Tie the Knot with Aloha

Simple, unforgettable ways to add Hawaiian wedding traditions to your big day

WORDS KRYSTAL KAKIMOTO

A dream wedding in Hawai‘i is as magical as it sounds. Just imagine…you can get married barefoot in the sand and start your honeymoon immediately after the reception without the hassle of going through the dreaded airport security and long flight; your guests are at a premier vacation destination; and the natural beauty found here makes for incredible photographs for your treasured wedding album. You can be as casual or formal as you like and create a wedding perfect for you and your soon-to-be-spouse while staying within your set budget. But, a destination wedding isn’t ideal for everyone— especially those with a large guest list or family members that can’t travel. Whether celebrating your nuptials on a serene beach here on Kaua‘i or sharing your affinity for Hawai‘i in a traditional wedding on the mainland, there are many simple, yet elegant, ways to incorporate the beautiful Hawaiian traditions in your ceremony to bring a bit of aloha to your big day.

Strings of flowers in varying hues and scents are common in the Islands and are often exchanged to show love, honor, and respect. At weddings, lei can be incorporated into the ceremony in a variety of ways to show the eternal bond between the couple and how sweet their love is for one another. Traditionally, the bride is outfitted in a floral crown called a haku lei. Fragrant blossoms are interwoven with green foliage and tied around her head to bring honor and attention to her. The bride and groom can also choose to exchange lei worn around the necks during the ceremony to show their admiration and respect for one another.

The bride will typically be given a white lei made of fragrant flowers such as plumeria, pïkake, or white ginger while grooms are often seen wearing lei made of the fragrant maile vine interwoven with flowers of his choice. At some ceremonies, the kahuna pule, or holy man officiating the ceremony, will join the hands of the couple over a lei to symbolize the unending connection they are making while he offers a chant or oli to the heavens.

While some brides opt for traditional white gowns, others will select a Hawaiian mu‘umu‘u, which is a loose gown that drapes from the shoulders and falls at either the knees or ankles. Traditionally, a bride will wear a white mu‘umu‘u with delicate patterns, but recently more brides are seen wearing mu‘umu‘u of their wedding colors or in a stronger pattern matching the groom’s attire.

Modern grooms can be seen wearing aloha shirts and loose slacks, but the traditional attire at Hawaiian weddings for grooms was, surprising to some, outfits of all white. White dress shirts were paired with white slacks creating a stylish silhouette for grooms while a colorful sash, typically red, was tied around their waists.

A popular choice for the first dance as a married couple is the “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” Written in 1926 by Charles E. King, the song was originally titled “Ke Kali Nei Au” or “Waiting Here for You.” Al Hoffman and Dick Manning translated the song into English in 1958 and it was then given its new title. A mainstay at local weddings, the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” will not only bring some of the islands to your celebration, but also link you to the many couples in years past that celebrated their first dance to this tune.

During the wedding ceremony, the kahuna pule often performs a ceremony to bless and purify the wedding rings prior their exchange. A bowl made of koa wood is used in this ceremony, which symbolizes strength and integrity. The kahuna pule will fill the koa bowl with salt water and then dip a ti leaf, symbolizing health, prosperity, and wealth, in the water which he will shake three times over the couple’s wedding bands.

The salt water sprinkled on the rings purifies the union and throw all obstacles that hinder the couple back to the sea allowing nothing but happiness to come their way. A chant usually accompanies the ring blessing: Ei-Ah Eha-No. Ka Malohia Oh-Na-Lani. Mea A-Ku A-Pau. May blessings from above rest upon you and remain with you now and forever.

Pū (conch shells) can be used throughout the wedding ceremony and have a variety of meanings in the Islands. While the bride walks down the aisle, some kahuna pule will blow a conch shell to call the earth, sea, wind, and fire to bear witness to the ceremony. Others opt to have a conch blown three times before the exchange of rings as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. The blowing of conch shells is a sacred ritual with a complex set of guidelines dictating how many blows should be sounded and to which direction and is done with utmost reverence.

Since ancient times, Hawaiians have shared the special custom of, when greeting one another, sharing hā. Hā, also known as breath or life force, is exchanged by two people pressing their noses together and inhaling at the same time. This special moment is not only a sharing of the physical space, but also an exchange of their essence. Some couples choose to incorporate this act into their ceremony prior to the traditional kiss, also known as honi.

No matter the location, whether here or on the mainland, including some of these Hawaiian wedding traditions to your special day is a sure way to share your love of Hawaiÿi with each other, as well as with your guests, and add a little extra aloha to your celebration making it a unique experience for all.