Hawaii Wedding Officiant
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you give me more information about
Marriage Licensing?
So you're asking, "How do I get married in Hawaii"? Please visit the site below for complete information about getting your marriage license. Whether you are having a large wedding or even a civil wedding, to be legally wed in Hawaii, you must obtain a marriage license. You can get your marriage license as early as 30 days before your ceremony. You must have it before we perform the ceremony and also bring it to the ceremony site. This is the second most important thing besides your presence at the ceremony if you want it to be a legal ceremony. After the ceremony I will personally file it with the State of Hawaii.
If you forget to bring the license to the ceremony I can still file it with the State of Hawaii because your information is already pre-registered. In this case, you will need to provide me with your birth dates so I can find your marriage license online. After I file with the State of Hawaii, you will receive the official legal copy which you can use to take care of further business. Be sure to fill out the form and pay the extra fee to the Department of Health if you would like your license back sooner than 6-8 weeks.
Here is the information on marriage licensing. Please make your inquiries about this through State of Hawaii Dept of Health office.
HAWAII DEPT OF HEALTH // MARRIAGE WEBSITE
MARRIAGE APPLICATION // INSTRUCTIONS
After you have applied to get married, you must go in person to pick up a marriage worksheet with one of the following locations/agents.
Hawaii Department of Health (Mon - Fri, 8:00a - 4:00) Holidays excluded
1250 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu Hawaii 96817
808.586.4543
There are also marriage license agents who work after hours and outside of the Health Department.
Schofield Barracks
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April Paulsen - 402.820.7449
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Lakisha Warton - 210.722.7148
North Shore (Turtle Bay Resort) : 808.293.6020
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Margie Adolpho
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Sheri Chang
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Diosdado Corpuz
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Megan Koehne
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Jamie Kubota
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Roy Nacapuy
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Melina Patrick
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Sydney Pere
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Tiare Tipoti
Koolina (Four Seasons Resort) : 808.679.3271
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Nerine Asbel
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Amanda Belton
How do I obtain my temporary marriage license after the wedding?
After your marriage has been filed with the State of Hawaii, you will be able to look up your marriage record with the LOCATOR ID provided to you from the marriage agent. Using the ID, you will be able to print a temporary PDF of your license. Your official marriage license will be mailed to you by the State of Hawaii. If you need additional copies, you may order them online at the Hawaii Vital Records website.
I am not a US citizen, and the person I am marrying is from another country. Can we still get married in Hawaii?
Yes you can. Please consult with the State licensing office for details. They are very friendly and will answer your quesitons by phone.
If we want to have our ceremony on a State beach or park, do we need a permit? Will you get the permit for us?
Yes. I am able to obtain a beach permit for you. I would handle all the necessary paperwork and I would also put the ceremony under the umbrella of my insurance. My fee for this would be $150.
If you wish to be responsible for securing the permit through the State of Hawaii, I would then simply perform the ceremony for you. Before you can obtain a permit, you will need to purchase "special event insurance". A google search will provide you with a list of companies that provide the coverage...for about $150. Once you have the coverage, you will be able to obtain a permit from the State. The cost for the permit is $20. It is also important to remember that you must provide copies of the state permit to all working parties while at the ceremony. I will be required to have a copy of your permit on my person while at the event. Here is the link to the form and further information:
Can you recite a script that we provide for you?
As a professional officiant, you are hiring me for my experience and the knowledge I have accumulated over the years of speaking at wedding ceremonies. If you connect with the tone and words that I have said in the videos on this site, it is precisely because those were my words. It comes from within me and therefore, I can speak to you from my heart - rather than reading words off a page. Although any script would most likely have meaningful words, if I have not internalized them, I would need to read them - making them less than genuine. For these reasons, if you have a strict script that you wish to be read, I would not be a good fit for you.
Can I meet you before the wedding to see if we are a good fit?
Yes, that is possible, but I recommend that in order to save everyone's time, first review the information available on this site. This will give you a insight to my personality and you will know immediately if you feel a connection with me or not. As well, please take the time to read through the "about" page of this website where I talk about myself and my belief system. This should give you enough information to know if we are a good fit.
What do your ceremonies consist of? Can we get a head start on understanding your ceremony?
Please browse through this site. You will find options for poems and scriptures. After booking, I also send you a questionnaire that you will need to fill out. The questionnaire will provide me with all the information I need regarding your wedding ceremony. If you have other elements you want to incorporate, I am happy to do so.
What happens if our ceremony starts late?
I expect your ceremony to begin on time, yet am happy to wait a few minutes for last minute details to come together and have allowed some time for that. My ceremonies are about 15-20 minutes long and I have committed about an hour for you on the day of your ceremony from the time I arrive. Sometimes, depending on the day and schedule I am not able to perform a full ceremony for you if we start more than 5 -10 minutes late. Therefore, it is important to hold the intent to start the ceremony on time by having a time line that supports your start time.
What time do you arrive?
I generally arrive 15-30 minutes before the ceremony. This give everyone enough time to get situated. I will also make myself available to your photographer or videographer to go over the best place for everyone to stand during the ceremony.
How long is a ceremony?
A ceremony can be anywhere from 15-25 minutes from start to end depending on the elements you select to include and the size of your wedding party. The more segments (sand ceremony, solo, poem, reading, lei ceremony, etc.) the longer the ceremony. Signing the license takes about five minutes.