Is there a typical Kauai wedding minister?

We conducted an interview with Joel McDonald, Kauai wedding minister and co-owner of the popular Kauai wedding planning company Aloha Ever After. Joel works alongside Timory McDonald at many weddings; together they are a husband-wife minister-photographer team.

Question: Why did you become a Kauai wedding minister?

Answer: I have always had spiritual leanings, and in my youth enjoyed exploring different religions, philosophies and spiritual traditions. I attended a religious Catholic school; I studied yoga intensively in India and Thailand; I trained as a Zen buddhist monk in Japan; I practiced Sufism (the Path of the Open Heart) here in Hawaii. Being a Kauai wedding minister allows me to participate in a profound, spiritual moment in people’s lives, which I cherish.

Question: What’s so unique about performing weddings on Kauai?

Answer: Well, for starters, you’re normally standing outside – in the sun, in the rain, in the wind, whatever the weather may bring (actually very few of my weddings have ever been postponed due to the elements). I have performed entire ceremonies in light rain! The Hawaiians used to consider rain a blessing on your wedding day. But it’s certainly very different to standing inside a Church, chapel or other building.

As a result, people are generally more carefree, casual and relaxed when they choose to get married on Kauai. There’s less stress and pressure. Destination weddings are weddings and honeymoon all rolled into one.

There is something magical and sublime about having Nature as your witness. Many couples whom I marry are lucky enough to have a rainbow or pink-and-orange sunset as their backdrop when declaring their vows. It is breathtaking and unforgettable. You really can’t compare it to getting married inside of 4 walls.

Question: Is there a stereotypical Kauai wedding minister?

Answer: In short, no. The State of Hawaii allows many ordained ministers of different faiths to perform weddings here. There are some male Christian ministers with local or Hawaiian ancestry here, but there are also some wonderful female Kauai wedding ministers, and people of all faiths and ethnicities. I think the ratio reflects the general ratio of different people on the island.

Question: What is your favorite part of being a Kauai wedding minister?

Answer: I like many aspects of it – getting to know the couple, working in such a beautiful environment and being part of someone’s special day. However, my favorite part is leading people into their hearts during the ceremony, helping them remember Who They Are and why they are doing this. I like to bring out the raw emotion of the moment in people. It’s a big thing to declare a life commitment to another person in public. It’s a real buzz to feel the energy, depth and sacredness of it, and to assist people by guiding them through that.