The Maui Elopement Guide
Ho'omaika'i 'ana (Congratulations) on your recent engagement! Whether you’re dreaming about eloping on a white sand beach with palm trees swaying gently in the wind or at the top of a dramatic mountain with a stunning view of the sun setting, Maui, Hawai’i is the ideal location for an elopement! This elopement guide will walk you through the process of how to elope on Maui, which is easier than you might imagine.
A bit about Maui, Hawai’i
Maui is the second largest land-mass in Hawai’i, the only state that is part of the United States comprised entirely of islands. The Hawaiian archipelago (chain of islands) spans over 1,500 miles in the central Pacific Ocean. The 8 main islands include (in order from northwest to southwest): Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi (commonly referred to as the Big Island). Maui is the second-most populated and visited of the Hawaiian islands, and it boasts a diverse variety of stunning nature, food, and entertainment without the crowds of Oahu (the most urban of the islands). Long before tourists ever frequented the islands, there was an ancient Hawaiian saying: “Maui no ka oi” (Maui is the best). If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about choosing Maui as your elopement location, I don’t know what will!
If you are visiting Maui from the United States mainland, no passport is required. Visitors from other countries might need a valid passport. Although there are some cruise ships that come to the islands from the U.S. mainland and other locations, air travel is by far the easiest and fastest route. The faster that you get here, the more time you have to enjoy the majestic beauty of Maui!
As of May 2022, Covid testing and/or vaccination is not required for passengers arriving from the mainland U.S.A. International travelers are required to get a Covid test. See the State of Hawai’i travel website for the most current information.
7 Steps to Elope on Maui
Step 1: Select Your Elopement Date and Time
The process of eloping on Maui begins with you deciding that Maui is the place that you and your partner will declare your love for each other by joining together in legal marriage! After you’ve decided on Maui as the location, you should select a date and time for your elopement. A lot of clients wonder what the best time of year is to elope on Maui. Personally, I don’t believe that there is a bad time! In general, the overall climate on Maui is quite pleasant consisting of year-round daytime temperatures ranging from 75-85°F (23-29°C) at the beach. Maui has numerous microclimates, which means that the specific weather and landscape can vary significantly depending on where you are on the island. If you check a weather app, you will likely see rain forecasted every day— but don’t despair! That does not necessarily mean that it will rain during your elopement.
Being a tropical island, the weather can be unpredictable though, and you’ll want to make sure that you hire local vendors that know what the options are in case your elopement location needs to change due to weather.
You’ll want to plan the time of your elopement around the best times for lighting for photography. The hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset offers the most gentle and beautiful light for photography purposes. Sunrises generally have softer, more pastel colors, and the beaches will be less crowded. Sunsets have bolder, more vibrant colors, but the beaches will be more crowded.
Typically, tourism on Maui is generally slower anytime that public schools are in session and immediately following the holiday season, spring or summer break, etc, making these times ideal for planning your elopement. Air travel and lodging might be less expensive during these times as well. If you are planning a beach elopement, I would highly recommend avoiding a holiday or weekend as your elopement date as the beaches are generally quite busy during these times (unless you opt for sunrise, in which case you don’t have to worry about crowds).
Step 2: Hire Your Vendors
Once you have your elopement date selected, you should begin your search for vendors. Obviously I’m biased as a wedding photographer, but if documenting the very beginning of your life together as a married couple is important, I recommend choosing your photographer first to make sure that the photographer is available on your desired date. As you landed here on my website, I hope that you’ll consider inquiring with me 😀.
When choosing a photographer, you should always look at their portfolio and make sure that their work aligns with your vision of how you’d like your day captured. These are a few things that you’ll want to consider when choosing a photographer:
The overall aesthetic of their portfolio and editing style.
Their level of experience with photographing elopements.
Their experience with photographing elopements on Maui.
How photos are delivered (digital versus prints; all-inclusive versus a session fee and then a separate fee for the photos that you choose).
The pricing and what is included in the rate.
Response time/customer service/what working with them will be like.
If they are established as a legal business, have insurance, and are able to pull the required permits (unfortunately, there are many photographers not operating legally on Maui).
Once you have a photographer booked, then you can start to consider the other vendors that you’ll want for your elopement. You’ll want to book the officiant fairly early in the planning process as they are key to making your marriage legal. Other vendors that you may want to consider include a videographer, florist, and hair and makeup artist. For most elopements, these are generally the only vendors that are booked. A photographer that is Maui-based will likely have recommendations for all of these types of vendors.
