Mystic Hawaiian customs for your beach wedding ceremony
Hawaiian wedding customs add a deep sense of place to a beach ceremony. Whether your wedding is religious or not, you can choose a few island traditions that speak to you, from the call of the conch shell to the exchange of flower leis. You don’t need them all: pick the ones that feel right for the two of you.
Flower Crowns and a Seaside Setting
Many brides wear a haku lei, a woven crown of fresh flowers, and some couples stand inside a circle of flowers or shells on the sand during the ceremony.
Music Before and After the Ceremony
Soft ukulele, Hawaiian slack key guitar or our golden harp sets the mood as guests arrive. A hula dancer can perform a hula for the couple after the vows.
Hula, a story told with graceful hands
The Call of the Pu (Conch Shell)
The conch shell is blown to open the ceremony, calling the guests together and announcing that something sacred is about to begin. It is often blown again at the end to announce the newlyweds.
The conch calls, and the island listens
The Oli, a Hawaiian Chant
A kahu, a Hawaiian minister, may open with an oli, a chant of welcome that asks for blessings on the couple and honors the land, sea and sky around them. Our Hawaiian ministers can include an oli in Hawaiian with a short explanation in English for your guests.
A kiss beneath bamboo and sunset colors
The Lei Exchange
The lei exchange is the most loved Hawaiian wedding custom. The bride often gives the groom a maile lei, a green leaf lei that stands for respect and blessing, and the groom gives the bride a flower lei. Many couples also give leis to their parents to thank them and welcome both families together.
Orchid leis waiting for loving hands
Vows, Rings and Blessings
- Binding of the hands: the minister wraps the couple’s joined hands with a maile or ti leaf lei.
- Personal vows: your own words, or a simple traditional vow.
- Ring exchange: many couples choose Hawaiian heirloom rings engraved with island designs.
- Sand ceremony: two colors of sand poured into one vase.
- Ti leaf and lava rock: a stone wrapped in a ti leaf and left at the shore as a symbol of a strong foundation.
Laughter is the island’s favorite song
Closing the Ceremony
The conch is blown once more, the couple signs the marriage license with their witnesses, and the minister introduces them as husband and wife. Guests may shower the couple with flower petals as they walk back down the aisle together.
Plan Your Wedding with Hawaiian Customs
See our traditional Hawaiian wedding page for a full ceremony with a kahu, oli and lei exchange, or browse our Oahu beach weddings and Hawaii wedding packages.
Aloha Island Weddings · 1154 Fort Street Mall, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813
I see your blog has wonderful wedding beach advise and always fresh content.
Writing manually takes a lot of time and i appreciate your love for what you do .
Thank You from Germany
I am only writing to let you know what a really good discovery of all your wedding photos in Hawaii are ,
My girl future bride is encountered browsing your site. She noticed several things, which include what it is like to have an awesome wedding on the beach in Hawaii , helping and giving ideas to my bride im very thankful.
I’ve been surfing online more than 3 days, but I never discovered any attention-grabbing wedding photos and articles like your Hawaii wedding blog, – Wow . I have a small question , how long do couples usually book their ceremony with you before the event. In my view, is six months enough time to coordinate the event? . I want to make my Hawaiian style wedding with a theme representative of the culture on the islands .
BTW: If all web owners and bloggers made good content material as you did, the internet can be much more useful than ever before.
Thankyou please email me and lets talk about my wedding .
Aloha Volpe
About my Wedding in Hawaii
PS: edited owner to fit the blogs style .
Hi Paul Wedding coordinator of aloha island Weddings ,
Thanks for getting the quote back to me. I have a few questions/requests.
1-is there any footage your videographer can let me watch. I’d just like to see the style of work they do.
2-I would like to have a musician play ukulele and sing a couple songs if possible. I understand this may be an additional charge, do you arrange this?
3-Is there any video footage available for me to watch of one of your ceremonies? I’d like to get a feel for the type of ceremony you provide.
4-Many coordinators arrange for appointments to pick up our marriage license at the courthouse and complete all the paperwork after the ceremony to have the marriage legally validated, do you also take care of this?
Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
The Groom to be ,
I like the helpful information you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and check again here regularly.
1-is there any footage your videographer can let me watch. I’d just like to see the style of work they do.
You May go to our youtube channel and get an idea of the style :
Its a simple video in your package { i will work the video } / its just basic wedding from start to finish one camera set on the tripod video stand and some romantic video clips scenes afterwards .
https://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiweddings
2-I would like to have a musician play ukulele and sing a couple songs if possible. I understand this may be an additional charge, do you arrange this?
Yes it runs about $250 for the hour .
3-Is there any video footage available for me to watch of one of your ceremonies? I’d like to get a feel for the type of ceremony you provide.
Just what we have on Youtube.com
4-Many coordinators arrange for appointments to pick up our marriage license at the courthouse and complete all the paperwork after the ceremony to have the marriage legally validated, do you also take care of this?
The minister takes care of all this afterwards to send it in the paper work , though you actually do not
make appointments to get the license , you must go down there and show your ID and sign your names ,
no one can do that for you , you both personally have to show up there .
Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
Thank you Paul , please send further question to our email at infi8ity@gmail.com
PS: i will hold this day for you for another 3 days , i understand if you decide to go with another company .
Best to you both ..
Aloha from Hawaii .