Say ‘I do’ (if ‘aloha’ doesn’t cover that) on Hawaii’s Big Island

Aside from Las Vegas, there isn’t a place on the planet the name of which means marriage quite like Hawaii. It’s where your grandparents went for silk-shirt Polynesian passion, pupu platters and the “Bridal Chorus” slowly strummed on a soprano uke.

It’s where your be-lei’d parents went for their white-on-white-on-white, toes-in-the sand, ocean-spray ceremony.

It’s where couples en masse are still tying the knot today — but with one important difference: They’re ditching the island cliches and adding authentic Hawaiian cultural touches to their espousals.

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Of course, Hawaii isn’t just one place. Most visit Oahu, with its affordable hotels along the original playground beach of Waikiki.

Rich Californians prefer Maui for its buzzy hotels and restaurants, manicured golf courses and high-end shopping.

Or, when they want some blissed-out serenity, they go to Kauai (hello, Mark Zuckerberg). Minuscule Lanai, a former pineapple plantation now 98% owned by Google billionaire Larry Ellison, has become a wellness polestar thanks to two Four Seasons resorts and its hear-a-pin-drop tranquility.

But in terms of authenticity, nowhere is the Aloha Spirit better preserved than on the Big Island, a k a the Island of Hawaii.

At 4,050 square miles, growing daily thanks to the active Kilauea volcano, it has a vast shoreline, teeming reefs, sparse development and complex history — the town of Captain Cook is where the famed English explorer met his end, allegedly giving the appellation of these so-called Sandwich Islands a newfound literalism. It also burns with romance.

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“We try to do things authentically, as much as we can,” said Melina Manchester, director of special events at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii’s Big Island. “We incorporate the culture, not in a kitschy way. We try to be respectful. We try to do things that are more meaningful, rather than just, you know, grass skirts and coconut bras.”

At Four Seasons Hualalai, that means swearing “I do” before a native Hawaiian officiant like Uncle Earl or Kahu Tom. Uncle Earl Regidor is the resort’s Ka‘upulehu Cultural Center manager and he’s been with them for 20 years. Meanwhile, Kahu Tom Fernandez has lived on the Big Island since 1988 and is a minister at the Kalahikiola Congregational Church.

“We have these really special people that we work with that do cultural ceremonies,” Manchester said. “It’s usually nondenominational, but Kahu Tom can do a religious ceremony as well. We love to get to know the couple so we can make it personal.”

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The Hawaiian ceremony will involve a lei exchange and some chants that are chosen specifically for the couple, she added. It all starts with an “oli,” a welcome chant that blesses the wedding weekend. Fire nights and hula performances teach, if vaguely, bits and bobs of Hawaiian mythology and are also popular.

At the Four Seasons’ Cultural Center, wedding parties gather for lei-making classes (far more fun than you might expect), ukulele lessons, Hawaiian quilting and to learn the native lore.

But it’s not just the locals that fill this island with romance — it’s also the land. Rugged, splattered with black lava rock, it’s for the adventurous, lovers of the great outdoors.

Kona is the island’s primary airport, biggest town and the ideal roost for your wedding weekend; its other five-star resort is the Rosewood.

“We incorporate the culture, not in a kitschy way. We try to be respectful. We try to do things that are more meaningful, rather than just, you know, grass skirts and coconut bras.”

Melina Manchester, director of special events at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

From here, the two-hour drive cross-isle to Volcanoes National Park, where the angry crater glows and steams, is unmissable.

The beaches are often rural and rarely life-guarded (and beware — the currents can be strong) but the reef life is as rich as in remote Indonesia and as pure as the Maldives. Just avoid bumping into a turtle, a major fineable infraction.

“That island is not as sexy as I would think,” warned wedding planner Alyssa Alinato, “because you can’t really go swimming in the water. It’s very rocky.”

But, of course, you can —and should. Just don’t get obsessed with wading into soft surf from perfect white-sand beaches. Head to aquarium-like waters at Two Step at Honaunau Bay, or visit the sea turtles at Kahalu’u Beach Park, known for its coarse salt-and-pepper sand.

“We are able to appeal to lots of different types of couples,” Manchester said. “We have weddings that are on the bluff overlooking the coast. We have weddings where your feet are in the sand. We have weddings on a beautiful lawn on the ocean. It’s whatever experience you want to have, but it all comes with a real sense of place.”