Book Pu’uloa, Virginia’s Hawaiian band, for authentic music and hula at your wedding or luau. Tailored packages!

The Aloha Experience ~ Just the Ceremony

In Hawaiian culture, Aloha embodies LOVE, PEACE, COMPASSION, and GRATITUDE. Above all else, Aloha means LOVE.  When we greet one another, we greet each other with LOVE.  When we part, we part with LOVE.  This is why Hawaiians use the word Aloha to mean both "hello" and "goodbye".   "Hello" and "Goodbye" are synonymous with LOVE.  Think of this loving Aloha package as a welcoming “hello” to your wedding, fostering love, harmony, and affection.  The Bride and Groom enter as individuals, embrace with Aloha.  Once wed, they part as one, with Aloha.

Offerings

• Guests’ Arrival & Prelude: Mellow Hawaiian tunes set a compassionate, loving tone.

• Processional & Bride’s Entrance: Gentle rhythms, with steel guitar or solo ukulele, guide with joyful affection.

• Mid-Ceremony Moments: Subtle music and hula enhance readings or rituals with peaceful grace.

• Recessional & Postlude: Upbeat songs celebrate your union, bidding a heartfelt goodbye.

The Ohana Experience ~ Cocktails and Socials

In Hawaiian culture, Ohana embodies family—not just blood relations, but the deep bonds of love, support, and togetherness that extend to all who share in life's journey. Above all else, Ohana means FAMILY. It reminds us that no one is left behind or forgotten, as we gather to celebrate, nurture connections, and create lasting memories. This is why Hawaiians cherish Ohana as a circle of inclusion and care. Think of this loving Ohana package as an extension of your wedding's "hello," fostering family-like harmony and affection through the added cocktail hour. Guests mingle as individuals, bond over shared stories and laughter, embracing as one Ohana.

Offerings

• Cocktail Hour: Mellow Hawaiian tunes, pop adaptations, and interactive hula encourage socializing, building family ties with compassionate warmth.

• Seamless Transitions: Gentle rhythms guide from ceremony to cocktails, enhancing joyful affection and peaceful grace.

The BIG LUAU ~ Dining Ambiance or Dinner Show

In Hawaiian culture, Luau embodies a festive gathering, feasting, music, dance, and communal joy. Above all else, a Luau is a CELEBRATION. It's a time to honor milestones with abundant food, lively entertainment, and shared stories, bringing everyone together in a spirit of Aloha and Ohana. This is why Hawaiians host Luaus for weddings, birthdays, and special events—to create bonds and lasting memories through abundance and merriment. Think of this grand BIG LUAU suite as the ultimate "celebration" of your wedding, fostering joy, harmony, and unity through the added dinner reception. Guests arrive as individuals, connect as Ohana during cocktails, and feast as one in the Luau's embrace.

Offerings

• Dinner Reception: Background Hawaiian tunes during meals and speeches, upbeat for mingling, with sparse hula to enhance the festive feast.

  • Optional Complete Dinner Show

• Seamless Transitions & Breaks: Gentle rhythms guide through the day, including pauses for toasts, ensuring joyful affection and peaceful grace throughout.

Á la Carte

Perhaps you only want Cocktail music?

Perhaps you only want Dinner music or a Dinner Show? 

No problem.  We aim to please.

Add-Ons and Upgrades

• Overtime: additional hourly rate (full group, beyond package time)—extend the aloha!

• Solo Ukulele Spotlight: additional hourly rate (e.g., dedicated 15-20 minute set with classics like Pachelbel's Canon in D or Beatles songs such as "Here Comes the Sun").

• Extended Hula Performance: additional hourly rate (additional routines during key moments, like a celebratory dance for the recessional).

• Custom Song Arrangements: $100 per song (e.g., Hawaiian twists on non-traditional requests, like infusing pop hits with steel guitar magic).

Non-Hawaiian Add-Ons and Upgrades

• Flute & Nylon String Guitar: additional hourly rate (Classical Music, Jazz, Brazilian Jazz)

  • https://www.nylonwind.com

• Classical Flute and Piano: additional hourly rate (professional Classical flautist and pianist).

• Jazz Combo: additional hourly rate (professional Jazz Duo, Trio, Quartet, Quintet).

Wedding Music Programming Opportunities

Guests Arrive

As your guests arrive, our Hawaiian band will play a variety of songs that are mellow but welcoming, infused with the warm, tropical vibes of the islands. We want your guests to feel relaxed and immersed in aloha spirit as they arrive and settle into the space. You can let us know if you prefer traditional Hawaiian tunes, a blend of island classics and pop, or other genres adapted to our unique style.

Prelude

At this time, you’ll want your guests to start gathering and sitting down for the ceremony. Choosing songs that will set a serene, island-inspired mood for the rest of your ceremony is important here. Our Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Ukulele, Acoustic Guitar, Upright Bass, and vocal harmonies create a lush, harmonious backdrop, with our Hula Dancer adding graceful visual storytelling. Here are some examples:

* Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World Medley: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

* Beyond the Reef: Traditional Hawaiian

* Blue Hawaii: Elvis Presley

* Tiny Bubbles: Don Ho

* In Your Hawaiian Way: Contemporary Hawaiian

Processional

As your wedding party enters, you’ll want music with a gentle, strolling pace to guide them down the aisle, evoking the sway of palm trees and ocean waves. Our ensemble's rhythmic ukulele and steel guitar will provide that perfect island flow. Some examples include:

* Aloha 'Oe: Queen Lili'uokalani (Traditional Hawaiian farewell turned celebratory)

* Pearly Shells: Traditional Hawaiian

* Here Comes the Sun: The Beatles (a bright, solo ukulele rendition with a tropical twist)