An alternative option to choosing your own vendors is to hire a wedding/elopement planner. Wedding/elopement planners can help to simplify the process by booking all of the vendors for you, but the downside is that you likely will not be able to choose a specific vendor if you have a preference and you might only get the bare minimum of services offered by the vendor. This option may end up being more expensive as well, but it can save you time. Alternatively, some photographers and other local vendors, including myself, offer all-inclusive elopement packages and will act as the elopement planner for you.
Step 3: Choose Your Elopement Location
At the time of booking your photographer and officiant, you’ll want to narrow down your elopement location. Maui has over 30 miles of beaches, and more accessible beaches than any of the other Hawaiian islands. That means that there are tons of beaches to choose from if you’re desiring a beach for your elopement! A few beaches are off-limits for elopements and professional photography, including the beaches of Makena State Park (Big Beach/Little Beach) and Ka’anapali Beach. When choosing a beach, you’ll want to consider what you’d like to be included in the background of your photos. Is it more important to you that the beach is large with lots of white sand? Do you want a lot of palm trees in the photos? Views of the mountains from the beach? Lava rocks? Views of other islands? It is important to you that the beach is fairly uncrowded? Your photographer (especially one that is local to the island) should be able to help you choose a Maui beach that best suits your needs.
All beaches on Maui are public, and there are a few rules about having a ceremony at the beach that are important. Beaches are first-come, first-serve, and you cannot ask other people to move to accommodate the ceremony (it’s illegal to do so). It’s also against the law to erect an arch or anything that obstructs the view of other beach-goers. However, flowers placed in a circle in which the bride and groom can stand are permitted. You cannot have more than 20 guests in attendance at a beach wedding, consume alcohol, or have an open fire/flame (including a barbecue grill) at the beach.
Although beach elopements are the most popular on Maui, there are many other stunning locations to consider for your elopement. The summit of Haleakala (Maui’s tallest mountain), the rolling lavender fields in Upcountry Maui, the jungle, or a botanical garden are all options for elopement locations that aren’t the beach. The key factor to consider when choosing your location is that you’ll need a permit for any public location, or permission if it is a privately-owned location. As your Maui elopement photographer, I can suggest the best location for your elopement and obtain the correct permit needed from the State of Hawai’i if you are eloping on public land or a beach.
Step 4: Book Your Travel & Accommodations
After ensuring that you’ve booked your vendors and secured the location of your elopement, you can book your flights, accommodations, and rental car. Public transportation isn’t great on Maui, so you’ll definitely want to book a rental car in order to explore the island during your stay. In order to reduce the stress of traveling on the day of your elopement, you might want to consider booking accommodations close to the elopement location if possible.
Step 5: Plan Your Elopement Details
This is the super fun part where you can shop for your wedding clothes, jewelry/accessories, and plan for your florals, hair and makeup, and all of the other details that will make your day come together! The incredible thing about an elopement is that there are no rules— you can make it 100% about you and what you want rather than worrying about meeting the expectations of others. So, if you want to wear formal, elegant wedding clothes for your beach elopement, you definitely should! Or if you want to keep it more relaxed and casual, that works too! If you have questions about what might photograph well, don’t hesitate to reach out to your photographer for advice.
Step 6: Obtain Your Marriage License
Your elopement date is almost here and you’ll be traveling to Maui soon! The process for applying for a marriage license begins by completing an online application (which I recommend that you complete prior to arriving on Maui). The application fee is $60, with a $5 administrative fee. Once the application has been completed, you and your partner must make an appointment to appear before a licensed marriage agent on Maui (or any other of the Hawaiian islands). You will be asked to provide proof of age, and if you’ve been previously married, you must present your divorce decree or the death certificate of your spouse. After signing consents, you’ll be issued your marriage license! The marriage license can be issued on the same day of the marriage, and it is only good for 30 days. Most of my couples obtain the license shortly after their arrival on Maui, and often on the same day as the elopement ceremony.
The marriage license permits your marriage to take place. Prior to the ceremony, the officiant will ask to see your marriage license. After the ceremony, you and the officiant will sign the marriage certificate, a separate document that indicates a legal marriage has been performed. The officiant then submits the completed certificate to the State of Hawai’i.
Step 7: Get Maui’d!!!
The day has finally arrived for you to say, “I do!” to the love of your life on the majestic island of Maui! So exciting! You can relax while your wedding vendors make your day come together beautifully. Congratulations, you just got Maui’d!
