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HAWAII
ELOPEMENT GUIDE
ARCHIE FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY
WANT TO ELOPE IN HAWAII?
You've finally decided to do what you and your significant other truly want to do and are planning an elopement in Hawaii. Now that you don't have to spend $10,000+ on a venue, there are so many choices all around the Hawaiian Islands to pick! How in the world are you going to choose with so many options!
Welcome to my Hawaii elopement guide! Below there will be a few ideas and inspiration to help you narrow down the best location to choose! You'll see why each of the more popular islands would be a great choice for your Hawaii elopement! If you want more Hawaii inspiration, check out my Hawaii elopement photographer home page!
First, here are some things to consider!
So you want to elope in Hawaii?
A few things to consider:
1. What kind of elopement do you want to have?
There are many types of elopements out there. Some couples love to spend all day hiking to get to their destination and there are tons of gorgeous hikes in Hawaii. Many couples prefer to simply drive or fly in a helicopter to an epic location and not have to hike too much to get epic views! Others plan ceremonies with their families and friends to join or even book out a coast side venue for their elopement. All of this should be taken into mind when planning your Hawaii elopement! Will this location be easy to get to if we have family? Do I want to spend all day hiking or would I rather save my energy and find something close by?
2. What kind of location do you like for your elopement?
Are you someone who prefers black sand beaches and lava? Or do you prefer tropical rainforests? Do you want something moody or bright? Knowing what kind of landscape you want as a backdrop before looking at locations is important! This will help influence your decision and narrow it down so it's much easier to choose a specific location to have your adventure elopement!
3. What's your budget like?
Every island is different! Some islands are a lot more common for tourists to visit which causes the cost to be significantly less! Other islands are a bit more remote and cost extra to travel to! If you'd like to save on travel costs, be sure to read below to know which islands are cheapest
NOW WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT
WHERE IN HAWAII SHOULD I ELOPE?
Starting out with my favorite Hawaiian Island to elope on, The Big Island features some incredible moody landscapes such as ancient lava flows, black sand beaches, and towering mountains
The Big Island is truly one of my favorites for Hawaii elopements and for good reason! With an active volcano as part of it's biome, it's hard not to like! Eloping on the Big Island is a fantastic idea due to it's unique landscapes!
If you're considering eloping on Hawaii and fall in love with the Big Island after going through this blog, don't hesitate to contact me! Having spent a good amount of time on the Big Island, planning a gorgeous Hawaii elopement would a breeze! (No pun intended!)
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENTS
In the Volcanoes National Park (pictured above and below) there are ancient lava flows that create surreal landscapes to take elopement photos on! I was able to do this editorial shoot in a few different locations within the national park and we were both amazed at how incredible the textures and colors were! You can choose to elope on the jagged lava flows, the smoother lava flows, on the lava cliffs, or even near the active volcano! With a proper permit for your Hawaii elopement, there are so many options within Volcanoes National Park.
Since this national park is located on the east side of the island, I recommend staying near Hilo instead of Kona! Hilo is significantly closer to Volcanoes National Park and will make commuting there for your Hawaii elopement a breeze!
If you'd like to start planning your Volcanoes National Park elopement, contact me and let's plan something incredible!
Black sand beaches are also common in Hawaii! There are few places in the world that have truly black sand beaches and the Big Island is one of those places! It's surreal to see black sand beaches next to crystal blue waters and many couples seek after this black sand beach look for their Hawaii elopement.
Even when I was eloping, I wanted to get married on one of the black sand beaches on the Big Island! Unfortunately, COVID was rampant and we weren't allowed to travel to Hawaii! If I could do it again, I would definitely elope on the beaches of the Big Island! If you want a truly unique Hawaii elopement location, black sand beaches are a staple of the Big Island! Maybe you'll even see a turtle bathing in the sun on one of these beaches!
