Plan your destination wedding on a Hawaiian beach surrounded by palm trees.
Hawaii is known to be a natural setting for love and romance amidst the clear turquoise ocean water and tropical gardens. It has become a popular place for destination weddings. One of the toughest choices of planning a Hawaiian beach wedding is which beach to perform the ceremony on, as all the beaches are public. Couples have their choice of miles of beaches, lagoons and secluded coves. The natural backdrops of beaches include volcanoes, black lava rock, waterfalls and coconut or palm trees.
Instructions
1. Make a budget. Set a maximum limit that will be spent on each item. Include costs for traveling to Hawaii and any fees associated with the beach wedding.
2. Hire a wedding coordinator. Ask for references. Contact the Chamber of Commerce on the island you are considering getting married on to find reputable wedding coordinators in Hawaii.
3. Choose the venue. Every island has numerous locations for a Hawaiian beach wedding. Ask your wedding coordinator to send you pictures and links of various venues within your budget. Venues include secluded private beaches that may only require a $20 fee and beaches that are on the property of a plantation or resort that also offers facilities for a reception.
4. Pick a date, and send out "Save-the-date" cards to guests. Let them know that you are planning a destination wedding so they can plan accordingly.
5. Hire wedding vendors, such as the photographer, videographer, florist, bakery and caterer. Your wedding coordinator should have contacts with local wedding vendors within your budget, but you should review each contract independently to avoid any hidden and unexpected costs.
6. Contact hotels to find special rates for wedding guests. You might get better deals if you are having your reception or ceremony on their property.
7. Choose wedding attire, and decide if you and your groom will wear traditional Hawaiian maile leaf leis. Brides may consider wearing a white holoku (a Hawaiian wedding dress), and grooms could wear a white shirt and pants. Pick simple wedding attire for the bridal party, such as sundresses and sandals for the bridesmaids and khakis and Hawaiian shirts for the groomsmen.
8. Arrive to the island a couple of days before the wedding to take care of any last-minute details and to obtain a wedding license. The license must be issued from the Department of Health on the island where you are getting married and is good for 30 days. The bride and groom must apply together and provide photo identification and birth certificates; if either party was married before, he or she will also need to provide a divorce or death certificate for the previous spouse.
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