* Hanalei Moon: Traditional Hawaiian

* Blue Hawai'i:  Elvis, Hawaiian Style

* Waikiki: Traditional Hawaiian

The Bride Enters

You can continue the song from the wedding party processional or select a new one for when the bride enters and walks down the aisle, highlighting the moment with the delicate, heartfelt strums of a solo ukulele, showcasing its warm, island charm. Our ukulele player can also blend with the shimmering tones of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar and vocal harmonies for a fuller sound if preferred. Here are a few suggestions, including solo ukulele arrangements:

* "Bridal Chorus" from Richard Wagner's Opera also known as "Here Comes the Bride" (solo ukulele, soft and charming)

* Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au): As made popular by the movie "Blue Hawai'i"

* Canon in D: Pachelbel (arranged for solo ukulele, with gentle, flowing arpeggios evoking the classic melody)

* White Sandy Beach of Hawai'i: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (solo ukulele or with harmonies)

* Lava: From the Disney short (a romantic ukulele duet, adaptable for solo)

* E Ku'u Morning Dew: Traditional Hawaiian (solo ukulele for a soft, intimate feel)

Candle Lighting, Readings, Any Other Mid-Ceremony Special Moments

This is a perfect time for something mellow and understated. The person officiating your marriage might be talking, or you might have family members doing readings, so you’ll want the music to lightly flow underneath like a gentle trade wind. Our Hula Dancer can perform subtle movements to enhance the atmosphere without overpowering the moment.

* Rainbow Connection: Hawaiian Style

* I'll Remember You: Contemporary Hawaiian

* To You, Sweetheart, Aloha: Traditional Hawaiian

* You Are my Sunshine/This Little Light of Mine: Hawaiian Style Medley

* Hi'ilawe: Traditional Hawaiian waterfall song

Recessional

You’re married! A more upbeat song is a good fit here, with lively ukulele strums and celebratory harmonies to put guests in a joyful, festive mood, ready for the luau ahead.

* "Wedding March" from Felix Mendelssoh's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hawaiian adaptation)

* What a Wonderful World: Contemporary Hawaiian

* Henehene Kou Aka: Traditional Hawaiian

* Wahine 'Ilikea: Contemporary Hawaiian

* Hawaiian War Chant: Traditional Hawaiian

* On the Beach at Waikiki: Traditional Hawaiian

Postlude

The music will continue as guests mill around and exit the ceremony, keeping the energy light and tropical. A few song suggestions include:

* Mapuana (steel guitar feature)

* Beyond the Reef: Traditional Hawaiian

* My Little Grass Shack: Traditional Hawaiian

* Sophisticated Hula: Contemporary Hawaiian

Cocktail Hour

It’s not quite as important to pick specific songs here, since the music will truly be in the background as your guests socialize, sip mai tais, and enjoy pupus. Our band has a long list of Hawaiian and tropical tunes we'll play seamlessly, blending vocals, instruments, and hula elements—though you're welcome to make requests for favorites.

Dinner Reception

The same guidelines apply here as the cocktail hour music, with our Hawaiian band providing a relaxed, tropical ambiance through gentle ukulele strumes, steel guitar melodies, vocal harmonies, and subtle hula movements.  If our band is playing through dinner, be sure to tell us in advance if there will be speeches so we know when to pause and resume, ensuring our Hula Dancer and harmonies enhance the evening without interruption.

Optional Dinner Show Performance:  Elevate your reception with at captivating Dinner Show Performance, featuring our full ensemble of Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Ukulele, Acoustic Guitar, Upright Bass, and Vocal Harmonies, accompanied by an extended hula performance.  This vibrant showcase of Hawaiian music and dance can be tailored to your event, offering a memorable cultural experience for your guest.  Let us know if you'd like to include this special performance, and we can coordinate timing and song selections to complement your dinner festivities.

Selecting the Group

The first step of this process is deciding what kind of instrumentation you want. You could have a string quartet, a harpist, a singer, a pianist...there are so many options. And most groups, even with classical instruments, can play arrangements of your favorite pop or rock songs. Our group is a Hawaiian band featuring Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Ukulele, Acoustic Guitar, Upright Bass, Hula Dancer, and vocal harmonies, which we think is the perfect combination for providing wedding background music with an authentic island flair. Here are some reasons why:

* The Hawaiian Steel Guitar offers a signature sliding, ethereal sound that can be dreamy and romantic or vibrant and uplifting, evoking the spirit of the islands in every note—ideal for mellow moments or celebratory highs.

* The Ukulele adds a cheerful, rhythmic charm that blends seamlessly with the Acoustic Guitar and Upright Bass, creating rich layers of melody and harmony, while our vocal harmonies bring warmth and emotion, like a chorus of ocean waves.

* This ensemble sounds equally lovely across genres: We can infuse pop songs with Hawaiian soul, channel traditional island melodies, or adapt folk and classical pieces with tropical twists, all enhanced by our Hula Dancer's interpretive movements that tell a visual story.

* We’re portable and versatile; we can perform in any venue, indoors or outdoors, with or without amplification. Our Hula Dancer adds a cultural, performative element, and we can easily move between spaces for transitions from ceremony to cocktail hour, cocktail hour to dinner, etc.

Additional Music Options

While we specialize in authentic Hawaiian music with our signature instrumentations, we also offer versatile performance options to suit your event.  Our talented musicians can provide elegant classical piano and flute duets or lively jazz ensembles, ensuring a perfect fit for any mood or style you envision. 

In Summary

Whatever type of group you decide on, choosing an ensemble that you feel comfortable with and that has experience playing weddings is key. That way, you will trust that your musicians know when and what to play, which is one less thing you have to worry about leading up to and on your wedding day.

Ready to experience this sound live? Book Pu’uloa for your next event and let the islands come to you!

kokua@hawaiianband.com