Ernest officiated our wedding and made our ceremony so special. When the event ended, we had SO many wedding guests ask me how we found our officiant because they were impressed and entranced by him - and I agree! We were very, very lucky to have him as our officiant. I was a little worried that family might roll their eyes at a Hawaiian ceremony. But Ernest's presence has a way of demanding respect. He explained the importance of Hawaiian traditions and shared his love of the Island. He had us face our wedding guests (instead of having our backs to them) and encouraged our loved ones to be involved in the ceremony with aloha and laughs. It was truly amazing. Ernest was also open to a few requests we had about the ceremony and vows. He put all of my worries to rest. I cannot recommend Ernest enough! read more

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I come and visit my parents every summer and I had suggested to some friends that they come out and visit. Well, turns out they decided to forego the big bru-ha-ha and elope on Maui! So of course, I didn't hesitate to fly over and fulfill my duties as the best man, maid of honor, flower girl, photographer, videographer, and reception planner! Ernest said he'd meet them at the DT Flemings beach. I went to look on one side, they went to look on the other. Bride: As I was looking around the beach, I spotted him at the right and it's as if he appeared out of the mist since the spray from the waves was like a cloud! She knew she had chosen the right person to perform the ceremony! Ernest was great! Explained a lot of how he infuses Hawaiian tradition and culture into each ceremony! I loved the conch shell call! He also sang as they danced the first dance on the beach! I was so blessed to be a part of this beautiful ceremony! When they were done, I started to take photos of the happy couple with the waves in the background. And just as mysteriously as he appeared, he disappeared into the foilage without us seeing. Bride: This has been a magical day! And I agree! read more

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All I can say is if you're looking for the perfect officiant for your wedding or elopement in Maui, Da Barefoot Warrior (aka Ernest Pua'a) is the one! Having grown up dancing hula for well over a decade and also living in Hawaii for a big chunk of my life, I couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else, and my now husband and I wanted our ceremony to be small, intimate, simple yet incredibly special, and authentically Hawaiian. Ernest made it all happen! From the months prior to our special day, communicating with Ernest (I live in California now) via email was easy and stress-free. He even gave me the name and contact info of a marriage license agent in Maui whom I was able to email/call and set up our appointment once we arrived on island. Ernest also offered great suggestions on locations since I wasn't sure which beach we should get married at (I lived on Oahu, and we got married in Maui, so I was less familiar with the smaller, "hidden" beaches there. Even his first email to me outlining the way the ceremony would go and what he would say had me getting teary eyed! Imagine the actual ceremony happening in person on YOUR day if I was already moved by reading his email! :) In that moment, my fiancé was like, "Book him!" And that we did, and it was the easiest and best decision ever! The day of our wedding was absolute perfection! A few friends even asked if there were any snags (as I've heard most weddings have at least one or a few things go wrong), but honestly, there were none whatsoever! Ernest orchestrated our amazing "barefoot in the sand" ceremony with our 15 family members, complete with the sounds of his beautiful voice and ukulele. His words about love, relationships, marriage, the islands, Hawaiian tradition, and even his short yet thoughtful and lovely blessing made our wedding morning the best we could ever imagine! Mahalo nui loa Ernest, aka Da Barefoot Warrior! read more

He is amazing and caring and pays attention to details. I highly recommend him. Can't say enough good things about him.

Ernest is an amazing entertainer and person. Those traits combined with his style of ceremony made our wedding better than we could have ever expected. If we had all the money in the world we could not have asked for a better wedding on the beach. Deciding to use Ernest for your wedding is a decision that will have no risk, other than the weather. read more

Da Barefoot Warrior - Wedding Planning Near Me

There aren't enough amazing words to explain Ernest's (Da Barefoot Warrior) presence at our wedding. He created the most sincere and precious moments for us during our ceremony. He suggested different locations for our day and the one we decided on, DT Fleming Beach was PERFECT. We had a morning ceremony which meant we had the whole cove to ourselves and the whole rest of our day to celebrate and explore. The way he puts his whole being into the ceremony, you can just tell that it's true to heart. He made us feel so comfortable and it was like we'd known him for so long, very friendly and personable. Between our ring and lei blessings, our vows, Ernest singing to us while playing the ukulele then blowing his conch to seal our marriage was just a priceless memory that will be cherished by us forever. He spoke of the significance and amazing history of being in Hawaii and choosing to be married there. 5 stars aren't enough to truly rate the experience that Ernest provided for us. read more

