ABSTRACT
Hawai‘i, long the top choice of honeym oon travelers from the United States and Japan, is now a leading destination for weddings themselves. Bridal couples from east and west m arry in Hawai‘i to frame their ceremony within a rom antic exotic. W edding firms have created two different products for the two markets: a wedding on an exotic tropical beach for N orth American couples and a wedding in an exotic Christian church for Japanese couples. W hen tourist weddings were few, ceremonies took place on beaches and in churches where local couples might marry. The success of Hawai‘i ’s wedding firms, however, has caused a shortage of the sublime: a construction boom is underway across Hawai‘i creating privatized ‘natural’ landscapes and simulated sacred spaces for tourist weddings.
