Frequently Asked Questions about Your Hawaii Beach Wedding

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1. Why should we chose Oahu / Honolulu / Waikiki for our Hawaii Wedding?

Oahu has the world’s best Hawaii wedding service infrastructure, most aesthetic features of the outer islands with much more variety! Oahu has quiet, secluded Hawaii wedding beaches, magical rainforests with the most adventure filled hiking trails and is full of mystical Hawaiian folk lore. While a major US city Honolulu still has lots of outdoor activities, a potpourri of nightlife, scrumptious dining and great shopping.

There are a variety of activities for you to do, good transportation and amazingly reasonable prices. Many of our couples have a lovely Oahu wedding, and then go to an outer island for their honeymoon. Yet a honeymoon right on the island of Oahu is pure enchantment and a memory of a lifetime.

Kauai is called the garden island. It is very sweet and gentle. If you want to get away from the crowds than Kauai is the place for you. There are many beautiful locations to marry or have your vow renewal on Kauai. It is rainier on Kauai so be we are prepared with umbrellas if we have blessings during your ceremony.

2. Once I am scheduled for a Hawaii wedding ceremony, how important is the timing?

Timing for early arrival at your ceremony is very important.    We have your Hawaiian style wedding minister and photographer booked for your allocated time.  We have the most popular specialists and they usually will have another wedding to go to.  So we recommend you leave early to avoid any chance of a traffic problem on your way to your ceremony location.  Its awful to feel stressed so please don't stress yourself or your wedding specialists by not leaving enough time to arrive at your location in a timely fashion.

3. What happens if it rains?

It rains in Hawaii every day-how much and how long is a seasonal issue. Most times in the tropics a rain shower lasts at most a few minutes. If it happens at your Hawaii wedding ceremony, we hand out umbrellas, wait for the squall to pass and then get photos of the Hawaii wedding couple under the lovely rainbow.

If the rain looks to be more serious, we have other options we take for your Hawaiian wedding day. If you do not have any outside vendors booked (limo, musicians, photographers, video, etc,) and your schedule allows, we can simply move your Hawaii wedding ceremony to the following day.

You may wish to book a back-up indoor Hawaii wedding site. If you are concerned about a potential weather challenge, a contingency indoor chapel can be booked for an additional $500 non-refundable fee. Sometimes if the decision to postpone is made early enough (at least 5 hours prior) and wedding specialists are booked, it is possible that vendors can switch their schedules to the following day.

4. May I request a certain song at my wedding from my Hawaiian musician?

Our Hawaiian musicians will take a request for the processional and recessional only. The song MUST be a Hawaiian artist or we cannot guarantee the Hawaiian musician will know the song or sing it properly.

5. Photo and Video

If you have a Basic Barefoot Package we upload your photos that evening to the internet. These are JPEG images to allow speedy delivery of photos, and they are online for 2 weeks for you to download and create your own backup. If you desire a different format such as RAW images, you must let us know in advance and provide a flash drive for mailing the images to you.

If you want bright pictures there needs to be sunshine.  It is best to request a ceremony in the morning or early afternoon.

If you have a video best to have an early wedding if your wedding is on the windward side.  If you have a wedding during our busiest time June-August it can take up to 3 weeks to receive. If you need your video sooner for a reception please let us know. If you have not received your photos or video within these time periods call Jacqueline immediately so she can personally trace the problem, do not email. We do not want any lost wedding photos or videos. We suggest once you receive your photos and video you back them up in a few places.

6. Are we able to meet with a coordinator prior to the Hawaii beach wedding ceremony?

Yes. We are happy to meet with you and discuss the details of your Hawaii wedding ceremony as all of our Hawaii wedding packages come with coordination meeting included. If you are not planning on having a meeting, you will need to pay for your final balance with a personal check or money order 30 days before your wedding date. We will take care of the final details by phone and email if you are not able to have a in person meeting.

7. What do we wear to the Hawaii wedding ceremony?

The choice is yours and the only person to please on you Hawaiian wedding day is yourself: formal, casual, wedding gown, tuxedo, shorts, aloha attire …. whatever fits your Hawaii wedding dream! Take into consideration the time of day and the location and be as creative or traditional as you wish.

8. If I order a Tropical Bouquet for $95. What type of bouquet can I expect?

A mixture of in season Colorful tropical flowers selected by our flower artist and wrapped with a colored ribbon.

9. If I wish a custom designed bouquet using specific flowers of my choice how do I go about ordering this?

If you wish a custom bouquet please forward the picture of your custom bouquet at least two months prior to your wedding and you will receive a quote within two weeks of us receiving the picture. Custom bouquet prices usually range between $150 and $200.

10. Is there a travel fee outside of Waikiki?

For all of the beach wedding locations on our website, there is no travel fee. We only perform weddings on locations listed on our website.

11. Can we have our Hawaiian wedding on holidays?

Yes your Hawaii wedding can be done on Holidays. However, Holiday surcharges apply for Christmas Eve/Day, New Years Eve/day, and Thanksgiving. We do not perform beach weddings on any of the long 3-day weekends during the summer (Memorial, July 4, Labor day). This is due to the beaches being much too crowded.

12. What if we need a marriage license on the weekend?

We have all the information necessary to assist in your obtaining weekend/holiday licenses. Just let us know if you need this service for your Hawaii wedding.

13. Can I hire my own photographer or get my own limo for my Hawaii wedding?

We do not allow outside vendors ( i.e. photographers, videographers, limousines cakes , etc) or amenities (arches, pathways, tikis, etc). This is a paramount necessity to making your wedding day perfect. Our own vendors are accustomed to working together harmoniously and of knowing the exact locations we utilize for ceremonies. The outside amenities are not allowed due to the permit agreement we have with the State of Hawaii and to the particulars of our liability insurance policy. Our attention to these details assures you a superb wedding day.