Da Barefoot Warrior - Da Barefoot Warrior - Wedding Planning Near Me

There's so much I want to say to and about Ernest! My partner and I were so fortunate and lucky to have found him! The officiants that I initially reached out to were either not LGBTQ+ friendly or were booked. I actually stumbled across Ernest's website on a wedding blog where I saw a photo of him playing his ukelele during a couple's ceremony. I reached out to him and he responded with such joy and kindness. His genuine personality and warm spirit is exactly who we wanted to officiate us so we flew him out to Oahu. Throughout the whole planning process, there were a lot of changes due to covid, but Ernest was patient and very responsive. Words cannot describe how special he made our day. He really catered what values we encompass and the spirit of Aloha. He was funny, talented, eloquent and just a joy to be with! Ernest, from the bottom of our hearts thank you so much for being a part of our new adventure. We are so blessed to have found you. I hope you know how much we appreciate you and we hope we cross paths again! read more

Ernest was recommended to us by our photographer and I am glad we were able to have him as our officiant for our vow renewal. He was easy to work with and showed up early to the ceremony site. He is very friendly and warm in person. His rate is so reasonable for the quality of service he provides. His ceremony includes the blowing of the conch, singing, playing the ukulele, signing a certificate, and providing the necklaces. He is the type of person that even though you just met you feel like you have been friends for a long time. I highly recommend him for your special occassion! read more

Ernest was recommended to us from our friend and photographer,Tyson from Better Together Photography. We were beyond pleased with our ceremony. Ernest made us feel so comfortable and that he was so in touch with us. Our wedding was more than we expected and we thank Ernest and Tyson for making it such. Ernest also sang and played the ukulele which was an added benefit and something that was import to us. Thank you Ernest for adding color in many ways to our wedding. Andi and Jim read more

Ernest was the officiant for our vow renewal. He was excellent and we could not have been more pleased! Ernest brought with him a ukulele and conch shell. We had requested as many Hawaiian elements as possible for our ceremony and Ernest's warmth and knowledge absolutely delivered. He shared with us some Hawaiian words and meanings around marriage. Ernest has a wonderful sense of humor and makes you feel instantly at ease. Ernest played and sang for us, making a meaningful day even more special. I wish we could visit with him every time we visit Maui. Mahalo, Ernest! read more

Da Barefoot Warrior - Wedding Planning Near Me

Today is my husband's and my one year wedding anniversary! We were married in Maui by Ernest. I can't believe it's taken me a year to write this review (but we did have a baby, so...), but I do feel that I have been able to really reflect on our day and all that was special about it. Ernest was thoughtful and helpful via email while we were planning our event. On the day of, he was early and set up when we arrived. Ernest was magical to us. His spirit is bright and his kindness made us feel instantly comfortable. It feels like you are talking to a family member when you talk with him. He's so easy going and he had us laughing throughout the ceremony (it was just the two of us and our friend, so we were able to have a really relaxed, intimate wedding). He shared stories and blessings with us as he proceeded with the ceremony. It felt so significant because he made it very personal to us, even though he had just met us! His voice is beautiful and the songs he sang were very powerful. The entire experience was sacred and special - exactly what we were hoping for. He has become like extended family to us, someone we will make an effort to see when we are in Maui again. He really is a special human, and we will forever be grateful it was he who shared in this special day with us. read more

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My wife and I renewed our vows in Maui on 4/6/22 and we were blessed to have Ernest with us as part of this special ceremony. We could feel the peace in his heart and we were touched by his beautiful words and reflections. He was calm and patient with our kids. Ernest coordinated closely with us on the time, day, how the ceremony would be, and overall logistics. He shared insights on locations, photographers, florists, and more. I wish I could give Ernest more than the 5 starts. This was such an especial day for our family and we will be forever grateful to have Ernest with us. read more

I am ETERNALLY thankful for Ernest, I contacted Da Barefoot Warrior (Ernest) from Yelp. I am so pleased with his professionalism, kind, well prepared, traditional Hawaiian Style wedding. Ernest made my wedding day memorable. He bonded our lives with a beautiful ceremony, blessed our bond with the explanation of ALOHA, plus with his beautiful amazing voice sang a song of my choice to walk to, and sang our first dance song as well. I highly recommend Da Barefoot Warrior. Thank you Ernest. Aloha WE ARE OFFICIALLY MAUID! read more

