Hawaii Covid Wedding Regulations

ONLINE WEDDING CEREMONIES

Online wedding ceremonies are no longer allowed in Hawaii. The temporary authorization of virtual weddings has been lifted and now both the couple and minister must be present for the ceremony to be legal.

COVID RESTRICTIONS FOR COUPLES & MINISTERS

From the ceremony to the paperwork, Covid-19 has had a dramatic impact on weddings - getting married is just different right now. Currently, indoor gatherings of more than 10 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 25 people are not permitted. If you wish to have more people at your wedding ceremony, consult the county agency on whether you qualify as a professional event. In this case, you would be allowed up to 50 people in attendance. These requirements can be bypassed if you are visiting from the US and are fully vaccinated or can present a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of traveling. At the moment, masks are required in indoor settings for individuals 5 years of age and older.

MARRIAGE LICENSES & THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Recording a marriage in Hawaii can be done entirely online. Couples can apply for a marriage license using the Department of Health's online system, and officiants can use the same system to certify that the marriage took place.

Contact the Department of Health or your local marriage license processing office for more information.

MINISTER REGISTRATION & THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Ministers are required to register with the Department of Health before performing marriage in Hawaii, which can be done entirely online. Hawaii's online system allows ministers to register their credentials and certify the marriages that they have performed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information contact the Hawaii Department of Public Health.

COVID-19, social distancing, travel bans, lockdowns… Many couples are being forced to downsize their wedding plans and for many guests, the only way to attend is with their computers and mobile phones.

If your guest list is shrinking to just the couple and officiant, or maybe just the couple, Hawaii marriage laws regulate who must be in attendance, and how the ceremony is conducted. Here are some options to help adapt your wedding plans in Hawaii to celebrate a COVID safe wedding.

Virtual Weddings vs. Livestream Ceremonies in Hawaii

For the sake of clarity, we differentiate virtual wedding ceremonies (or Zoom/Skype ceremonies) from livestream ceremonies by who is in attendance. If the officiant is officiating the vows from another place via video, then we call that a virtual or Zoom ceremony, since the people involved in the ceremony are interacting over whatever video platform is chosen.

However, if the couple and the officiant are present, but guests are watching remotely, we call that a livestream wedding since the ceremony itself is happening in one physical place. You can read more about what distinguishes each option here.

How can we celebrate a legally valid live streamed ceremony in Hawaii

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 Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live.

As long as you have a tripod and a phone with a good camera on it, your guests will be able to participate remotely. Many of these platforms even allow guests to comment, chat, and interact in other ways.

We realize that this is not always ideal, but ultimately, if couples choose to move forward with scaled down weddings and smaller guests lists, these communications platforms let friends and family around the world know that they are still being thought of.

For folks planning on livestreaming their nuptials, Here's How to Livestream Your Wedding.