Hawaiian Wedding Planners in Los Angeles & San Francisco
Hawaiian weddings are filled with tradition that show respect to the couple’s culture and family. The traditions ensure luck to the couple and a life of eternal happiness together.
The Ho’ao Aloha Marriage Tradition
Ho’ao is a Hawaiian term that romantically means “stay until dawn”. It’s a sacred ritual that was performed long ago. The word Aloha has many meanings such as love, sweetheart, affection, kindness, compassion, and admiration. Till this day, Ho’ao is the ancient and modern Hawaiian culture traditions all together.
Churches in Maui, Hawaii
There are a handful of churches on Maui where a local couple or out of state couple could be married, such as:
Catholic Sacred Hearts Church, Kapalua, Maui
Catholic Holy Ghost Church, Kula, Maui
St. Theresa Church, Kihei, Maui
Keawalai Congregational Church (traditional wedding)
St. John’s Church in Keokea (intimate wedding)
Lahaina Methodist Church (religious wedding)
Palapala Ho’omau Church in Kipahulu
Church of Holy Innocents
Processional
The wedding ceremony would begin with the blowing of a conch shell. The wedding party will enter as follows:
- The Kahili bearers will begin the walk down the wedding aisle
- The minister, or Dard
- One or more Hula dancers
- The joyous couple walk down the aisle together
The couple to be married enters the Hawaiian wedding site through a small alcove to a beautiful sunset. Although the couple will enter together in a Hawaiian wedding, the processional can follow the traditional Catholic or Christian processional if you prefer.
The Lei Aloha and the Circle of Love
A lei is a wreath of flowers that represents a symbol of love and affection. During the Lei Aloha marriage ceremony, sweet nature and qualities of love are celebrated. It is the sharing of love with a beautiful lei and represents a unique blending of Hawaiian wedding ceremonies. In the marriage ceremony, performed in English with some Hawaiian chants and prayers, they unite the bridal couple with all the guests into a lei symbolic of a universal circle of love.
Vows
After the couple exchanges their lei’s they are asked to say each of their vows to each other. They are each asked if they are willing to take each other as man and wife throughout anything and in response they respond with “I will”.
Ring Exchange
When asked to exchange rings, a koa bowl is handed to the groom. Koa is the most treasured and valuable woods on the island of Hawaii. It has been used over centuries to bring canoes and tools. In marriage it has come to represent strength and integrity for your relationship. A Ti Leaf is taken by the Dard, or reverend, and dipped into the bowl and sprinkled over the rings three times. The Ti leaf is a symbol of prosperity, health, and blessing of mind, body, and spirit. After, he chants: Ei-Ah Eha-No. Ka Malohia Oh-Na-Lani. Mea A-Ku A-Pu. “May peace from above rest upon you and remain with you now and forever”.
Pronunciation
The Dard now pronounces the bride and groom as a married couple and asked if they would seal their vows with a kiss. As they take their first kiss as a married couple a chant is said; Ho’o-na-ni ka Ma-kua mau. They then walk off together as wife and husband to continue to the Recessional.
