the Big Island in case it pours down. We are also always happy to re schedule the ceremony if the weather is not playing nice. If you plan to have the ceremony taken place on the north shores (our green belts in Hawaii) you have to be prepared that it might be overcast or even raining.

However, if there is a bad weather will try to find an alternate location, day and/ or time to provide you with the booked service through us. That will depend also on the availability of our vendors and we reserve the right to change to other vendors if needed.

What is allowed at Hawaii's beaches?

No drones, accessories, structures, devices, amplified instruments, appliances, apparatus or equipment of any type whatsoever shall be placed on or within the right-of-entry area or premises, including but not limited to the following: arches; bowers; altars; tables; chairs; kahilis; tents and/or tarps; event signage of any type including banners, sandwich boards; kiosks or carts; stanchions, posts, ropes or similar equipment for the purpose of demarcation of the right-of-entry area; and surfboards, windsurf boards, kayaks or other ocean recreation equipment; with the exception of the following: loose flowers, leis, bouquets, corsages or boutonnieres; unamplified musical instruments, including a conch shell; doves or butterflies for releases; a limited number of chairs as strictly necessary for the support of elderly, infirm, or disabled persons attending the event(s); cameras and camera equipment; other non-obtrusive hand-carried wedding accessories; small podium or cake stand, not to exceed three (3) feet square in size; and ocean vessels/equipment used exclusively for the purpose of scattering ashes during authorized funeral services.

Alcohol and smoking are prohibited at Hawaiian beaches. We are also not allowed to serve food. 

What are semi pro pictures?

For many years my wife has been taking pictures with our camera and equipment as a cost-saving alternative for some of our clients who do not have the budget to have professional pictures taken during their wedding or vow renewal ceremony. The semi-pro option is only available on the Maui and we provide 50 high-resolution images with only basic editing. If you want more we recommend selecting our professional photography package instead. Please note that this option is considered an add-on to our main service which is performing weddings & vow renewals. We are not a professional photography company nor do we offer family photo shoots.  If this s what you are ookin for, we highly recommend that you hire a professional photographer ad keep the ceremony and family photo shoot seperately.

What kind of service do you offer?

In most cases we arrange and connect you with independent 3rd party companies and vendors that are well established  in Hawaii and who will then provide you with their service on the arranged date and time. All vendors work entirely on their own and may offer service direct as well as through other companies. 

We cannot guarantee the availability nor are we responsible for their quality of service. We do work with all of them for several years and all of them have very high ratings for their services. 

What if the ceremony cannot take place or is incomplete?

While are are all human and things can always happen.... (especially on an island here in Hawaii). In case of any no show or delay on the day of the event for any reason, we will try to organize a solution on your behalf with our vendors. In case we cannot find a replacement or alternate date and time we will be happy to offer you a refund for the part of the service that cannot be completed. Please contact us immediately by phone or email  to resolve the issue.

What is....

Ti Leaf & Lava Rock Ceremony is when a couple wraps a ti leaf around a lava rock and walk hand in hand to the ocean to pray and ask the spirit of Aloha to take care of it for them while throwing it into the ocean together while holding hands. We love to end a ceremony with this.