Catholic Wedding in Hawaii

Many Catholic Couples who are engaged will find it very difficult to have a beach wedding in Hawaii due to the rules of the church, so many newly weds choose to to have both a wedding on the beach and a very private catholic ceremony in the church.

Saint Andrews Cathedral in Honolulu

If you are a Catholic couple who are engaged, you will need to contact the priest at your local parish or if you are going to Hawaii we have a list of different Catholic churches available. After you have chosen a date there are strict rules and classes that each of you will need to attend.If you are having a destination wedding you may take the classes in your own home town and then get approval from the church you will be going to. Keep in mind that most Catholic churches require you to choose a date at least six months in advance, and some require a full year. This allows ample time for you to complete the requirements of the Church, which include premarital counseling with the priest and classes called Pre-Cana.

You will be asked to provide certain documents to the priest at your meeting. Include in these documents proof of your baptism and confirmation in the Catholic Church. These documents can be obtained from the church where you received the sacrament, so for some people, this may mean contacting more than one Church. Some Churches do charge a fee for getting these documents ready for you, and you need to make sure you contact the Churches in advance of your appointment with the priest in case it takes them some time to prepare the paperwork for you. Most churches require that the documents be ones that you have obtained within the last six months, so if you have old ones, you may need to get new copies. This will vary by parish, so check with your priest.

Catholic Churches On Oahu

Resurrection Of The Lord Chr 94-1260 Lumikula St Waipahu, HI (808) 676-4700

Saint Ann’s Church Kaneohe, HI (808) 235-3113

Saints Peter & Paul Church 800 Kaheka St Honolulu, HI (808) 941-0675

St Ann’s Church 46-129 Haiku Rd Kaneohe, HI (808) 247-3092

St Anthony’s Church 148 Makawao St # A Kailua, HI (808) 266-2222

St Joseph Church 94-675 Farrington Hwy Waipahu, HI (808) 677-4276

St Patrick’s Catholic Church 1124 7th Ave Honolulu, HI (808) 732-5565

St Stephen Church 2747 Pali Hwy Honolulu, HI (808) 595-3105

Star Of The Sea Catholic Chr 4470 Aliikoa St Honolulu, HI (808) 734-0396

If for some reason you are unable to produce proof of your baptism and confirmation, you may be required to attend classes and receive the sacraments at the parish where you intend to get married. If time is of the essence, the priest can privately tutor you to prepare you to receive the sacraments, but most churches do have adult religious education programs in which you can enroll.

The pre-marital counseling that is a requirement of all parishes can be dealt with in several ways. For most couples, the counseling takes the form of Pre-Cana classes. The classes are usually a series of lectures and workbook assignments that you can take over the course of a few weeks. Some parishes offer weekend classes, where you would attend class all day Saturday and Sunday. Other Churches allow you to attend a Pre-Cana retreat, which means you would go away for a weekend to a Catholic retreat house for an Engaged Encounter. The classes are taught by volunteers from the church who are married couples, and they include topics such as Jesus’ part in your married life and acceptable forms of birth control in the Church. If for some reason you are unable to participate in the classes, the priest will generally require you to attend private sessions with him, and it is up to his discretion to determine when you are ready to be married.

You may choose whomever you wish to be in your wedding party, but most Catholic Churches require that your best man and maid of honor be Catholic. These are the people the priest will ask to sign as witnesses, and the Church prefers them to be of the Catholic faith. Other issues regarding faith may be brought up by your priest. In some Churches, a nuptial Mass will not be permitted if the couple are not both Catholic. A ceremony will be performed and the marriage blessed, but this will be done without the benefit of a traditional Mass.

In most instances, you will be required to follow the parish’s guidelines in choosing music, flowers, and other wedding accessories. Some parishes allow only one or two arrangements on the altar, and you might have to coordinate with other couples being married at the Church the same weekend to determine what flowers can be used. You will also find that many churches have eliminated the use of rice, birdseed, flower petals and bubbles to avoid injury not only to your wedding guests, but also to parishioners attending Mass after your wedding is over. Other things your Church may or may not allow include aisle runners, candles, and pew decorations.

Aloha Island Weddings
1154 fort Street Mall suite 208
Honolulu Hi 96813
1{808} 294 9385
infi8ity@gmail.com