Congratulations you're engaged!! Now the wedding planning begins! You may be asking yourself “okay, what’s next?” or “how do I even start?” That's where we come in! As we know many new fiances’ may have questions on what comes next for them we put together a few of our tips on how to start planning your wedding in Hawaii!
Meet With a Hawaii Wedding Coordinator
First things first, hire a local wedding coordinator to assist you with planning all of the details for your big day! Your coordinator will be able to answer any wedding planning questions you have, suggest venue & vendor options, and be the person that will help you to have a stress free planning experience!
Photography: Bianca Photography | Venue: Four Seasons Resort in Ko’Olina
If you’re thinking about planning your wedding on your own, or maybe you only require a bit of help with creating your timeline; consider checking out our blog sharing tips to creating your very own wedding planning timeline as well as our Timeline Creation service.
Inquire with Venues and Select a Date
You may have already decided that you want to get married in Hawaii, but now you have to decide where and when! The islands offer a variety of gorgeous venues both for intimate and grand weddings so we highly recommend knowing what you’re looking for in your venue and checking out various locations before selecting “the one”. When it comes to choosing the date of your wedding there are many factors that come into place. As Hawaii is a popular destination for weddings, knowing the busy season, as well as the major events happening in the islands, could help you pick a date that saves money for you and any of your guests traveling to the Aloha state.
Photography: Embr Photo | Florist: Flower Girls Hawaii | Venue: Hyatt Regency
Create a Budget
Creating your wedding budget is definitely something that you can do prior to the steps we previously mentioned, IF you have a set budget that you would like your venue and vendors to fit in to. However, if you’re not yet sure what you want your wedding budget to be, we recommend consulting with various venues and vendors to receive a custom quote to help you create your ideal wedding budget.
Though wedding budgeting may not be the most glamorous topic, it definitely is an important one, as your budget can affect many of your wedding decisions. That’s why we highly recommend creating your budget as early in the wedding planning process as possible. Below are a few blogs we created to help you with your wedding budget!
TOP 5 DECISIONS THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR BUDGET
HOW TO CREATE YOUR IDEAL WEDDING BUDGET IN 3 STEPS
3 WAYS TO STAY IN CONTROL OF YOUR WEDDING BUDGET
Determine Your Guest List
Now that you know the WHERE and WHEN of your wedding it’s time to determine the WHO or in this case many “whos” that you will be inviting to your special day! Creating your guest list can be difficult and if you’re planning your Hawaii wedding to be an intimate gathering it can be even tricker deciding who you’d like to be there to celebrate the big day with you.
Photography: Derek Wong Photography | Venue: Halekulani Resort
Send Out Save the Dates/Invitations
If you’re having a destination wedding or are inviting a large number of guests that will need to travel to the islands for your big day you’ll want to send out your save the dates and invitations early in advance to ensure that your guests have lots of time to plan to attend your wedding!
Photography: Michele C Photo | Venue: Hawaii Vista Weddings
Book Local Vendors
You’ve booked your coordinator and venue, and now it’s time to hire the rest of your vendors! Both your coordinator and venue can also be great resources to recommend vendors to you that have worked at your wedding location before, are in your price range, and would be able to deliver you the wedding of your dreams! Vendors that we often see at weddings include Hair & Makeup Artists, Photographers, Videographers, Florists, a Linen/Decor Team, Entertainment/MC, and an Officiant of course!
Wedding License
Done within 30 days of your wedding day, one of the last but most important things to do before your wedding is getting your marriage license! For couples getting married in Hawaii we created a blog sharing the step by step process of how to get this important document.
After you get your marriage license, you should be all set to get legally married! We hope this list helps you with planning your wedding in Hawaii. And if you’re looking for more blogs to give you wedding ideas for your Hawaii wedding, we have a few sharing traditions, florals, and favors related to Hawaii you can include on your wedding day!
Common Cultural Traditions Seen at Hawaii Weddings
7 Hawaii Wedding Favor Ideas
Popular Floral Pieces Found at Hawaii Weddings
XOXOXO
(A Perfect Day)