If you don't have the proper marriage license, you can say goodbye to getting married in Hawaii. All Hawaii weddings require that a couple get a marriage license prior to being officially married.  It is not complicated or that difficult to obtain a Hawaii marriage license but it is something that must be done.

To obtain a marriage license for Hawaii weddings the future bride and groom must appear together in person before a marriage license agent for the state of Hawaii. They need the necessary proof of age and any required consent forms for minors from the age of 15-17. Proof in age documents can be a birth certificate for anyone over the age of 18 or a driver's license for ages 19 and older. A fee of $60 is needed to be paid with cash only at the time the application is being made.

There is no waiting period for the marriage license as in some other states. Although it does expire in 30 days after it has been issued. It is also only good in the state of Hawaii and no other state. If you want to speed up the process a little bit you can download a marriage license application from the Hawaii Department of Health website, but both the groom and bride must be there to turn the application into the agent.

To apply for a marriage license for Hawaii weddings, visit the Health Department Building located in Honolulu. They are open Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and are closed on holidays. You can also call the Hawaii Department of Health to find state licensed marriage agents on other islands if you are getting married on a different island than Oahu or you can't make the trip to Oahu from another island.

A good idea is to get your marriage the first day that you are in Hawaii so that you know that it is done and over and you don't have to worry about possibly not being able to get married due to no license. Hawaii weddings can be beautiful and majestic, but you need to make sure you follow the proper guidelines or may not be having that beautiful Hawaiian wedding of your dreams.  It's also good to make sure you work with a wedding specialist that is very familiar with Hawaii requirements, as they can change.

For Hawaii weddings happening on the island of Oahu, there are several must-see sights for the bride and groom. Why not make your Hawaiian wedding more than just a ceremony and go see what the island has to offer.

Arizona Memorial

A simple, white structure stands over the hulk of the U.S.S. Arizona, which sank with 1,102 men aboard the ship when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Tickets are distributed on a first-come first-serve basis, so make sure that you are standing in line early in the morning as it is common to wait anywhere from 1-3 hours just to get a ticket. There is no fee to go see the Arizona Memorial. Although, there are long waits, it is definitely worth it to see the video that goes with the tour as well as set foot on the memorial and see the sunken ship underneath the water.

Polynesian Cultural Center

If you really want to experience Hawaii weddings then you need to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and learn all about the history and culture of the island. It has re-created villages that showcase the lifestyles and traditions of Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, and New Zealand. It has also restaurants, luaus, and several shows that consist of fire dancing, tribal tattooing, and ancient ceremonies. Depending on what you are going to see at the center will depend on the price you will pay.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

After seeing action from World War II to the Persian Gulf War, is now moored near the Arizona and serves a museum and interactive educational center. You can see the exact spot in the ship where the agreement for the Japanese surrender to end World War II was signed. They have guided tours and also tickets for non-guided tours which are less money.

Why not take advantage of Hawaii weddings in Oahu and experience everything that the beautiful island has to offer.

If you really want to experience Hawaii weddings, then you need to be sure to include some island food on your wedding menu. This is a great way to pay some homage to the island and its culture and chow down on some very good food. When it comes to Hawaii weddings, keep these food ideas in mind when planning your menu.

Hawaiian food is a mixture of American, Filipino, Japanese, Polynesian, and Korean cuisine. Many of the foods take advantage of the luscious fruits and plants that grow on the island. There are some Hawaiian dishes that are very common and have become regional favorites. There are slight variations on the cuisine depending on what island the Hawaii weddings are taking place on, but there are some common foods that stretch across all the islands.

Fresh fruit is a large part of the Hawaiian cuisine. Fruits like pineapple, papaya, mango, jackfruit, and lychees are commonly made into a large fruit platter or salad and can serve as an appetizer for the wedding.

Being that Hawaii is an island, seafood is a popular choice for Hawaii weddings. Lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, and all kinds of fish like mahi-mahi, tuna, and swordfish are very common in Hawaiian cuisine. Other common options for weddings would be some type of pork or prime rib. These entrees are usually made with the flavors of the island such as teriyaki sauce, pineapple relishes, and kalua.

