Hawaii offers a beautiful backdrop to a wedding ceremony.
Hawaii has been a top destination wedding location for years. The Aloha State offers many sites for couples to say "I do" among picturesque beaches and exotic native Hawaiian landscapes. The wedding-planning website The Knot has listed Hawaii as a top wedding destination for many years back to back and Honeymoon Cruise Shopper listed Hawaii second to Las Vegas on a list of top wedding locations in 2006. Couples getting married in Hawaii can enjoy a traditional Hawaiian wedding, including the area's cultural customs.
Friends and Family
Everyone appears to be close in Hawaii and they show their appreciation of close friends by referring to them as family. At Hawaiian weddings, guests are commonly referred to as sisters, brothers and cousins. But these people are often not blood relatives; they are simply close friends. Some of the communities elders might be referred to as Auntie or Uncle.
Lei
The lei, introduced to Hawaii by some of the early Polynesian voyagers, is made out of flowers, leaves, nuts, shells, feathers and seeds. Sometimes pieces of bone and teeth of native animals are intertwined into the lei as well. Chiefs used the lei to establish peace between two groups. For weddings, the lei is a symbol of a unbroken circle, similar to that of wedding rings. The lei represents the eternal commitment the couple has for each other.
Wind
The Ohana is Hawaiian traditional belief about the meaning of wind during a wedding on the island. It is believed that when the wind blows, the spirit of absent loved ones and ancestors are present at the wedding. These spirits join the wedding to show their love, blessing and support for the newlyweds.
Rings
Hawaiian weddings have a specific ring ceremony and the blessing of the rings uses a koa wood bowl and a ti leaf. The leaf is used to gather water collected in the wood bowl and then dripped over the rings three times. The following statement "Ei-Ah Eha-No. Ka Malohia Oh-Na-Lani. Mea A-Ku A-Pau" is spoken while the water is sprinkled over the rings. The statement means "May peace from above rest upon you and remain with you now and forever." The bow signifies strength and integrity and the leaf represents health and prosperity. The water is intended to wash away any barrier in the relationship back to the ocean and offers a new beginning for the couple.
Attire
Women generally wear light, cool clothing that is designed after traditional island styles. The men tend to wear aloha flowered shirts with colored cotton pants and sandals. The groom sometimes will wear all white with a colored sash wrapped around his waist.
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