Kauai Wedding Customs
Local Wedding Customs for Destination Weddings in Kauai
Not only is Kauai a beautiful, peaceful island wedding destination, it is rich with vibrant cultural customs that would add elegance to any destination wedding ceremony. You can give your destination wedding ceremony in Kauai local flair with leis, Hawaiian music, and a Hawaiian feast.
Leis
No destination wedding in Kauai is complete without leis, or Hawaiian flower garlands. In Hawaiian culture, leis symbolize respect, love, and all-around good feelings. In Hawaiian culture, it’s common for wedding ceremonies to begin with the bride and groom exchanging leis. You can either have the flower girl supply the leis or the bride and groom can wear each other’s leis in the beginning and then switch them during the ceremony.
In traditional Hawaiian weddings, the groom wears a lei made of green maile leaves while the bride wears a lei made of pikake, orchids, and rose buds. Sometimes the bride also wears a head piece made of flowers and leaves. It is also tradition for the holy man, known as the kahula pule, to bind the hands of the bride and groom together with a lei during a wedding ceremony.
Decorations
No destination wedding ceremony in Kauai is complete without beautiful tropical flowers adorning the ceremony site. Some gorgeous flowers that can be used to make arches and centerpieces at your wedding include the yellow hibiscus, which is the state of Hawaii’s official flower, orchids, white plumeria, and the bird of paradise.
Hawaiian Music
Elvis’ “Hawaiian Wedding Song” is the quintessential wedding song you’ll hear at Hawaiian destination wedding ceremonies. Instruments that are popular in Hawaii include the ukulele and the slack key guitar. Hawaiian music is very romantic so it’s a great idea to hire local musicians to serenade you during your destination wedding ceremony in Kauai. Better yet, hire some hula dancers in addition to musicians so they can interpret the meanings of the songs with their dance moves.
Hawaiian Food
No destination wedding in Kauai is complete without a large spread of local delicacies. Some dishes you can’t miss include laulau, kulolo, kalua pig, and poi. Laulau consists of meats like chicken and fish wrapped in ti leaves and cooked. Kulolo is a delicious coconut pudding dessert made with brown sugar and taro root. Poke is raw fish that is diced and mixed with vegetables and seaweed. Kalua pig is pork that is salted, wrapped in ti leaves, and slowly smoked. Poi is a lovely paste made of mashed taro root. You’ll notice that many dishes in Kauai have Asian influences because of the large Asian population there.
Dress
In traditional Hawaiian weddings, the bride and groom both dress in white. The bride wears a long, white, and flowing dress and a crown of flowers on her head known as haku. The groom wears a loose white shirt and white slacks as well as a red sash around his waist. Wear comfortable Hawaiian-style clothing at your destination wedding ceremony to enjoy the way the soft fabric feels on your skin as the tropical breeze blows your way.
Hawaiian Language
The Hawaiian language is very romantic and exotic. You can add Hawaiian words to your wedding invitation to entice your guests or you can exchange Hawaiian words during your ceremony or toast. For example, “ipo,” means sweetheart while “hiwahiwa” means darling.
Asian Wedding Customs in Hawaii
Because of the heavy Asian influence in Kauai and Hawaii in general, many customs practiced at local weddings come directly from Asian cultures. For example, Japanese-American brides fold 1,001 origami cranes prior to their wedding to usher in good luck and longevity. In actuality, the Japanese tradition calls for 1,000 cranes but in Hawaii, the brides add one more crane for extra luck. In many Hawaiian weddings, couples also follow a Filipino tradition called the “money dance,” during which the bride and groom dance and the guests wish the couple good luck and offer monetary gifts. |
