No-glitch hitching

Scott Sallee, 26, and 23-year-old Polina Kova­li­jova had to change planes to get from Switzerland to Hono­lulu for their Feb. 9 wedding, but thanks to a new office that handles marriage and civil union licensing at the Sheraton Waikiki, the couple got to take a direct route through their nuptial paper work.

"I saw the new office listed on the website and decided to come here because it was a lot closer," said Sallee, who after applying for the license online was able to stroll into the hotel office with his bride-to-be and get their license in minutes.

Sheraton’s licensing office, which is the first on Oahu outside of a government building, opened Jan. 28 as part of a partnership between Sheraton and the state Department of Health. The department has similar arrangements in place at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa on Hawaii island and at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, said Keith Yama­moto, deputy director for the health agency.

"We provide the training and oversight. They provide the office and the marriage licensing agents," Yama­moto said. "It’s a win-win for everyone. We’d like to see this program expanded to more hotels throughout the state, especially on Maui and Kauai where there are a lot of nonresidents getting married."

Hawaii as a destination for weddings and civil unions necessitated expansion, said Alvin Onaka, state registrar of vital statistics. On average the department handles licenses for 65 weddings a day and on special dates like 11/11/11 has issued as many as 873, Onaka said.

"Yes, we’ve had lines," Onaka said, adding that visitors contribute to the volume.

As many as 68 percent of the 23,743 licenses issued in 2012 went to couples that included at least one out-of-towner, and that statistic was true in more than 50 percent of the 730 civil union licenses, he said.

"We are trying to get service and the process out to where people are, rather than requiring that they come into a government location," Yama­moto said. "We are located right across from the state Capitol. Parking is an issue and it gets crowded."

Since the state office closes at 5 p.m., in the past couples who were still waiting would have to return, said Cheryl Dickerson, who works as a marriage license and civil union agent at Sheraton.

"It could be very inconvenient," Dickerson said.

Having licensing agents at the Sheraton Waikiki gives couples more options and makes it easier for Hawaii to compete with other big one-stop destination wedding markets like Las Vegas.

Hours at the hotel’s marriage licensing office are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome; however, couples can call 931-8349 to set up an appointment. Since licensed agents are on call, they may be able to accommodate weekends and holidays.

Applicants must register online at emrs.ehawaii .gov/emrs/public /home.html and pay the $60 fee before their appointment. They also are required to pay a $5 cash-only processing fee on site.

Couples who do not have access to a computer can call ahead to make arrangements to use one of Sheraton’s computers for up to 45 minutes for free, said Mary Gutzi, who also works as a marriage license and civil union agent at Sheraton.

"It’s really easy after they preregister," Gutzi said.

Hawaii does not require a blood test or a waiting period, she said.

"Couples just need to pre­sent an official state or federal ID or a passport," Gutzi said. "After we confirm their identification and they swear that the information that they have provided is true and accurate, they get the license. They’re looking at 10 to 15 minutes tops."

The new situation benefits couples, the state and Sheraton, said Sheraton Waikiki General Manager Kelly Sanders.

"It was a great opportunity to alleviate some of their pressure and to showcase our properties and pick up some last-minute bookings," Sanders said.

Starwood already has a wedding chapel at the Westin Moana Surfrider and is adding an oceanfront wedding chapel to the second floor of the Sheraton Waikiki and one to the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort.

"We have a whole team focused on weddings for Starwood," Sanders said. "If it’s easier to get a license, we may see more business." 

Historically, most Japa­nese couples didn’t do an official marriage ceremony in Hawaii because the application process took too much time, he said.

"We’ve already had some feedback from the operators that with this convenience they may go ahead and have official weddings here," Sanders said. "I’m hoping that means that we’ll soon be doing a lot more weddings here."