Planning a Wedding in Hawaii
on Oahu.
Most couples who marry on Oahu don’t live on the island. This guide gathers what you’ll want to know about planning a wedding in Hawaii, from getting legally married to choosing a setting and timing your day around the light, all in one place.
Start here
Your Oahu wedding,
planned from home
Planning across an ocean asks for a little more forethought: a licensing appointment to fit around your arrival, a setting you may only have seen in photographs, and weather that can change within the hour.
None of it is difficult once you know what to expect. The guides below are written from experience photographing weddings and elopements across the islands.
from afar
You’re planning from the mainland. You want a clear picture of what happens before, during and after the day, without flying out twice.
You want the legal side handled early. Marriage licenses and beach permits, explained in plain language.
You want photos that look like Oahu. Ocean light, green ridgelines, and the people you love, photographed by someone who lives here.
LaDonna
LaDonna lives on Oahu and has photographed weddings on Maui and Oahu, across the mainland and in Canada.
She knows how quickly island weather moves, where the light falls at different times of day, and how to keep a timeline calm when plans shift.
The legal side
Getting legally
married in Hawaii
Hawaii doesn’t require residency, U.S. citizenship or blood tests. You’ll apply online, then meet with a licensing agent together, in person, no sooner than 30 days before your ceremony, so plan your arrival around that appointment. Your license is valid for 30 days and only within Hawaii.
Dreaming of a ceremony on the sand? Most public beaches on Oahu require a State permit, with strict limits on chairs, arches and group size.
say I do
A venue on Oahu can mean a hotel terrace above Waikiki, a garden beneath sheer green mountains, or a beach house on the North Shore. Start with the feeling you want the day to have, then find the setting that holds it.
Photos that feel like home
Safe. Soulful. Stunning.
Planning resources
Choosing your date
The Best Time to Get Married in Hawaii
Oahu’s two seasons, which side of the island stays drier, and sunset times for every month.
Eloping in Hawaii
How to plan an intimate Oahu elopement from anywhere, from the license to the light.
Perfect Wedding Timeline Planning
How to build a wedding-day timeline that leaves room for the moments you’ll remember.
Our faves
Oahu venues
Kualoa Ranch at Paliku Gardens
Sheer green mountains, Kāneʻohe Bay and Mokoliʻi Island, with three lawns and a covered pavilion.
The Charming Estate, Kailua
A circular garden-lawn ceremony in the Maunawili Valley, with an indoor rain plan steps away.
Kaimana Beach Hotel, Waikiki
Coastal elegance on the sand at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki.
the Fairytale
Bridal Brief
Planning tips, real Oahu weddings, and first looks at new work, sent a few times a month at most.
Photo & film
Planning your photography
want even more?
Chronicles
Real weddings, proposals and planning stories from across the islands and beyond.
Honolulu, HI
Waialua, HI
Morrisville, NY
Maui, HI
808.761.9303
Hello@Ltsquaredphotography.com
1001 Bishop St. STE 2685A, Honolulu, HI 96813
Pinterest · Facebook Community
