There are certain moments in your life that you only get once. Your wedding day is definitely one of them. All couples do their best to plan ahead and make sure their day includes everything they want. However, hindsight can truly be 20/20.

Here are the top five regrets couples have from their wedding. Hopefully this helps you plan accordingly for your big day!  

5. Wearing the Wrong Shoes

Select shoes so you’ll be comfortable! Gentlemen, if you are getting new shoes, make sure to break them in beforehand. Ladies, high heels may look great with your beach wedding dress, but they are dangerous in the sand! Or the lava rocks at some of our wedding locations. Not great places to wear heels.

We've been doing both Oahu elopements and outer island Hawaii elopements since 1978, so we understand how elopement packages are an excellent option for couples looking for a stress-free way to plan their wedding. With some of the most stunning beaches in the world, eloping in Hawaii is a no-brainer!

Did you know that elopements and destination weddings can be much more affordable than the cost of a traditional wedding? Many couples can fly to Hawaii, stay seven nights, have their wedding, and still spend less than they would for a wedding at home. This is also true for most elopement locations around the world.

You might also like our Tips for Eloping blog post for the "do's and don'ts" of eloping in Hawaii.

We already mentioned that Hawaii has affordable destination wedding options, but what’s “affordable,” you ask? Our Hawaii wedding packages range from $395 to $8,995, with most couples spending a small fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding (2024 prices).

Oahu beach weddings are one of the most popular and affordable ways to get married in Hawaii. While there are many beautiful beaches in the state, we believe Oahu is the best Hawaiian island for a destination wedding.

What You Need for a Beach Wedding on Oahu

Like all the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu requires a permit from the State of Hawaii to marry on a beach. We can apply for and pick up the permit for your event. At the time of writing, a Hawaii beach wedding or vow renewal permit costs $50.

Best Oahu Beach Wedding Locations

Since all beaches in Hawaii are public, most couples want to choose a beach that offers incredible beauty, some seclusion, and a certain amount of convenience. Our selection of beach wedding locations takes this into consideration.

Before going over each location, here’s a quick comparison to help you get started.

• Closest to Waikiki: Waialae Beach
• Best Sunrise & Lava Rock Location: Sandy Beach
• If you’re staying on the North Shore: Kawela Bay
• If you’re staying on the West Side: Secret Beach

Waialae Beach is a short distance from Waikiki and is known for all its iconic palm trees, making it one of our popular Oahu wedding locations.

Details: 

• Location: South Shore, 10 minutes from Waikiki.
• Available: 7 days a week, 8:00am-6:00pm.
• Recommended for up to 30 guests.
• Decor: No Arches and Chairs. Runways are available 7 days a week.
• Recommendation: Lighting is great throughout the day. 

Ceremony Considerations at Waialae Beach

The ceremony is held on the beach with the ocean as the backdrop. (If you’re interested in having your ceremony on a lawn right next to the ocean, especially for larger groups, check out Magic Island.)

Following the ceremony, we take the couple along the beach for a variety of photos.

Waialae Beach is perfect for an intimate beach wedding.

Everything You Need to Know About Kawela Bay

Kawela Bay is our top North Shore wedding location. For couples staying on the North Shore, the drive to many of our other Hawaii wedding locations is a bit far, and considering the proximity to Turtle Bay and other North Shore accommodations, Kawela Bay is a great choice. Although we have descriptions and photos of all our wedding locations, we wanted to share more details that may help you choose the perfect beach for the big day!

As you probably have seen in the pictures, this location features soft sand, calm blue water, and one of Hawaii's most amazing Banyan trees.

The combination of the beach and forest gives couples a "two-in-one-location” photo opportunity.

Introduction to Micro Weddings

Micro weddings are rising in popularity, and now more than ever, it is a great time to consider if it may be right for you. Here at Weddings of Hawaii, we’ve been specializing in destination weddings of all sizes for over 40 years.

Thousands of couples have benefitted from the happy-medium of a micro wedding, and we’d love to help you determine if you could be one of them!

Small, intimate beach weddings are the perfect kind of micro wedding.

What Is a Micro Wedding?

A micro wedding for many places in the world is a small wedding, usually with around 20 and no more than 50 guests, but a Hawaii micro wedding is usually smaller, often with the couple and a few guests.

Generally, it is more streamlined but similar to a traditional wedding, with everything on a smaller scale.

Aside from the guest count, the biggest difference is that the reception is more casual and less structured than a traditional wedding reception.