For as many ways there are to propose, there are just as many ways to say “I do” on the island of Oahu. Whether for just the couple or for a group of family and friends; whether it’s the first time or vow renewal; whether it’s indoors or outdoors, Oahu’s romantic wedding options are as unlimited as your imagination.
Adventurous couples can choose from a wedding in the air, on the ground, on the water, or even underwater.
- Imagine saying “I do” 10,000 feet in the air while falling rapidly to the ground. Skydiving nuptials have become increasingly popular, and with the grandeur of Oahu’s Koolau and Waianae mountains, a wedding in the sky will offer a bird’s eye view of a spectacular future.
- Hike to one of the many panoramic points around the island of Oahu with the lush rainforest, green covered mountains or dramatic cliff-lined shores as the setting for a picturesque Hawaiian wedding.
- Sail into romance with a wedding aboard a boat with a captain presiding over the ceremony just like in the movies.
- Dive into the underwater world for a wedding for scuba divers, which will definitely make this a day to remember. Using an underwater white board and markers, couples can profess their love and promise of togetherness at one of the many dive sites in Hawaii Kai and around the island of Oahu.
Nature Weddings
- An intimate ceremony on stunning Kailua Beach at sunset, amidst beaming rays of orange light in the sky, while the cool Hawaiian tradewinds blow ever so gently, is just one of the many beach settings to choose from. Local musicians can serenade the bride and groom with the Hawaiian wedding song, while sharing this special moment on a soft white-sand beach with the beautiful turquoise ocean in the background.
- Atop Tantalus, at the peak of Diamond Head, and above the lighthouse at Makapuu are just a few of the places to get married with panoramic views.
- In an Oahu rainforest wedding, couples may get married under a thick canopy of trees with rays of sunlight filtering through, the air filled with the smell of fragrant flowers and the sounds of singing birds.
Church Weddings
There are as many styles of wedding ceremonies as there are wedding dressings, however, traditional church weddings are still a favorite choice for marrying couples. On Oahu, churches of various religious denominations range from small, charming chapels to larger cathedral-like places of worship.
- Relive the nostalgia of Hawaii’s past and exchange vows as Hawaiian Royalty. Experience getting married as King and Queen, as Maui Loa, Minister of The Church of Hawaii Nei on the North Shore of Oahu performs the traditional ti leaf wedding ceremony.
Phone: (808) 638-7841
- Experience Hawaiian history by exchanging vows in the first Christian Church in Hawaii. Known as the “Westminster Abbey of Hawaii,” Kawaiahao Church is located in downtown Honolulu and was constructed between 1836 and 1842 with 14,000 coral slabs.
Phone: (808) 522-1333
- Located in the rainforest of Manoa Valley is Waioli Chapel, a small church surrounded by tropical gardens, famous for its stained glass by a local artist.
Phone: (808) 988-5800
Hotel Weddings
Hotels on the island of Oahu offer a spectrum of wedding locations to choose from whether in an elegant ballroom, in a privately reserved restaurant, on a rooftop, in a tropical garden setting or poolside. Below are some highlights to inspire wedding dreams.
- Surrounded by lush green gardens and panoramic views of historic Diamond Head and the azure Pacific Ocean, a “heavenly wedding” at the luxurious Halekulani Hotel offers the perfect intimate island setting. www.halekulani.com
- A wedding held at The Royal Hawaiian, or “Pink Palace of the Pacific,” will set the theme of history, romance and elegance, whether vows are exchanged in the tropical garden setting of the Coconut Grove or on the Ocean Lawn with Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head as a backdrop. www.royal-hawaiian.com
- For a storybook wedding, a bride can walk down the aisle in a setting of grand columns, Victorian-style elegance and sweeping oceanfront vistas at the legendary Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa the first hotel on Waikiki Beach. www.moanasurfrider.com
- A dream wedding under a cascading waterfall can be made a reality at Ilikai Waikiki Hotel’s Angel Chapel by the Sea, or the ceremony can take place outdoors in a harbor-front gazebo with vine-covered trellises. www.ilikaihotel.com/wedd.htm
- For an intimate place to exchange wedding vows, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa offers couples garden waterfalls and an open-air gazebo surrounded by a carp-filled pond. The recently opened Ocean Crystal Chapel, which is situated in a lush garden setting amidst cascading waterfalls and a lagoon, is also available for private wedding ceremonies. www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com
- The Outrigger Waikiki and the Outrigger Reef on the Beach perpetuate the time-honored traditions of Hawaii’s rich heritage through their service, programs and weddings.
www.outrigger.com
- The JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko Olina offers wedding packages that utilize the hotel’s beautiful, secluded location on the leeward coast of Oahu. www.ihilani.com
- With so many locations to choose from including a pool terrace with a garden setting and ocean view, The Great Hall featuring a grand staircase, and the romantic Diamond Head Bridge that leads to a garden gazebo, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa rolls out the red carpet for every kind of wedding. www.hyattwaikiki.com
Private Home and Estate Weddings
For those wishing for a wedding with a more private feel in a distinct, romantic setting, a private home or estate wedding can offer the bride and groom a unique and comfortable wedding location.
- Dillingham Ranch is a private estate house located on the North Shore of Oahu. The Hawaiian-plantation style home that has been used as a film location for “50 First Dates,” “Tears of the Sun” and “ER.” www.dillinghamranch.com
- The oceanside Bayer Estate, located ten minutes from Waikiki, offers a classic garden wedding or a traditional Hawaiian wedding on the grounds of a Victorian-style home. www.bayerestate.com
- Lanikuhonua (“where the heavens meet the earth”) is a private beachfront property at Ko Olina. The 20,000-square foot Lanikuhonua is a special location dedicated to the practice of Hawaiian culture. www.lanikuhonua.org
- Kathy Muller Hawaii Oceanfront Rentals offers exclusive oceanfront estates and homes
for special, non-traditional but grand wedding sites, such as the Paul Mitchell Estate, Noela Plantation House, Pink House at Portlock, and Waimānalo Blooms. Complete wedding coordination is available, including services in Japanese. www.hawaiioceanfrontrentals.com
Wedding Coordinators
Planning a wedding on Oahu can be made easy by calling one of the island’s many professional wedding coordinators. From finding the perfect location to arranging the minister and photographer, Oahu’s wedding coordinators can take care of every little detail so that the wedding couple can relax and enjoy their special day and precious moments in paradise.
- A good resource for wedding planning is The Wedding Café. The quaint, pastel-colored space in Ward Warehouse lets guests relax, eat, read, and browse all things weddings. The Café also offers free monthly workshops, which range from hair and makeup demos to flower suggestions to dos and don’ts. In addition, they host themed bridal and baby showers. www.theweddingcafe.net
- Aloha Wedding Planners have been planning Hawaiian weddings since 1981 and are happy to help couples with their “big day.” www.alohaweddingplanners.com
- 1 & 1 Wedding by the Sea focuses on spiritual, beachside weddings and offers bilingual Japanese services. Private bare-foot beach weddings, serene tropical garden weddings, cozy chapel weddings, and more are available. www.weddingbythesea-hawaii.com
- #1 Hawaii Weddings offers various Hawaiian-themed wedding packages on the South Shore and Windward side of Oahu. Wedding locales can vary from a country home, beachside or onboard a private yacht. www.lovehawaii.com
- A husband and wife team founded HawaiiWeddings.net, hoping to help couples plan a Hawaiian wedding as memorable as theirs. www.hawaiiweddings.net
Resource
Hawaii Tourism Authority / Oahu Visitor's Bureau / July 21, 2010
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