Flying In? How to Honor Hawaiʻi at Your Oʻahu Wedding
By DJ Nate Burgoyne
When should Hawaiian music play — during the ceremony, at dinner, or on the dance floor? And who should lead your banzai toast? (Hint: it isn’t your MC.)
After 130+ weddings each year on Oʻahu, here’s where each moment lands best, and how to honor Hawaiʻi without turning your day into a show. Below: what you can include, where Hawaiian music fits, how to plan around performers, and simple ways to show respect if you’re visiting.
Want help placing these in your timeline? Chat with the Frobaby Productions DJ team anytime — zero pressure.
Hawaiian wedding traditions you can include
Your ceremony can open with an oli, a traditional Hawaiian chant, along with the blowing of the conch shell. A lei exchange during the ceremony is also very common, and it’s one of my favorites. You might have the bride perform a hula for the groom — a really special moment for everyone watching.
At the reception, you can bring in a Polynesian dance troupe, and many times the dancers will teach your guests some hula. A fire knife show is another popular choice. You can give lei to all of your guests, or set up a fresh coconut station where guests get freshly cut coconuts and drink the coconut water.
You don’t need all of these. Pick the ones that mean the most to the two of you.
The banzai toast belongs to your guests
A banzai toast is a fun, high-energy toast that shows up at a lot of Hawaiʻi weddings. If you’re wondering whether I lead it as MC: I’ve never led one, and I’ve never had a couple ask the MC to lead it. It’s usually done by guests — almost always the best man or some friends with great energy.
That’s a good thing. When someone close to you leads it, it feels personal, and your guests feel it.
Where Hawaiian music fits in the night
Hawaiian music is lovely for the pre-ceremony, and a little of it during cocktail hour and dinner works well too. The key word there is a little. If you play Hawaiian music through the pre-ceremony, all of cocktail hour, and all of dinner, it gets sleepy, and people start nodding off.
Cocktail hour is when we want to wake people up a little and let them know there’s a party coming later. The music we play then helps earn your guests’ trust. We can tone it down again for the first part of dinner, and that’s where I’d recommend bringing Hawaiian music back in.
So my suggestion is simple. Give Hawaiian music the pre-ceremony, sprinkle some into cocktail hour, and bring it back for the start of dinner. That way it feels special, and the night still builds toward the dance floor.
Planning around hula and fire knife performers
If you book a hula show or a fire knife performance, your timeline usually adjusts to the performers. They show up ready to go at a very specific time, so your coordinator takes the lead on fitting them in. Usually, they’ll move other things around so the performers can start right on time, like shifting the cake cutting.
On our end, we work with that plan so the show lands smoothly and the night keeps its momentum afterward.
Getting the words right
As your DJ and MC, the most important thing I can do is say things correctly. Whether it’s a Hawaiian word, a place name, or a family name, we check ahead of time how to pronounce it. It’s a small step, and it’s the respectful thing to do.
Simple ways you can honor the islands if you’re visiting
If you’re coming from out of town and want to honor Hawaiʻi, you don’t have to overthink it. A lei exchange during your ceremony is very nice, and a little Hawaiian music before the ceremony sets a beautiful tone.
My favorite suggestion costs nothing at all. As part of your toast, take a moment to recognize how beautiful the island is and how beautiful your location is. That honors the beauty of the land and the mana, the feeling that Hawaiʻi has. Letting your guests know this is a special place, and that you feel lucky to celebrate here, is a great way to honor the island.
Chat with the Frobaby Productions DJ team
If you’re planning an Oʻahu wedding and want to include Hawaiian elements in a way that feels right, the Frobaby Productions DJ team would love to hear about your plans. We’re super transparent about our pricing, and you can see all of our packages at pricing.frobabyproductions.com. If you’d like to talk it through, grab a zero-pressure, ask-me-anything chat with the Frobaby Productions DJ team at chat.frobabyproductions.com.
What Hawaiian wedding traditions do couples include on Oʻahu?
Common choices include an oli with the blowing of the conch shell, a lei exchange during the ceremony, the bride performing hula for the groom, a Polynesian dance troupe, a fire knife show, lei for guests, and a fresh coconut station.
Does the DJ or MC lead the banzai toast?
Usually not. In our experience, the banzai toast is led by guests, most often the best man or friends with great energy.
When should Hawaiian music play at our wedding?
It works well for the pre-ceremony, with a little during cocktail hour and the first part of dinner. Playing it the whole time can make the night feel sleepy.
How do hula or fire knife performers fit into the timeline?
The timeline usually adjusts to them. Your coordinator decides where they fit and may shift things like the cake cutting so they start on time.
How can visiting couples honor Hawaiʻi at their wedding?
A lei exchange, a little Hawaiian pre-ceremony music, and a toast that recognizes the beauty of the island and its mana are all simple, meaningful ways.