Five ways to stir up island romance

Valentine's Day inspires romantic gestures on Feb. 14, but a vacation in Hawaii can prompt them any time of the year. And you don't need a major event — or a major bank account — to enjoy the aloha engendered by these lovely isles. Here are five free ways (and a few other low-cost options) to trigger romance, Hawaiian style.

1. Say I do, all over again
Already had that commitment ceremony? No reason not to repeat it, this time with (Hawaiian) feeling. If you're a guest of the Outrigger Reef on the Beach or Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, you can take part in a free biweekly vow renewal led by a Hawaiian kahu, or priest.

The kahu starts the nondenominational beachfront ritual with a traditional chant, followed by a hula, a sprinkling of water on the couples as a blessing, recital of the vows in Hawaiian, a performance of "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" and another hula. Participating couples receive a certificate commemorating the ceremony, normally held Tuesdays and Fridays at 8 a.m. (when the beach scene is still quiet); simply sign up by 3 p.m. the day before.

2. Share a sunset
Watching the sun descend on a flame-colored horizon is a time-honored tradition for kindling romance. Naturally, the islands' west sides — where most of the resorts on Maui and the Big Island are concentrated — have a built-in advantage for spectacular displays, but I've also witnessed brilliantly hued sunsets from many points in Waikiki, from the Poipu resort on Kauai's southern shore (the promontory at the excellent Beach House Restaurant is especially popular) and from the veranda at the Lodge at Koele, the Four Seasons' up-country resort in the center of Lanai.

For additional inspiration, consider a sunset cruise, which tend to be more focused on adults. While some serve cocktails and appetizers (or pupus, in local parlance), Kauai's Holoholo Charters serves a full dinner on its couples-only Romantic Dinner Sunset Sail ($64) on a catamaran out of Port Allen. On the Big Island, Ocean Sports offers a Champagne Sunset Sail ($105) with a dinner buffet on a catamaran out of Kawaihae Harbor; for an extra $25, couples can renew their vows in a special ceremony, led by the captain, that includes flower leis and a certificate.

3. Say it with flowers
The eye-catching beauty and heady fragrances of Hawaii's ubiquitous tropical blossoms are another of its underestimated pleasures. But all those Hawaiian songs about flowers and leis — "My Yellow Ginger Lei," "Sweet Lei Lehua," "Pua Hone," etc. — are really paeans to loved ones, nature being inextricably twined with romance. Spend time with your sweetheart enjoying the extravagant landscaping of any number of resorts (the Kauai Marriott and Grand Hyatt Kauai have exceptionally lovely gardens), or go for a walk on the wilder side, along the islands' lusher north and east shores, or up a verdant mountain trail. Just keep your eye out for a fallen bloom to tuck behind your left ear — and your partner's — to show you're taken.

And if you're staying at a hotel or resort, check to see if it offers lei-making classes: Most do, for either a small fee or for free. But you don't have to be a hotel guest to learn the art of leis. On the Garden Island, you can find out how to make a lei and a fabric flower at the free Aloha Friday classes at the West Kauai Technology and Visitors Center in Waimea, held at 9:30 a.m. March-November. In Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Center offers free lei-making classes every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Hale Illi ("Bark House") near Fendi. Free lessons are also offered twice a week at Whalers Village in Maui's Ka'anapali Resort, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and noon to 2 p.m. Fridays at the outdoor mall's Center Stage.