Getting Married in a Post-Pandemic Hawaii
Just like the rest of the world, lots of change has been brought to our shores here in Hawaii. With this change Hawaii has implemented many statewide travel and social distancing ordinances, and while necessary for the health of our kupuna (elders) they have been changing a lot from week to week, making it hard to navigate what residents and tourists can and can’t do. There has been a ton of questions as to what weddings will look like after all sanctions are lifted and Hawaii is back open for business, and while I may not have any concrete answers because of all the uncertainty, I have a few tips for you to consider while planning your perfect day.
Continue to check for state and county restrictions for travelers.
As of the time of this writing, Gov. Ige has said that starting August 1 the mandatory 14-day quarantine for visitors will be lifted, but visitors are required to have been tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to arriving to Hawaii. Make sure you have a test scheduled prior to your arrival in the sate, local officials have been extremely strict with restrictions so far and if you don’t arrive with a test you will be barred from leaving the airport and put on the next plane home. Check the Hawaii Tourism Authority webpage for more up-to-date details.
If planning around an indoor location, the smaller, the better.
Just like the rest of the country, across the board the maximum capacity of most establishments are going to be cut down. That means if you were looking to rent out a restaurant for a reception, or a church for the ceremony, you max guest count might end up smaller than you think. This is starting to become a trend as well, over the past several weeks I have been hired for six small weddings (less than 20 people) and two with less than 30 people, so couples seem to be understanding that intimate events are the way to go.
Gambling with the weather will likely be in your favor.
Adding to the last point, it seems like there’s more leeway in open areas as far as guest count. As of the time of writing this, while restaurants and brick-and-mortar stores have to comply with new capacity laws, the beaches and outdoor areas are back to how they were. If you can get a permit for a beach wedding, the guest count will likely be less than what it was prior to COVID-19, but larger than most structures’ occupancy. For more tips on picking a location based on weather, please check out my other blog post.
Work with vendors who care.
With all the changes regarding travel, and with the threat of a “second wave” that could potentially push back opening days, it’s important that you work with vendors who are understanding of the situation and are here to help you. For instance, since the pandemic started, I changed my cancellation policy to if you need to cancel because of coronavirus reasons, I offer full refunds to the couple as long as they let me know 2 weeks in advance. I know it’s not much, but it at least gives them the piece of mind knowing that they won’t lose anything monetarily if things go South again. My partners have also adopted similar policies to give peace of mind to those planning their wedding in these uncertain times.
Zoom wedding for extended family/friends.
As much as we want to have all of our loved ones attend, with as much uncertainty as there is right now with airport regulations and statewide laws, a great option is to hire a videographer to live broadcast the ceremony. I shot and broadcasted a ceremony the other week and I can tell you that it is totally doable to broadcast from most beaches or other remote locations, and by streaming from a camera rather than the computer the production value is much higher and more beautiful than a standard conference call with your coworkers :)
Every “perfect wedding” has bumps in the road.
In my entire career I have never been a part of a wedding that went exactly according to plan. Things happen both during the planning phase and on the big day, always unforeseen, yet the wedding is always nothing short of amazing. Consider this pandemic your “bump in the road.” I know, it’s a crazy big bump, and yes it can be upsetting that you may have to make some unforeseen adjustments, but I guarantee that on your wedding day all those adjustments will fade away as you celebrate your love.
And that’s it! I hope these tips help you out with planning your big day here in Hawaii. For those looking for more information on how to elope on Kauai or anywhere in Hawaii, check out my other blog post on how to elope in Hawaii. If you have any questions on how to adapt your wedding to these times, or looking for other tips on how to make your day that much more special, please email me and I’d be happy to help you out.