14. What color and what type of flowers are used when I order a one color pathway?

A one color pathway is made up of Purple orchids.
IF you order two or more colors the flowers will be according to availability of the color and the flower. Plumeria pathways are only available May, June, July and August. Plumerias are a summer flower and are only abundant enough during these months.

15. What type color and what flowers are used for the leis?

Purple orchids are the flower leis that come with the Sweethearts in Paradise basic package. Purple orchid leis are always available and we guarantee purple orchid leis for your wedding day. If you wish another color of lei you must order an extra fancy leis for $20 each and the flower you are requesting must be available.e.

16. Do we need a permit to have our Hawaiian wedding on the beach?

Yes. We will take care making the arrangements with the state of Hawaii.

17. How long will the Hawaii beach wedding ceremony last and what will it entail?

Our normal Hawaii beach ceremony is 15-20 minutes. There is a conch shell blown, a Hawaiian prayer chant, a lovely lei celebration, vows and ring exchange in every Hawaii wedding we perform. It is a very ecumenical and uplifting service and is always adjusted to accommodate your Hawaiian beach wedding day wishes.

18. Are there always 175 photos taken with the Sweetheart in Paradise package?

Our photographers always over-shoot. You will receive 175 photos plus some extra. We have seen our photographers take as much as an extra 100 photos and as little as 20 extra photos. It is up to the photographer. They are required to overshoot 20 photos. The amount the photographer overshoots completely depends on how easy the couple is in following the direction of the photographer’s poses & the couple’s disposition and the timing of events. We always give more than the contracted amount of photos. Please be sure to let the photographer know toward the end of your shoot if you did not get any pose you were looking for. We aim to please YOU! If you want more photos simply add on an additional photo package. If you have a lot of guests and you wish individual pictures with them be sure to book more photo time because you want to have time for your romantic photos and guest photos can take up a lot of time.

19. What is your refund policy?

The initial deposit to confirm your wedding date is non-refundable. However, we can reschedule your wedding under certain circumstances.

20. What is your cancellation policy?

There are no cancellations allowed of Service Specialists or Amenities less than 30 days prior to your wedding. (This is due to the cancellation agreement we have with our vendors).

21. How do I get a marriage license in Hawaii?

You may fill out the marriage License application at the website and when you arrive in Hawaii you simply go to the following address and pick up your marriage license. Be certain to have your Photo ID with you!
Hawaii State Health Department
Kina`u Hale, 1250 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., except holidays.
Phone: (808) 586-4545
Both parties to the marriage must appear personally before the marriage license agent. Proxies are not allowed. Applications may not be mailed in to the agent.
The Hawaii marriage license is good for 30 days from and including the date of its issuance, after which it becomes null and void.
The marriage license must be used only in the State of Hawaii and is valid throughout the state. The fee for a license is $60.00. The fee is payable in cash at the time of filing the application. Weekend license issuers charge $65.
Visit Hawaiian Marriage Licenses for more information.

22. May I request a certain song from my harpist?

Our harpist takes requests for the processional and recessional only. Please make your requests 30 days prior by emailing us.

23. What is the best time of day to have the Hawaiian beach ceremony?

For Hawaii beach weddings, we suggest after 10 am or before 5 pm for the best photos.

24. What about gratuities?

Gratuities are expected by the limo driver but are much appreciated by all of our service specialists.

25. Can our guests take pictures at our wedding?

Your guests may certainly take pictures but often times they delay the photographer by asking you to pose for them. You may ask them to take simply candid pictures, or wait until the photography session is completely done before they begin to take your posed pictures. You want to utilize your photographer’s talent the best you can.

26. Can I substitute items in the packages?

The Hawaii wedding packages are fixed at a discounted price, so we do not make across the board substitutions. We do try and be flexible so call us. If you want to add something to one of our specialty packages, (like a video for example), then just check the boxes on the booking page.

27. Do we need a Hawaii wedding ceremony rehearsal?

With a Hawaii beach wedding, there is not the need for a rehearsal. We go over all wedding details at your Hawaii wedding coordination meeting.

28. My friends and family say I will be a “Bridezilla”. I would like to know how you intend to please me?

We DO NOT cater to Bridezilla types of Brides. We believe a beach wedding is something for people who know how to flow within the moment and can except with joy the unexpected. A beach wedding is for the easy going type of brides and grooms! You must be ready to enjoy the unscripted events of your wedding. Couples who choose a beach wedding must be ready to accept the events as they flow and not expect every details to be orchestrated. There are many variables within a beach wedding. If you wish a wedding that is not in nature then your coordinator will have much more control. Anything can happen at a Hawaii beach wedding because the elements are very strong in the islands. There can be strong trade winds, rain or clouds. We can not control the weather. We try very hard to not allow Bridezilla brides to slip in under our radar. We try to accept only gracious, mature and appreciative brides. If you have ANY insufferable qualities please do find another company because you will NOT be happy with us. We believe in the golden rule. “Treat others as you want to be treated & Love your neighbor as yourself” We do not want any rude brides. It is our life’s mission to make each wedding perfect but a beach wedding can have a mind of its own!

29. How is the deposit paid and how is the balance paid.

Your deposit can be paid via pay pal. Your balance can be paid in cash at your coordination meeting or if you do not wish to pay your balance in cash you must your final balance via a check 30 days prior to your wedding date.

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