Hi there, and welcome to another beautiful love story. This time in Hawaii! Angie and Mark’s elopement day in Hawaii was filled with all the incredible moments, the feels, the laughs, and just plain fun. Their day encapsulated everything that I love about elopements!

Angie and Mark planned an intimate and adventure filled day for their elopement in Maui, Hawaii.

How Angie and Mark chose Hawaii for their elopement.

At some point, almost everyone has thought of getting married in Hawaii. The conversation might go something like, “What if we just scrapped our whole wedding and just got married in Hawaii with our closest friends?” The beautiful and dramatic beaches, the endless rows of palm trees, the rainforest singing with birds, and even some volcanoes. In Hawaii there is an adventure waiting for everyone and it is often a bucket list location for couples.

When Angie and Mark started to plan their wedding, they knew they wanted to do something smaller and less traditional. So they figured, why not fly to one of our bucket list locations to get married?!?

How they chose to spend their adventure elopement.

Angie and Mark didn’t know exactly what they wanted to do on their elopement day except explore the beautiful island of Maui (and get married of course!). They knew their ceremony location was going to be White Rock Beach (Palauea Beach) with their family and friends. After that, I was given instruction to find somewhere green and one more epic location for them to explore. I loved how willing they were to explore and their trust in me as a photographer! They had already told me all about the places they liked to explore back home in Tennessee with their dogs, so I knew we needed to go somewhere easy-going and peaceful to reflect their personalities. After consulting with them we decided to structure their adventure elopement with:

• An intimate ceremony on White Rock Beach

• Riding in their rented out Mustang, windows down of course, to the next location

• Exploring a beautiful hidden forest in Northwest Maui

• Exploring the rocky cliffsides of Maui at Sunset

• Having an intimate reception dinner with family and friends at a local Maui restaurant

How to embrace the unexpected on your wedding day.

When I arrived to White Rock Beach in Hawaii, I saw Mark waiting with his family. The clouds were just enough over the beach to provide a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony without it being too hot. Things were shaping up to be perfect! Then, Mark was informed that the officiant for the wedding was running late. So we waited and waited, but Mark and Angie remained calm through it all, never missing a beat. They just said, “As long as we just get to spend the day together and get married.”

Once the officiant arrived, the ceremony commenced with the Hawaiian sun and the ocean waves crashing behind them as they said their vows to one another. Then something beautiful happened, it started to rain! Not pour, just a light rain. They smiled through it all as they exchanged wedding rings and sealed it all with a kiss. Angie and Mark were perfect examples of how to embrace what really matters on your elopement day… the fact that you are getting married and spending the day with your favorite person. It didn’t matter that the wedding started late, or rain came down during their ceremony. All they cared about was the moment. It’s why elopements are so amazing; it’s all about the moment and being together.

Exploring the island of Maui in their wedding attire.

Once the ceremony concluded, it was off to explore the island of Maui! We piled in the Mustang and headed to the first adventure location, a serene and secluded forest on the Northwest part of Maui. Angie and Mark were in awe of the forest and just how peaceful it was. It was amazing to watch them take in the scenery and enjoy the gentle breeze of the trees. Even though there were some other people around, it felt like it was just the two of them there in that forest. They laughed, held each other, and even danced.

Then we headed off to their final adventure location to explore the Ironwood Cliffs. Angie and Mark had a blast exploring the cliffs and got really adventurous. They climbed out on cliffs, got in the water, had a splashing fight, and rolled around in the sand. Did you really have an adventure elopement if the dress didn’t get dirty? The entire day was an amazing reflection of their story. Finally, we ended the day celebrating at a dinner with their family and friends.

Some of the sweetest moments were hearing Angie repeat some of my instructions for Mark. Mark had unexpected hearing loss not too long ago and had a cochlear implant to help him be able to hear. In the words of Mark, Angie was right there by his side through it all and gave him incredible emotional support through everything. Hearing her repeat my instructions of where to stand or what to do was a testament to their support and love for one another no matter what. I was so honored to be able to witness and document their story.

Tips for having a successful Hawaiian elopement.

This elopement was a day full of firsts for both me and the couple. They had never been to Hawaii and I had never shot an elopement there before. It was an amazing experience and I definitely learned some things along the way. Here are some of the top things to consider when eloping in Hawaii:

• The Hawaiian sun is no joke. Since you are closer to the equator, the sun rays are much stronger than you are probably used to. If you plan on doing anything in the middle of the day, make sure you apply sunscreen and also bring some sunscreen to reapply. Nobody wants to be sunburned in their wedding photos! I recommend buying some sunscreen in Hawaii as they have many reef-safe sunscreen options.

• Depending on where you go in Hawaii, the bugs can also be fierce. Make sure to have some bug-spray with you in case the bugs start to get bad.

• Many of the amazing locations in Hawaii have some sort of volcanic rock. These rocks can be super sharp and unless you are experienced walking on them, can cause some serious cuts on the feet. Keep this in mind when considering footwear for your elopement day in Hawaii. Angie wore some white Vans for exploring the island and then took off her shoes when exploring the beaches.

• Have your Hawaii elopement in the dry season from April – September. The monsoon season begins in October for Hawaii and unlike a small rain shower on your wedding day, a monsoon won’t look so good for those wedding pictures.

How Angie and Mark’s easy-going personalities created their perfect wedding day.

Their easy-going attitudes made Angie and Mark’s wedding day a blissful and pressure-free Hawaiian elopement. There wasn’t much in their timeline details, just places they wanted to explore and the time they wanted each experience to be.

Even with such a relaxed pace for the day, they were able to see the diversity of landscapes that Maui, Hawaii has to offer. Before the elopement day, Angie and Mark told me the only thing they wanted was to have a day filled with being each other’s best friend and exploring the island – and that’s exactly what they got. It was such an incredible experience, filled with joy, laughter, intimate embraces, soft kisses on the forehead, sand, lava rocks, and playing in the waves.

Think you might want to elope like Angie and Mark? Check out more about elopements!