How to Get Married in Hawaii for Cheap
Make a budget.Figure out how much money you have to work with before you start looking at any costs or making any plans., Choose a wedding date during the off-season.Mid-April to early June and September through mid-December are the off-seasons in...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make a budget.Figure out how much money you have to work with before you start looking at any costs or making any plans.
Once you dive into your wedding planning research, keeping track of pricing can get confusing and overwhelming.
By setting a clear amount at the outset, you can save yourself a lot of grief and be more incisive as you make your decisions. -
Step 2: Choose a wedding date during the off-season.Mid-April to early June and September through mid-December are the off-seasons in Hawaii.
During these times everything is far less crowded and much cheaper.
Keep in mind that the dry season in Hawaii is April through October, so if you are thinking about an outdoor wedding, that time period is least likely to be rainy.
Additionally, weekends are much more expensive and crowded than weekdays.
Avoid planning your wedding in June or July.
This is peak tourist season in Hawaii, and during those months the cost of everything is very high.
Even during dry season, rain is a possibility.
In general, most of the rain occurs at night, so an evening wedding outdoors could be affected by this.
Consider having an indoor back-up venue, just in case. , All of the islands are beautiful, but getting married on Oahu is considered the easiest and cheapest route.
Prices for everything are generally significantly cheaper there than on the outer islands.
Even better, Oahu has the most options for wedding venues.
Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian islands, and is home to Honolulu, the capitol.
There is a lot to see and do there, so you'll have no lack of pre and post wedding activities to choose from.
The international airport of Hawaii is located there, so it is also the most accessible location in Hawaii. , This may sound like a luxury choice, especially if you are on a tight budget, but planning a wedding remotely is extremely hard to do.
Unless you have friends or family that live on the island, hiring a coordinator will actually end up saving you money.
Coordinators can assist you with finding the perfect venue, hiring the minister, and are often marriage license agents themselves, allowing you to kill a lot of birds with one stone by working with one.
Most coordinators will provide you with wedding package options that vary in price, with many being quite affordable.
These packages are often all-inclusive (the more expensive the package, the more it includes), so choosing a package could provide everything from the hotel all the way down to the wedding cake and decorations., The state of Hawaii now requires that you obtain a permit to marry in the sand on the beach.
Luckily these permits are cheap (about $20) and easily obtainable online without a waiting period or delay.
If you work with a coordinator, they will usually take care of securing the permit for you, but it wouldn't hurt to inquire and confirm with them, just in case.Other low cost wedding venues to explore are national parks, state parks and botanical gardens.
Rules vary, as far as number of guests allowed and whether or not a permit is required, so give yourself plenty of time to research and take care of these details.
Don’t forget to ask about any noise ordinances, and be sure to follow them., If they bring them along to give to you at the ceremony, you will have to haul all of them back with you, which could end up costing you a considerable sum.
Instead, ask everyone to mail them to your home address. -
Step 3: Opt for the island of Oahu.Hawaii consists of 8 main islands
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Step 4: each with their own characteristics and price points.
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Step 5: Hire a wedding consultant or coordinator.
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Step 6: Have the ceremony on the beach.
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Step 7: Have guests send wedding gifts to your home address.
Detailed Guide
Once you dive into your wedding planning research, keeping track of pricing can get confusing and overwhelming.
By setting a clear amount at the outset, you can save yourself a lot of grief and be more incisive as you make your decisions.
During these times everything is far less crowded and much cheaper.
Keep in mind that the dry season in Hawaii is April through October, so if you are thinking about an outdoor wedding, that time period is least likely to be rainy.
Additionally, weekends are much more expensive and crowded than weekdays.
Avoid planning your wedding in June or July.
This is peak tourist season in Hawaii, and during those months the cost of everything is very high.
Even during dry season, rain is a possibility.
In general, most of the rain occurs at night, so an evening wedding outdoors could be affected by this.
Consider having an indoor back-up venue, just in case. , All of the islands are beautiful, but getting married on Oahu is considered the easiest and cheapest route.
Prices for everything are generally significantly cheaper there than on the outer islands.
Even better, Oahu has the most options for wedding venues.
Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian islands, and is home to Honolulu, the capitol.
There is a lot to see and do there, so you'll have no lack of pre and post wedding activities to choose from.
The international airport of Hawaii is located there, so it is also the most accessible location in Hawaii. , This may sound like a luxury choice, especially if you are on a tight budget, but planning a wedding remotely is extremely hard to do.
Unless you have friends or family that live on the island, hiring a coordinator will actually end up saving you money.
Coordinators can assist you with finding the perfect venue, hiring the minister, and are often marriage license agents themselves, allowing you to kill a lot of birds with one stone by working with one.
Most coordinators will provide you with wedding package options that vary in price, with many being quite affordable.
These packages are often all-inclusive (the more expensive the package, the more it includes), so choosing a package could provide everything from the hotel all the way down to the wedding cake and decorations., The state of Hawaii now requires that you obtain a permit to marry in the sand on the beach.
Luckily these permits are cheap (about $20) and easily obtainable online without a waiting period or delay.
If you work with a coordinator, they will usually take care of securing the permit for you, but it wouldn't hurt to inquire and confirm with them, just in case.Other low cost wedding venues to explore are national parks, state parks and botanical gardens.
Rules vary, as far as number of guests allowed and whether or not a permit is required, so give yourself plenty of time to research and take care of these details.
Don’t forget to ask about any noise ordinances, and be sure to follow them., If they bring them along to give to you at the ceremony, you will have to haul all of them back with you, which could end up costing you a considerable sum.
Instead, ask everyone to mail them to your home address.
About the Author
Lauren Hayes
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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