There's no place in America like Hawaii - after all, it's the only state that's an archipelago. The Hawaiian Islands have a climate like that of the Tropics, a friendly, laid-back culture like that of the American Deep South or West, and as the nation's newest state - and the former home of the only autonomous kingdom established on U.S. territory - a unique history just as distinct as its geography and climate. One of Hawaii's most popular destinations is Honolulu, the state capitol, located on the island of O'ahu. If you aren't too busy being dazzled by Honolulu's scenic beauty and lulled by its Pacific breezes, you and your wedding party might want to visit some famous landmarks. Luckily, our guide includes information about Honolulu attractions both natural and cultural - so grab your Honolulu wedding photographer and get ready to explore.
A Honolulu wedding photographer might direct the wedding or engagement party in search of authentic Hawaiian art and culture to the Honolulu Academy of Arts. This museum, founded prior to Hawaii's joining the Union in 1959, now houses over 40,000 works of both Asian and Western art - the largest such collection in Hawaii. The Academy of Arts also offers tours of one of Honolulu's best and most eccentric destinations, Doris Duke's Shangri La. This estate was built in the 1930's by tobacco heiress Doris Duke to house and showcase her burgeoning collection of Islamic art and architectural elements, and is perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There's also the famous Bernice P. Bishop Museum, home to the world's largest collection of Polynesian and Hawaiian historical and cultural artifacts and art. If that's a little dry for you, get your Honolulu wedding photographer to direct you to the Wakiki Aquarium, built on the coast of Wakiki Beach and home to a variety of Hawaii's aquatic creatures. Visit the lush, 300-acre Honolulu Zoo complex to celebrate your nuptials the Hawaiian way - flamingoes included.
Another location well-suited to merry shots is the Aloha Tower, the 10-story lighthouse that greets visitors docking at Honolulu Harbor. The architecturally impressive 'Iolani Palace, built in 1879, was home to the Hawaiian monarchy until Hawaii was annexed by the U.S. government in 1898. Two of Honolulu's more somber - though historically significant - monuments are the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, one of America's largest military memorials and cemeteries and the USS Arizona Memorial, a commemoration to the servicemen killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Are you - and your Honolulu wedding photographer- more interested in natural landmarks? Read on.
Wakiki Beach is a popular destination for surfers. Located on the emerald shores of the Pacific, it's also a majestic backdrop for wedding or engagement photos (even better - surfing wedding or engagement photos). The Liliuolalani Botanical Garden, a botanic garden and city park, charges no entrance fee -making this leafy-green preserve and waterfall the perfect spot for your Honolulu wedding photographer to capture you and your wedding or engagement party in your element, pre-or-post wedding or engagement.
Interested in volcanoes? You're in for a real treat. Honolulu is studded with tuff cones (volcanic formations composed of consolidated ash) such as the dramatic Diamond Head, which hovers hundreds of feet above Wakiki Beach. Your Honolulu wedding photographer may also direct you to Koko Crater, a similar formation, and finally to the stunning Hanauma Bay, a bay nestled within a volcanic cone. Explore, swim and frolic with your wedding party as your Honolulu wedding photographer immortalizes the most unique wedding or engagement party that your guests will ever attend.