About four years ago, I had the opportunity to experience a Hawaiian wedding on the beach. The ceremony was simple, yet elegant. As the guests arrived, we were all greeted with a lei around necks our prior to being seated. Hawaiian music was played by a two-person band. One person played a slack key guitar while the other played a ukulele. Both the bride and groom wore white. The bride wore a long, white dress called a muumuu-ish. Her dress flowed and had such a unique elegance. She also wore a haku lei, (a ring of fragrant Hawaiian flowers) around her head. The groom’s attire was less formal, consisting of a pair of linen slacks, a white dress top, with a red sash.
Unlike an American wedding, the Officiant walks the groom to the front of the ceremony as Hawaiian music continues to play in the background. The music then changes to the playing of a large conch shell (pu) as the bride walks down the aisle. She is announced by the blowing pu to call the earth, sea, air and fire as witnesses. The wedding started with the exchanging of their leis. The groom and bride were wearing each other’s leis but exchanged them. The Officiant then bound their hands together with a lei as the romantic symbol of their one-ness and eternal love. The bride, who is wearing a flowing white gown and a crown of flowers known as a haku, begins her walk down the aisle as her groom turns toward her.
The bride and groom exchange leis, his is more masculine with green leaves and hers had white flowers. The couple recite their vows and exchange their rings. The ceremony ended with the pu and ukulele being played. As the bride and groom turn toward to walk away, several more layers of leis were placed around both their necks. In a nutshell, the ceremony began with the blowing of the pu, an exchange of fresh flower leis and a Hawaiian chant/prayer.
After the cake has been cut, parent dances,