There are also specific side dishes that people tend to choose for Hawaii weddings to get the flavor of the island. Poi one of the most common side dishes served in Hawaii. Many people use it as an alternative to potatoes. Poi is made by smashing the corm of the taro plant, which is the underground stem of the plant. Poi does look like mashed potatoes but taste much different.

You can finish the wedding menu off with a lilikoi tart or a Kona coffee cheesecake in addition to your wedding cake.

Adding island specific foods into Hawaii weddings is a great way to make your wedding more involved in the destination and to get your guests to be able to experience the food of Hawaii as well.

Dressing your bridal party for Hawaii weddings may just be as difficult as finding your own wedding dress. When you consider what type of wedding that you are having, it is much easier to choose the bridal party attire. Here are some great tips for bridal party attire Hawaii weddings on the beach.

First and foremost, you want to make sure that your bridal party is going to be comfortable. The main people that you may have to worry about when it comes to comfort are the groomsmen. Many brides choose to forego traditional suits and tuxes for more of a relaxed attire for the men. Hawaii can be quite hot and standing on the beach for 30 minutes in a full suit or tux may not be that fun. If you do choose a full suit for the men, look for ones that are lightweight and then allow them to remove the jackets after the ceremony for some of the pictures. You can keep it more casual instead with dress pants and a tie or khakis and a polo shirt.

When it comes to the bridesmaids, there are plenty of options for dresses for Hawaii weddings. One thing that you may want to consider when having a beach wedding is long dresses will drag in the sand and get dirty very quick. Tea-length bridesmaid dresses are very popular and work awesome for Hawaii weddings. If you want something more casual you can even go for a shorter length at the knee.

Avoid using dark colors such as black or chocolate brown with beach weddings. Not only will this make your bridal party much hotter in the sun, but it may not fit the style of the beach wedding. Hawaii weddings are a great excuse to have your bridal party wear bright colors like yellow, pink, and turquoise. Pale colors such as light yellow, pink, and blue also work well.

Remember that you have the final say in the bridal party's attire but it is always nice to remember that your friends and family have to wear the attire the whole day.

Planning successful Hawaii weddings may not be as easy as you think considering that you don't live on the island and you may have not even been there before. You may not have any local contacts or know of any reputable vendors, which is why it is so important that you find a company that specializes in DWs to work with so you can get the wedding of your dreams.

Besides getting help to plan Hawaii weddings, here are 5 other tips for a successful destination wedding.

1. If you are having guests at your wedding, be sure that you send "Save the Date" letters or cards, letting them know where the wedding is, what day, and what accommodations they will have as soon as possible. With Hawaii weddings, hotels can get booked really fast and plus you want your guests to have as much time as possible to plan their trip to Hawaii.

2. Check out travel guide books and websites on Hawaiian travel to find activities to do while in Hawaii. You can even choose to book some of these activities like a luau for you and all your guests.

3. Don't wait until the last minute to back your bags and dress. It's a good idea to make a list of all items that you will need both for the wedding as well as for your stay in Hawaii. Consider packing two different bags, one with only wedding items and another for your vacation or honeymoon stay.

4. Relax. The most successful Hawaii weddings happen when you relax and know how to go with the flow if anything knocks you off schedule or isn't quite exactly as you planned.

5. Make sure that you ask your fiancé for his input as well. There is nothing worse than having one of the best Hawaii weddings planned and your fiancé not being happy that he didn't have a say in anything.

Successful Hawaii weddings are possible, but you will need some help and make sure to remember these 5 simple tips as well.

Destination Weddings are about memories.  The wedding couple will have theirs, and the guests will have theirs.  Since its a more intimate occasion, and usually in an incredible location, there are many things that couples and guests tell me that they remember.

What are the usual things that people remember after a DW? (in no particular order):

1.  Water.  You see it in all the photos, the water at many destinations makes for an incredible backdrop - the colors are incredible.

