Hawaii Remote Marriage Ceremony Requirements
If you are planning to officiate a wedding in Hawaii, check out our page Get Ordained in Hawaii.
If you are planning to officiate a wedding in Hawaii, check out our page Get Ordained in Hawaii.
Online weddings conducted over video-conference are not allowed in Hawaii. Both parties to the marriage must be physically present at the ceremony, along with an authorized wedding officiant (often called a "marriage performer" in Hawaii). While friends and relatives can get ordained online free with AMM to officiate a wedding in Hawaii, they must perform the ceremony in person with the couple.
If you're set on getting married online, you can apply for a marriage license using Utah's digital portal instead: How to Get Married in an Online Wedding Ceremony in Utah. Although your license will be issued in Utah, you can attend your remote ceremony from anywhere in the world, including from your living room in Hawaii!
Applicants who wish to marry in Hawaii can start their marriage license application online, but they the process must be completed in person. This process includes meeting with an authorized marriage license agent (either a state-employed agent or private license agent), who will verify your name, age, and identity, and have you sign the application worksheet. Hawaii marriage licenses are issued by the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH), and once issued, can be used anywhere in the state.
Recording a marriage in Hawaii can be done entirely online: After the wedding ceremony, your marriage license is submitted electronically (online) by your wedding officiant using the Hawaii Electronic Marriage and Civil Union Registration System. This registers your marriage with the state, creating an official marriage record.
Learn how to register a Hawaii marriage license:
All ministers are required to register as a "Marriage Performer" with the State of Hawaii before officiating a wedding there, including all ministers ordained online with American Marriage Ministries. The registration process is done online using the Hawaii.gov Online Services portal.
Learn more and register as a wedding officiant in Hawaii using the links below:
AMM: Hawaii Officiant Government Registration Requirements
State of Hawaii: Marriage Performer License Registration (Online Services)
Explore more helpful resources for getting married or eloping in Hawaii, performing your first wedding, and more:
Online weddings, livestream weddings, and small in-person guest lists have become a normal part of life, but it wasn't always this way! During the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology was new and evolved quickly, because the only way for many guests to attend a wedding to join remotely using a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
If you're considering an online wedding, a tiny elopement with just you and your officiant, or even a 'just us' elopement, remember that Hawaii marriage laws regulate who must be in attendance at your ceremony, and how the ceremony is conducted. Here are some options to help adapt your wedding plans in Hawaii to celebrate.
For the sake of clarity, we differentiate between a virtual wedding and a livestream wedding by who is in attendance and how they are conducted:
If the wedding officiant and couple are in separate physical locations, and the officiant performs the ceremony over video-conference technology (like Zoom, Google Meet, etc), then we call that a "virtual wedding." You might also hear it called a "Zoom wedding," "online wedding," or "remote marriage ceremony." Guests may or may not attend these ceremonies (either seated around the couple or joining remotely as well), depending on the couple's preferences.
If the couple and the wedding officiant are in the same physical location during the ceremony, but some or all of the guests are watching the wedding remotely (online), we call that a livestream wedding. You may also hear this referred to as a "hybrid wedding." In this case, the marriage ceremony itself is happening in one physical place, and it's being livestreamed out to guests.
You can read more about what distinguishes each option here.
(Keep in mind that metaverse weddings and getting married in a video game are a separate category of tech-wedding altogether, and are strictly symbolic. They must be combined with a traditional ceremony to meet legal requirements.)
You can livestream any activity or event, and it doesn't matter where you are in Hawaii, what you're doing or how many people are physically present with you. Some of the most popular platforms include Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live.
If you want to host your own livestream, all you really need is a tripod and a phone with a good camera on it; your guests will be able to participate remotely and enjoy every part of your ceremony. Most platforms allow guests to comment, chat, react, and interact in a number of ways.
Many wedding professionals have also expanded their offerings in recent years to include wedding livestreaming services. For some couples, having a professional videographer or wedding content creator running things is well worth the extra money.
Both virtual weddings and livestream weddings are a creative way to have friends and family join the ceremony at no cost from anywhere in the world. For many couples, this technology has completely changed the way they celebrate love!
Ready for more online wedding inspiration? Check out:
A Virtual Wedding Ceremony Script with Special Readings
Learn from the Pros to Officiate with Confidence!
Choose Your Officiant with our "Will You Marry Us?" Gift Package.
Our premiere package contains everyting you need to officiate like a pro.
It's finally here! Timeless scripts and heartfelt vow inspiration to bring life to your ceremony.
Stay up-to-date with the latest wedding industry trends.
Need inspiration? Check out our free ceremony scripts!
Everything you need to know to officiate.
Test your understanding of Hawaii Marriage Laws.
Become a Wedding Officiant with Our Free Online Ordination!