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When asked what the highlight of our wedding day was, both our guests and us as newlyweds have the same response - Ernest. We came across Ernest by chance and are so grateful to have been connected with him. He led us through the most beautiful Hawaiian wedding ceremony which included blessings, stories of the history of the island of Maui and the meaning of Aloha, and beautiful Hawaiian songs. It was captivating and beautiful. No one there had ever been a part of a Hawaiian wedding, and it was truly magical to witness let alone be a part of. He was an absolute joy to work with leading up to the big day and truly took our breath away day of. read more

Da Barefoot Warrior - Wedding Planning Near Me

Ernest is so kind-hearted and is so calming. He officiated my elopement, and from first interaction to wedding day, everything was so easy and smooth. He's easy to get ahold of, and provides such a beautiful ceremony. He helped us have the intimate ceremony that we were looking for. He played the ukulele and sang for us, as well as blowing the conch, which was so beautiful. I couldn't have asked for a better officiant for our day. Ernest is thoughtful and will truly make your day so much more special. read more

After a lot of research, I chose Ernest Puaa to officiate our 10-year vow renewal in Maui. Summary: I couldn't be happier! Between his gentle and fun attitude, he instantly put me at ease. He beautifully sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow for us, and was so kind to my less-than-excited year and a half old. I highly recommend Ernest, and hope he's still playing that ukulele for our 20-year! read more

If you are looking for a genuine, warm, professional Hawaiian officiant for your wedding- Ernest Puaa is your man! He was great about communicating the entire time, via emails, phone calls and then text. From the moment you meet him in person, you are assured you chose the right person to lead you into one of the most special moments of your lives. He provided a lei for me and a kukui nut lei for my guy, as well as a conch shell and ukelele which he played and sang often during the ceremony. He is very talented and has a beautiful voice too:) He truly radiates the spirit of aloha We love Ernest and you will too! Thank you Ernest for making our day perfect! read more

Ernest created a special and memorable experience for my husband and I at our wedding in April. He incorporated beautiful Hawaiian prayers, traditions and shared the meaning of many Hawaiian sayings. He also took care to include our small band of family in the ceremony, including comments and prayers for my family members who have passed. We all felt surrounded by love in the warm atmosphere he created. We cannot thank him enough! And know that anyone fortunate enough to have him officiate at your wedding...count yourself blessed! read more

Having Ernest officiate was the best decision. It wasn't too religious or too Hawaiian. It wasn't traditional, but had some traditional elements that everyone loves. His ceremony wasn't scripted. It was authentic, genuine, original and from the heart. I swear the Aloha Spirit was tangibly felt... by me at least. The ceremony was amazing, because of him. Mahalo Ernest. read more

You can't go wrong having Ernest Puaa officiate your Maui style wedding. An officiant can set the whole tone for a wedding- for good or bad, and there are no "do-overs". So picking an officiant is a bit sweat inducing. From our first conversation with Ernest, we felt we had found the right guy. Ernest is a good person who takes heartfelt interest in creating a special wedding day. A good communicator, he is responsive by email and phone. We never were left wondering what was going on. We had some special requests, and Ernest helped figure out some very nice additions to our ceremony that were very touching. His singing and Ukelele music are excellent. We were married in the beach, and as with most such Maui weddings there is no rehearsal and few have any prior experience getting married on a beach. So it could have been a confusing chaotic scene. However, Ernest worked well with the photographers and helped marshal the wedding group through the ceremony. The ceremony was perfect. A heartfelt mixture of Hawaiian and Christian. There was smiling, laughter and love. Our wedding guests felt involved and everyone enjoyed it. Thank you Ernest for starting our married life in such a wonderful way. read more

Ernest Puaa Made our wedding beautiful . he is a man of beauty he is sincere . his words are romantic Our ceremony will always be a highlight of our lives . Ernest makes dreams come true . thank you Ernest Alan Phyllis E . read more

Ernest is absolutely the best! My fiancé and I decided to get married, just the two of us, on the beach in Maui. The wedding planner we originally found online took our money and never booked anything. At 30 days out, we had no officiant and no photographer so we cut our losses. I did some research and found Ernest Puaa and contacted him directly. He was so kind and helpful. Even on short notice he worked with us to find a good date. He patiently answered all of our questions and made us feel comfortable about everything (since we didn't really know what we were doing). The ceremony was beautiful! We picked a fairly busy beach but he knew the perfect spot away from anyone else. He performed an Hawaiian style ceremony and taught us the cultural significance and meaning behind each aspect of the ceremony, deepening our love of the land we were so fortunate to get married on. I certainly hope he is still performing ceremonies in 10 years because we'd love to come back and have him perform a vow renewal for us. Mahalo! read more

