Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 6, 1 June 1992 — Hoao: a Hawaiian marriage ceremony [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hoao: a Hawaiian marriage ceremony

Hoao is a marriage ceremony that follows the protocol of Hawaiian chiefs from the island of Hawai'i. In a rare event, this tradition was honored recently in the marriage of two young Hawaiians, both direct descendants of Kamehameha I. On May 1, Rose Wahinekapu Topolinski married Shayne Kekoaokalani Ho'opi'i in a marriage ceremony at the Mormon Temple in La'ie. The next day the eouple participated in the ancient ceremony of hoao. At noon on May 2, in the home of the bride's parents, the eouple faced the east, symbolizing light and fertility. They were then wrapped with a long pieee of kapa, "Lei O Kohala," that has been in the bride's family for 150 years. Beginning at the right side of the eouple, the kapa was wrapped twice about them and finished at their left side. During the wrapping both bride and groom held the end of the kapa securely. The genealogy of the bride was chanted first, followed by the genealogy of the groom's family. Chanter Kalani Akana then chanted the mele hoao (marriage chant) as the eouple stood in the circle of kapa. Also officiating in the ceremony were the bride's parents, attended by members of the groom's family as well as members of Tahiti's royal family. The new Mrs. Ho'opi'i is the daughter of Hawaiian scholar, composer and kumu hula John R. Kaha'i and Mrs. Anne Topolinski. She is a descendant of the Tahitian royal family and ancient Hawaiian nobility from Kekuiapoiwa, the mother of Kamehameha I. The bridegroom is the son of Randy Ho'opi'i and Beatrice Parker. He is the cousin of Hawaii's Governor John Waihee, and a direct descendant of Kamehameha I and Kanekapolei through their great grand-daughter Kipikane. Shayne Ho'opi'i explained that the kapa wrapping, "wili," symbolizes the joining of two families forever. He said during the ceremony a poem by Mary Kawena Pukui on marriage was read to remind the newlyweds of the importance of love of family, love of God and love of nature. Onee the kapa was unwound, the families embraced eaeh other. The bride and bridegroom are both 22. She is a student at Brigham Young University-Hawai'i. He works for Aloha Airlines.

Encircled like a lei by a wedding kapa, newlyweds Shayne and Wahinekapu Ho'opi'i are united in the Hawaiian marriage ceremony, hoao. Kumu hula John Kaha'i Topolinski, father of the bride, stands at left.