2.  Surroundings.  Again, most destinations have something interesting around the destination wedding package location.  It may be as simple as just a gorgeous beach, or tropical canopies, etc.

3.  The wedding officiant.  Most couples choose to use an officiant at the destination that is included in their destination wedding package, which I HIGHLY recommend.  They bring a great local "flair" to everything and really make it special.  Most of them are extremely personable and really love what they do, which comes out in their ceremonies.

Take a look at the video below, from a recent wedding in Cozumel that we did (congrats Sarah and Kevin!)  Think about what I mentioned above...you'll see it all...something really unique in the background when they walk in, something about the water that you hear throughout the ceremony, and the humor and warmth from the officiant. 

Hello again everybody,

Well, I was lucky - our recent Hawaii wedding newlyweds were kind enough to send video of parts of their ceremony as well.  So I took the video earlier showing the site, and was able to add some great footage from the ceremony itself.  This way you can see the site and how it transformed into the "big moment".

I really like this video, having been to Hawaii and facinated by the culture.  Not every couple incorporates the culture into their Hawaii wedding, but this one really has it all...traditional blessing and the conch shell.  I was down in the Caribbean last year and entered a conch-blowing contest at a local happy hour, and it's not as easy as it looks!

Enjoy the video!

Good afternoon everybody,

I know that everyone is always interested in seeing actual Destination Wedding setups at various locations.  So whenever I get my hands on something that shows an actual wedding, I always share it.  Before I share this I have to send a big congrats to Shayna and Mark - newlyweds just a couple weeks old! 

Below you'll find a quick video of their wedding ceremony site.  Not every couple wants to get married on a beach, and this is a prime example of one of our specialists recommending a great spot.  I love Hawaii, and this spot really does a great job of creating a secluded area with lush garden and water surroundings. 

Congrats again, and thanks for sharing your unique location for Hawaii weddings!

Thank you to Ed, one of our Senior Destination Wedding Specialists, for this review of the Azul Sensatori in Riviera Maya, Mexico

The resort is located approx 20 miles south of Cancun Airport and approx 35 miles north of  Playa del Carmen.  This is a smaller resort and Family-Friendly.   For Destination Wedding packages there is a requirement of 3 days arrival prior to wedding date and the day of arrival does not count.

The Beach wedding locations were well-designed with beautiful backdrops for the couple, sitting on white sands.  However, the Sky Wedding option is the seller here.  It was difficult to get to the top (elevator stops a flight of stairs prior), but....well worth the effort.

All suites had indoor Jacuzzis, and were quite large with terrace or balcony.  

They have a Mojito Lounge that produces bombshell products!

I would consider this Family-style Resort to be Mid-Range.   They have a partnership with FisherPrice toys and unique baby amenities.  It also has an adults-only restaurant and very lavish Spa. 

The Staff attending us were attentive and worked to show us their best side.  The gardens and beach areas were clean and well-kept.  

Thanks for Myrtis, one of our great Senior DW Specialists, for her review of this great Karisma resort.

This resort was my favorite!  Apporx 60 miles south of  Cancun Airport.  The resort can host from 1 - 5 weddings per day, to give extra personal attention.  There is a requirement of 3 days arrival prior to wedding date and the day of arrival does not count.

The Beach wedding locations were great.  One had a pier and one had an outdoor kitchen where you could have the Reception, as well.

Standard rooms were quite spacious, with indoor Jacuzzi.   The 3 Honeymoon Suites were luxurious, as well, with Ocean Front views. 

The food and service were outstanding!  The top quality meal included in the FAM were unmistakenly great!   We were treated like "royalty" all the way around.

I would consider this Adults-Only Resort to be Mid-Range for the most part.  However, their Presidential Villa would lean toward Upper End pricing.   This resort can work for mid-size wedding groups.

This resort is "special" to me because of its location---closer to Tulum than Cancun.  It has the best beach, is Adults-Only and smaller in scale than the Royale, making it just a tad more intimate (less walking, too).