Ernest was the perfect officiant for my mine and my husbands elopement ceremony on Maui. If there is one person who perfectly encompasses the Aloha spirit of Hawaii, from our trip, it would be him. He truly made our ceremony so special. He played a Ukulele and sang 2 different songs for us. He recited the most beautiful vows and blessings. It truly was a perfect Hawaiian ceremony. Can't recommend him enough!! read more

I am so thankful that I found Ernest through Yelp and the recommendation of our photographer, Tyson from Better Together Photography. Ernest is an amazing person who clearly cares about the couples he works with. For us, he officiated a vow renewal on our 20th wedding anniversary. Even though we only communicated via email, he was able to make the ceremony very personal. He also included our children throughout the ceremony, something that was important to us. The conch shell, the leis and the ukulele were perfect Hawaiian touches. Even though it was just a vow renewal, I was still very nervous. Ernest helped ease my anxiety with lots of eye contact and his sincere personality. He has a very strong presence about him and I feel so thankful that we were able to meet such an amazing person to share our special day with us. I highly recommend Ernest for your wedding or vow renewal. He made our day perfect. read more

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If you want to feel mana and true aloha, Earnest is the man to do it. He didn't need notes during the ceremony. He spoke from the heart, and made my wife and I feel like family. Many of our guests struggled to find the words to express what an amazing job Earnest did as our officiate. He and I spoke on the phone for about 45 min two days before the wedding, and we felt like he had know nus for ages during our ceremony. It was a true Hawaiian ceremony with just the right touch of traditional, and a lovely prayer at the end. Ernest was incredibly thoughtful, kind, and delivered a perfect message about love and aloha. read more

Ernest was so kind and wonderful. He guided us throughout the ceremony. He has a beautiful voice and played the ukulele with such grace. We feel so lucky to have him as our officiant. - Jenniffer & Farhod read more

Ernest was the minister at my wedding. Everyone in attendance really enjoyed the ceremony. He was happy to work with people of different beliefs, and is a great guy overall. The ceremony itself was relatively quick (by our request) and he packed many kind words into that short time. After the ceremony, he invited my wife and I to watch him sing and play the guitar down the beach from where we were married a few nights later, and I have to say he is extremely talented. Definitely a great guy and worth contacting if you are planning on getting married on Maui! read more

Ernest was thoughtful and kind and so very genuine. Mike, my husband, kept saying he would love to grab a beer with Ernest. He's an old soul that reflects all that is great about being on the Islands. He enjoys what he does, he radiates joy and that's the kind of officiant you want presiding over your wedding. My husband (again) was so touched when Ernest told Mike that his vows were special and unlike others he had heard. All I can say is if you on Maui and you are getting married, Ernest Puaa is the best there is. read more

Getting the right officiant for our elopement wedding was very important to us. I can't describe how glad I am that we found and managed to book Ernest! He led truly beautiful and very romantic ceremony and we will remember his words forever. Highly recommend Ernest for everyone who is looking for a sincere, professional, and involved officiant. read more

We cannot recommend Ernest enough! He officiated our wedding at the Westin Maui. We did not have a chance to meet or speak to him prior to the ceremony, but he did an amazing job. We could not have envisioned a more perfect officiant for our Hawaiian style ceremony. Ernest was able to accomodate some specific requests (ex: no prayer in the ceremony, we wrote our own vows) at the last minute and incorporated them flawlessly. Our guests could not say enough good things about Ernest's singing, conch shell, and overall conduction of the wedding ceremony. Thank you Ernest for an amazing day! read more

Ernest was fantastic! At the beginning of the ceremony he had us put our heads together and take a deep breath in and out. All my nervousness just floated away. He made it easy and directed us in a way that set the scene for great pictures. I highly recommend him. read more

