Elopement

How to Plan Your Maui Elopement

February 2, 2023

After over four years of experience with documenting elopements throughout Hawaii, I have found that I have a love for elopements on the island of Maui. Weddings have become a major part of Hawaii’s economy, thus Maui and the other Hawaiian islands have made it extremely easy for couples to elope in this beautiful place.  […]

How to Plan Your Maui Elopement
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After over four years of experience with documenting elopements throughout Hawaii, I have found that I have a love for elopements on the island of Maui. Weddings have become a major part of Hawaii’s economy, thus Maui and the other Hawaiian islands have made it extremely easy for couples to elope in this beautiful place.  Maui is SUCH a beautiful island known for its beautiful and diverse beaches, the whale migration that passes through each year, and of course all the lush greenery that makes up its’ state parks. 

Though the process of eloping is fairly easy in Maui, there are a couple of differences when eloping on any Hawaii island vs eloping in some of the other states of the US!  In this blog, we will go over everything you’ll want to know about eloping in Maui.

Why Elope in Maui

Maui is the second-largest Hawaiian Island and is primarily known for its many beaches, diverse landscapes, and many beautiful locations to stay. Eloping on Maui will offer you a really beautiful experience allowing for a sort of choose-your-own-adventure. There are so many amazing options for your Maui elopement. Spend your elopement hiking with your lover surrounded by luscious greens in Iao Valley State Park. Or have a picnic on the black sand beach at Waiʻānapanapa State Park. There really is no going wrong when planning your elopement in Maui.

How to Plan Your Elopement on Maui

Much like many of the other islands that make up Hawaii, you will follow this process when obtaining your marriage license and eloping in Maui.  Eloping in Maui and the other Hawaiian Islands is a bit different than in other states. Unlike many other states in the U.S. though, there is no courthouse you can go to to have your ceremony.  Instead, you can follow these steps to plan out your Maui elopement.

Contact Your Maui Elopement Photographer

Your first step in planning your elopement will be to contact your dream elopement photographer! As a Hawaii elopement and wedding photographer, I book weddings and elopements up to a year out, and sometimes even farther. It’s important to contact your dream vendors early in the process so that they can guide you through the process and you can check with them on their availability. You can contact me via the inquiry form on my website to hear more about my availability and get a feel for the Maui elopement packages I offer. From there we can choose a date that works for both of us and then you and your lover can move on to the next step.

Find a Performer

Find a performer also known as a minister or judge will perform your ceremony and schedule your wedding ceremony.  You can find a performer through Hawaii’s online database of performers.  Once you visit the database you can find performers on Maui by searching under some of the cities on Maui.  Some of the larger cities, Hana and Wailuku have a number of performers listed. Another great option for your Maui elopement is to have a friend or family member perform your ceremony. If you do want to go this route, you can have them ordained online by the Universal Life Church. The process is simple and easy, and actually what I was ordained through!  

Fill Out Your Online Marriage License Application

Next, you and your boo will want to fill out your online marriage license application for your Maui elopement. All you will need is to know your SSN and have $70 ready to pay for your application and you will want to know the island of the ceremony you plan to have your ceremony on.  You can find the online application here!

Obtaining Your Marriage License

After filling out your application, you will schedule an in-person appointment with an agent. You and your lover will both need to attend your appointment in person to obtain your marriage license. Once you make your appointment, you will meet with your agent and they will issue you your marriage license.  This will need to happen within 30 days of your ceremony.  If you’re coming in from out of state for your elopement, be sure to plan your visit with your agent during your trip. After your 30-day period, if you do not have your ceremony during this time, you will have to obtain a new license.

Choose a Location for Your Maui Elopement

This is one of my favorite parts of planning an elopement because there are so many beautiful locations to elope in Maui.  Wherever you do end up eloping on Maui, if your ceremony is to take place on public land, you will need to obtain a permit to have your ceremony there. 

Some of my favorite locations to elope on Maui include Haleakala National Park, Olinda Forest, Baldwin Beach, Iao Valley, and a handful of other locations that I keep just for my couples. Maui has SO many unique beaches and beautiful landscapes, so you really cannot go wrong with any location you choose.

If you do plan to have your ceremony in a public location, know that you will need to obtain a permit to have your elopement at that location.  This is something I can help you with throughout the planning process!  If you do want to start researching the forms though, here is a good place to start.

Some couples even opt to have their ceremony and portraits done on separate days, much like H+A did for their elopement! They were married the day prior to taking their elopement photos, so on the day of their session, they just relaxed and had the best time celebrating their marriage with some photos!

Your Maui Elopement

One thing I am known for is building genuine friendships with my couples. I care so much about my couples and your experience, so when it comes to your elopement day, I will show up ready to support you two throughout your elopement day! While documenting the beautiful genuine moments that make up your day, I will also serve as someone to look to for guidance as we move through your wedding day. Many of my couples start their elopement coverage at the tail end of getting ready near the start of their ceremony.

After the elopement ceremony, your performer will confirm your ceremony online and within 3-5 business days you will be able to access your temporary certificate online. About three weeks after your information is approved you will receive a certified copy of your marriage license.

From there we will take some time and have fun exploring and taking some newlywed portraits to celebrate! I am ALL about documenting the unplanned and genuine moments between you and your lover so that you can relive your day over and over again, so I will work with the two of you to really create your dream elopement day experience.

A Look at My Maui Elopement Packages

My Maui elopement packages start at two hours of coverage for my couples and go all the way up to my full-service elopement packages which you can find more information about here.  I work with each of my couples to craft an experience that fits what they’re looking for in their elopement.  With years of experience planning and documenting elopements throughout the Hawaiian islands, I have so much knowledge to share with my couples as we plan their day!

To plan and book your dream Maui elopement, send me a message HERE!! I can’t wait to document your love in one of my favorite places on earth.

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