If you're interested in eloping on a black sand beach in Hawaii, reach out to me and let's get planning! I would love to help you plan your ideal elopement day and find a gorgeous location like the beaches of the Big Island
BLACK SAND BEACH ELOPEMENTS
THE CLIFFSIDES OF THE BIG ISLAND
There are plenty of other locations around the Big Island for your Hawaii elopement if black sand beaches or lava flows aren't really your thing! On the south side of the island, there are incredible cliff sides that remind me a bit of the Cliffs of Moher! With towering cliffsides and the blue Hawaiian waters, this makes for an incredible location to elope or to take elopement photos!
OTHER ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS ON THE BIG ISLAND
Throughout this Hawaii Elopement Guide we've talked about some stunning locations on the Big Island! There are so many other stunning locations to have your Hawaii elopement at such as standing above the clouds at Mauna Kea, walking through black sand beach valleys at Pololu Valley or even saying vows in front of lush waterfalls! The Big Island truly has it all and as a Hawaii elopement photographer myself, I can say that it's my favorite island of the chain!
The weather on the Big Island changes depending on where you go! The Kona side is dry and warm whereas the Hilo side can get a lot of moisture and tends to be a bit colder! No matter what location you decide on, choosing to elope on the Big Island will be your first step! Reach out to me and I will walk you through each step of the Hawaii elopement planning process so we can create something memorable!
1. THE BIG ISLAND
ARCHIE'S HAWAII ELOPEMENT GUIDE
II. OAHU
ARCHIE'S HAWAII ELOPEMENT GUIDE
Second on our list is the most popular Hawaiian Island to elope on, Oahu features some incredible beaches, mountains and venues for a more traditional Hawaii wedding or elopement experience
Oahu is definitely the more popular of the Hawaiian islands! With thousands of people who visit Hawaii each month, most people visit Oahu! Oahu is home to beautiful beaches, incredible ocean bays and lot's of history! Eloping on Oahu is perfect for the couple who may want to have more of a wedding type of experience out of their Hawaii elopement
If you're considering eloping in Hawaii and need help navigating elopement plans on Oahu, don't hesitate to contact me! Having spent a good amount of time on Oahu as well, planning a gorgeous Hawaii elopement or intimate wedding would
HONOLULU
Although the city isn't my favorite to photograph in, Honolulu has plenty of gorgeous resorts to choose to stay at or have an intimate wedding at! Elopements and weddings are common on Oahu so many of the hotels include all inclusive packages or more intimate Hawaii elopement packages! Not to mention that there are plenty of beautiful beaches near Honolulu that you could think about taking photos at!
If you're considering an elopement or wedding on Oahu, contact me and let's plan something incredible! I've photographed and filmed plenty of weddings and elopements on Oahu and know the best spots for intimate celebrations!
Beach elopements are common on Oahu! Unfortunately, many of the beaches require a permit to be able to have your elopement on one of them! If you'd like to see a list of the beaches that you can elope at through WikiPermits, click here!
Although a permit is required, the whole island has some incredible WikiPermits permiited locations! Going through the permitting process is totally worth it to be able to have beautiful blue water backdrops and towering mountains.
Typically as a Hawaii elopement photographer, I go through the process of taking care of permits so that your elopement can be as legal as possible! With such beautiful lands, it's important to go through proper permits to respect the land as much as possible! If you're weary about eloping on Oahu and want help planning your elopement, reach out to me! I'd love to help you out!
OAHU BEACH ELOPEMENTS
MAKAPUU POINT
From my understanding, eloping at Makapuu Point is totally fine as long as a permit is pulled through WikiPermits! This is how we were able to take photos at this incredible cliffside spot!
Makapuu Point has such incredible views of the Oahu mountains along with the seabird sanctuaries off the coast! This is a location that is so much more beautiful in person and there are ton's of areas to go to without other people watching!
If you're thinking of eloping on Oahu, I definetly recommend considering Makapuu point as a photo location!
OTHER ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS ON THE BIG ISLAND
Throughout this Hawaii Elopement Guide we've talked about some stunning locations on Oahu! There are so many other stunning locations to have your Hawaii elopement!
No matter what location you decide on, choosing to elope on Oahu will be your first step! Reach out to me and I will walk you through each step of the Hawaii elopement planning process so we can create something memorable!