Six Steps To Planning A
Hawaii Beach Wedding From Afar
by:
Blake Kritzberg
There's much to do when you're planning a
wedding in Hawaii. But as with any destination
wedding, a special wrinkle is that you'll need
to take care of many details from far away.
And perhaps you've never been to Hawaii
before. All this can pile some frustration
onto your planning, but in the end, there are
few places in the world that can compare to
the Garden Isle of Kauai, Magic Island off
Waikiki, or Oahu's Paradise Cove, just to name
a few of Hawaii's many jewels.
Here's a quick checklist of things to do
and remember when planning a wedding in
Hawaii:
1) First, find a location. This is the fun
part. Pour over coffee table travel books at
the bookstore -- try the "From the Skies of
Paradise" series, for example. Eventually
you'll settle on an island.
2) Next, you have a second decision to
make: should you go with a resort, a wedding
planner, or do it all yourself? For most
brides, the best bet is to choose a resort
package, or book a local wedding planner that
specializes in destination weddings.
An on-site planner should help you pull
together every aspect of your wedding. They'll
recommend vendors, let you know whether that
hotel really looks as beautiful as it does in
the brochure, and help you work out murky but
important details, such as how to seat your
guests at the beach, or how transport your
guests from the hotel to the ceremony site. An
experienced local planner can make a huge
difference, but you'll want to research her
carefully before choosing one. The last thing
you want is to hire someone who "goes dark" on
you.
It's impossible to tell from a web site or
a photo whether a planner is responsive and
professional. The best way to find a great one
is to visit destination wedding boards and ask
newlyweds for their recommendations.
3) Next, you'll want to consider your
budget. Can you pay for close family and
friends to attend your destination wedding, or
will they need to pay their own way? If the
budget's tight, one option is to have a very
small wedding on the island and throw a larger
reception later, at home.
You'll also need to look at the other
aspects of the budget, and consider the
fundamental costs of things like ceremony
locale, reception locale, lodging, catering,
your cake and flowers, and any other services
involved in your wedding. For very constrained
budgets, a small resort package might be both
cheapest and most stress-free choice. If you
have more wiggle room, a good wedding planner
will help you make the most of your money.
4) Another important item on your checklist
is the marriage license. Fortunately, Hawaii
makes this easy. You'll only need to arrive a
few days in advance, and the only major
requirement is that both the bride and groom
appear in person. Hawaii doesn't have a
waiting period or require a blood test, but
you'll need enough time to apply in person on
a weekday before the wedding.
5) You'll also need to research lodging and
airfare for your entire party. That means
you'll need to manage a pleasant location that
offers a fair price for not only for the
bridal couple, but for guests as well. Be sure
that your planner or other former brides give
the thumbs-up to your lodging before you book
it.
Airline tickets are another major cost,
especially if you're footing the bill for
friends and family. You can buy tickets up to
11 months in advance, and the sooner you buy
them, the cheaper they are. With airfare on
this scale, try to take advantage of other
money-saving tactics such as flying in on a
weekday and staying over on a Saturday night.
6) Finally, don't forget that the whole
charm of a destination wedding lies in not
having to obsess over details. Be sure to
research a great wedding planner, but after
that, be willing to roll with the punches and
take what comes. With a destination wedding,
you can often actually relax enough to enjoy
and remember your day, which isn't always true
with more elaborate productions.
From choosing your favorite Hawaiian island
to picking out foot jewelry or beach-style
invitations, there's plenty to do when it
comes to planning a wedding in Hawaii. While a
destination wedding is much like any other,
they tend to feel more complex simply because
of the huge distance involved. The good news
is that you can easily get it all done,
especially when you choose a resort package,
or hire an experienced local wedding planner
who can be your eyes and ears and guide you
through the requirements and on-site issues.
