Maui is one of the most popular of the Hawaiian islands not only for tourism, but also as a destination for an engagement session. The island is home to so many unique landscapes, from lush forests and striking mountaintops, to pristine beaches and jaw dropping cliffs, there really is something for everyone here! If you’re starting to plan your engagement session though, you know that location is just one of the many things you’ll have to consider when planning your session. With that in mind I thought it would be helpful to go over 5 tips I have for you to consider as you plan your engagement session on the island of Maui. Let’s get into them!

1. Choosing the Right Location

Like I mentioned earlier, one of the most important steps of preparing for your Maui engagement session is finding the right location. Now that may sound like an impossible task considering just how beautiful the island is, but trust me you can do it! First you’ll want to think about the feel you want for your session. Do you picture yourselves on the beach like Paige and Quinn did for their session? Do you want an epic cliffside view behind you? Are you in love with the lush rainforest vibes of the island? Maybe some mountain views? Whatever style you’re hoping for, deciding on that will help you narrow down your ideal location and get you one step closed to having your dream engagement session!

2. What to Wear

The next thing you’ll want to think about when planning your engagement session on Maui is what you both are going to wear for your session. For my couples I always recommend 2 or 3 different outfits depending on how long of a session you book. This not only gives your album a bit of variety, but also let’s you showcase your different styles. Typically I’ll recommend you dress up a little more for one of your outfits and then change into something a little more casual for the next portion of your session.

I also suggest dressing to fit the location of your engagement session. Ally and John’s session is a great example. While the session did take place on a beach on the island of Oahu, the two dressed to fit the environment and changed into their swimwear for the last bit of their session which was SO much fun!

3. When to Have Your Engagement Session

Next on my list is to decide on when to have your engagement session, both in terms of time of day and season. First off for what time to have your engagement session I almost always recommend my clients have their session at golden hour, or the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. If you’ve been following my content then you know just how much I LOVE a sunrise or sunset on the islands! While both sunrise or sunset will work for your session I typically like to suggest a sunrise engagement session on Maui as we are much more likely to have the space to ourselves.

As far as what time of year to have your session we’re best off having it during the offseason for tourism. Tourism peaks throughout the Hawaiian islands during the summer and winter due to families having more time and flexibility to travel for vacation. While having your engagement session during these seasons is definitely not a deal breaker, it will be much calmer and easier to get the space to ourselves during the off season!

4. Where to Stay and How to Get Around

Planning a destination engagement session can be stressful with all the logistics that come along with it. Lucky for you, Maui is the perfect island for an engagement session as there are SO many options for you to make your stay as memorable as your session! The island is one of the most popular of the Hawaiian islands for tourism, which leads to a ton of options to choose from when finding somewhere to stay on your trip. The island is also home to Kahului Airport which makes it simple for nearly everyone travelling to the island to get a direct flight to it. On the off chance that you’re unable to fly directly to the island however, the islands make it simple to travel from one to the other, whether it be by air or a boat trip from one island to the other!

5. Pack the Essentials

Last but not least on our list of tips for your Maui engagement session is to pack the essentials for your session. Of course this includes packing your outfits, but there is more to it than that! If you plan on having any sort of props in your session such as a bottle of champagne or some flower leis to wear you’ll want to be sure to pack those. I also recommend my couples pack some water and snacks, either for a quick bite during the session or for the ride back after the session. Believe it or not, your photography session is going to be tiring, so staying fueled is a must!

Lastly I do always suggest that my couples pack and double check that they have EVERYTHING that they need for the session the day before, if not multiple days before your session. The last thing you want to happen is go to change into your next outfit and realize you forgot your shirt!

An engagement session on the island of Maui can be the perfect dream come true, but you do have to plan for it g order for everything to work out. With these tips in mind though you’re well on your way to making that dream a reality! For more engagement session planning tips check out this blog going over in depth engagement session planning for the rest of the Hawaiian islands. Ready to book me for your wedding and engagement session? Head to my contact page to send me an inquiry so we can reserve your date today!