Top 10 Traditional
Hawaiian Wedding Ideas
Traditional Hawaiian wedding ideas allow you to have an authentic Hawaiian wedding. There is not a better place in the world to get married than Hawaii, and you can have a beautiful wedding by incorporating Hawaiian wedding traditions into your special day.
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- Locations for traditional Hawaiian weddings include the beach (of course), a volcano, gardens, parks, boats and any other outdoor location.
- It doesn't get any more Hawaiian than the lei. Leis are symbols of love and aloha. As guests arrive at your wedding, have someone (groomsmen, for example) place a lei around everyone’s neck.
- Part of exchanging vows in a Hawaiian wedding includes a lei exchange between the bride and groom. A slightly different twist to this tradition is for the groom to give the bride a haku wreath (a beautiful wreath made of tropical flowers) instead of a veil that is worn on the bride's head.
- The kahuna pule (priest or holy man) binds the hands of the bride and groom with a maile lei, symbolizing the couples commitment to each other. A maile lei is an open-ended horseshoe fashion lei made of the spicy scented green maile stems and leaves.
- When thinking about traditional Hawaiian wedding ideas for entertainment, hula dancers are a must. They put on a great show, and they will also teach your guests how to hula dance. Fire dancers are also sure to delight your guests.
- Traditional Hawaiian wedding songs include the ever-popular Hawaiian Wedding Song. A more modern selection is Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Hawaiian music is characterized by the ukulele, slack key (a type of guitar) and steel guitar.
- Attire for a traditional Hawaiian wedding is on the relaxed
side. For the bride, dresses (holoku) are usually
simple, white and can be strapless, halter or have spaghetti straps.
For the groom, tan or white pants with a white button down shirt for the casual Hawaiian wedding. Grooms can also wear a traditional aloha (Hawaiian) shirt. Shoes are optional for both the bride and groom. - Centerpiece ideas for your Hawaiian wedding include bowls
of water with orchids and floating candles, Hawaiian pineapples and of
course arrangements of tropical Hawaiian flowers.
Small tiki torches (shown below) also make a fun centerpiece. - A traditional Hawaiian wedding luau feast
starts with the kalua pig, which is cooked in an
oven dug into the ground called an imu. Other
Hawaiian favorites include poi (a paste made from
taro root), kulolo (coconut pudding with brown
sugar and taro flavorings) and Mahi Mahi among other fish and meats.
There are also a wide array of fresh fruit including bananas, papaya, guava, coconuts and pineapple.
No wedding is complete without a cake. Check out some ideas for Hawaiian wedding cakes. - Send your guests home with a unique Hawaiian wedding favor.
Options include a tiki, a hula dancer for their car or anything bamboo.
Other unique Hawaiian items are macadamia nuts that are often dipped in chocolate and Kona coffee. WithOurAloha.com has a great selection of Hawaiian wedding gifts and favors.
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