Where to start... He's awesome, with a capital "A"!!!! We eloped in Maui and our coordinator booked Ernest. I honestly knew very little about him, even after doing some of my own research. As someone stated before, I don't think email is his thing. However, I know some amazingly famous professors who still don't use cell phones...so I would not let this deter you. Hawaii in general is a slower paced environment and I'm ok with some patient humility; the laid-back personality and flow of the island is exactly why we chose Hawaii...To add, in all fairness, I'm pretty sure officiant's are super busy around Spring and Summer wedding time - this could be the main reason for the lack or delay with some communication. We weren't sure what he would say because we had asked for a Christian, Hawaiian, ceremony. We hadn't even met him beforehand, nor spoken to him. And since we were eloping we didn't expect an officiant to really put too much effort into our ceremony - even if we had hoped he/she would. It was just the two of us. Yup, just two! We thought he would just read some words and marry us. However...he TRULY made it special!!! He made it personal! We appreciated this very much. He met my fiance (at the time) a short time before the ceremony and got to know about us a bit and completely incorporated it into our moment. He even worked really well with adjusting for our videographer, without any real instruction, and was conscientious about our needs for our ceremony. Something that was an incredible blessing to us, and completely unexpected, was his playing of the ukulele. He played music for us, sang, and we had our first dance as husband and wife on the beach. He didn't rush us and flowed with the feel of the moment. He spoke to us in such a genuine tone that you would have never thought it was something he did so often. He not only sings very well but plays just as well. My husband and I agree that after seeing all the couples getting married on the beach near us (and I'm sure they are just as lovely, so no disrespect at all) we felt Ernest was the best! Of course we would say that right...haha...but no, he really was THAT wonderful. We highly recommend him! He is FAN-TAS-TIC! Thank you for being such a blessing to us! We look forward to our renewals! read more

We planned a destination wedding in Maui from Australia. Having never been to Hawaii before I was a little worried about having to book in a celebrant whom I had never met but Ernest is truly amazing. Even though it was difficult to talk to each other via Skype ( and he's not the best with emails) prior to our arrival in Maui, as soon as I met Ernest all my worries were put at ease because he is soulful and calm and knows exactly what he is doing. Not only did Ernest officiate our wedding, he also played for a few hours at our reception. Once we heard his music we knew everyone would enjoy it, with its Hawaiian flair, it created a beautiful atmosphere. Ernest is so talented, he played the ukulele at our ceremony, and blew all of our guests away with his guitar music and voice afterwards. Everyone commented that our wedding ceremony was so unique and special. Ernest didn't read from a script, he knew the ceremony inside out which really put us at ease because all we had to do was follow his lead. He speaks from the heart and you can tell how much he loves what he does. I would not hesitate in recommending Ernest as a celebrant or for performing music at your wedding. He is a genuinely nice guy and will make your ceremony really special. read more

We had many great experiences with the vendors we hired for our Maui wedding, but Ernest was BY FAR the best choice we made in the entire process. We hired Ernest to both be out wedding officiant, as well for live entertainment at our cocktail hour. I had heard Ernest play in Maui years before, so I knew what to expect in terms of his music - an amazingly soothing and authentic Hawaiian voice. What we didn't know what to expect was what a rock star he turned out to be as an officiant. Our guests can't stop talking about what an amazing job he did. He's seriously one of the most laid back, amiable people you will meet. Ernest shows up wearing an authentic Hawaiian headdress. He blows a conch shell to start the ceremony and to also welcome in the bride. He plays music and can sing for your processional and recessional and he delivers an incredible message during that ceremony that will stick with you for all of your days. He's completely flexible on the format and was willing to mix in all of our special requests into his typical format. He also asked us whether we preferred a spiritual or non-spiritual ceremony. His perfectly-timed and well delivered humor did a great job of putting us at ease, as well as giving our guests some great chuckles. Ernest was also a God-send when it came to helping us coordinate at our rehearsal (our actual coordinator was terrible - Sandra Wagner of a Maui Wedding Day) and also quickly helped us solve some setup issues on our actual wedding day. We must warn you, though, that Ernest is not awesome at email communication. Just be patient with him, as he will come through for you in a very big way when it really counts. Of lesser importance to most, but it mattered to us, so we'll share - Ernest is very ok with his music being used on your wedding video. read more

We did a very casual lawn wedding and Ernest was the absolute perfect choice to be our officiant. We didn't do a rehearsal or even read our vows ahead of time but with Ernest leading our ceremony everything was so smooth and effortless. The words he spoke were romantic and meaningful and his singing and ukulele set the perfect ambiance for a once in a life time Hawaiian wedding. read more

Reverend Pua'a was the officiant at our wedding at Kapalua Bay on the beach last year, and I regret I did not write this review more timely. He was the perfect choice. He kept in touch with us up until the date of the wedding ( an important consideration when hiring someone over the Internet!), created a ceremony complete with singing, playing the ukulele, praying, blowing the conch shell, and choosing the perfect wedding message to deliver to us. Suffice it to say he won our hearts and we are so grateful to him for his personal, meaningful, and loving approach to performing weddings. Do not hesitate to contact him. He will fill your special day with Aloha. read more