Aloha Spirit
Hawaiian Traditional Wedding Customs
A church in Oahu, Hawai'i
Hawaii is a very popular wedding destination. Destination bridal parties gather beside the sea and pledge their love to each other. It is a beautiful thing.
However, that is not the true Hawaiian wedding. Hawaii is steeped in customs that dates back for generations.
These customs all have deep meanings that the Hawaiian people pass on to their children. If you are going to the islands for your wedding, you might want to consider the following:
The Aloha Spirit
A traditional Aloha Spirit is what the Hawaiians call their weddings.
This is a ceremony that expresses a commitment to treat your mate and yourself (and others) with respect, kindness, and love.
People who live in Hawaii or people who follow Huna understand that this goes much deeper than the meaning of the word, “aloha”. It is a code of ethics. The Aloha Spirit is to accept that we are part of a universe and designed by the creator.
With that spiritual enlightenment, we see that we must treat the earth, sky, and ocean with the same respect as people. This is a way of life, and attitude, and part of your outlook on life.
The Lei
In traditional Hawaiian weddings, both the bride and the groom wear white. In recent years men have opted to wear traditional Hawaiian print shirts.
The affair is more casual than most weddings in the states. The bride and groom each wear a beautiful flower lei.
Like the wedding band, the lei symbolizes a perfect circle. It has no beginning and no end. On its own, the string would be weak.
But woven together in a ring of flowers, it is strong and withstands what comes against it.
As a symbol of love that never ends and the strength of bonding, the couple exchange leis during the ceremony.
A Hawaiian girl wearing a traditional lei
The Outrigger Canoe
This custom is hundreds of years old. The groom waits upon a sandy beach. The bride departs another part of the island on an outrigger canoe.
The canoe is maneuvered by 4 men. When they arrive, the groom takes the bride's hand and leads her to a circle of flowers where the ceremony will take place.
A modern outrigger canoe
Blowing the Pu
A Pu is a conch shell which is opened on one side.
When someone blows into the Pu it blasts a hollow sound. As the bride walks toward her groom, the conch shell blower walks before her to announce the wedding.
Conch shells
Torch Bearer
Because of the wind in Hawaii, most couples do not use candles in their ceremony. Instead, they use a torch.
Torches are also used in the fire dance which is popular in Hawaiian weddings. It is romantic and beautiful.
A Hawaiian man performing a fire dance with torches
These traditions and much more are important to consider. You may need help from an expert to correctly do these things.
This is something you can add to your Plumfund account. The Plumfund gift registry is ideal for collecting gift money from people who love you and people who cannot attend the wedding.
We have provided some links to help you begin your research. If you are going to have a traditional wedding in Hawaii, consider adding some of these customs. After all, how many times do you get married in Hawaii?
Author Bio
Wendy Dessler
Wendy Dessler is a super-connector with ManageBacklinks.io who helps businesses with building their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. Wendy frequently writes about the latest advancements in the SaaS world and digital marketing.