Year after year couples choose the breathtaking islands of Hawaii as the destination for their elopement. The sandy shores, lush mountains, wondrous cliffsides, bustling cities, and charming towns each offer a unique experience and setting for couples to celebrate their love. If you’ve never been to the Hawaiian islands however, planning to elope here can be a bit of a daunting task. There’s a lot to tackle, which is why today we’re going to take a look at everything you need to know, plan for, and take care of to ensure that your elopement here in Hawaii is everything you’ve dreamt it would be!

Decide What You Want Your Elopement to Look and Feel Like

One of the very first things you’ll want to do when planning your destination elopement in Hawaii is decide what you want it to be! Set some time aside with your partner to daydream and talk about what you envision for your day. What’s the setting in your mind? Who’s there for your ceremony? What do you want to do after the elopement itself? The beauty of elopements is that they give you the creative freedom to do practically whatever you want with them! The season, time of day, location, setting, activity, even the vendors you book, everything can be done in a way that fits you and your vision for your elopement. 

This amount of creative freedom is why I suggest taking some time to dream about and discuss the ideas you have for your elopement with your partner. The sky is quite literally the limit for what you can do, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your day! For some outside the box ideas to give you some inspiration check out this article.

Decide What You Want Your Elopement to Look and Feel Like

One of the very first things you’ll want to do when planning your destination elopement in Hawaii is decide what you want it to be! Set some time aside with your partner to daydream and talk about what you envision for your day. What’s the setting in your mind? Who’s there for your ceremony? What do you want to do after the elopement itself? The beauty of elopements is that they give you the creative freedom to do practically whatever you want with them! The season, time of day, location, setting, activity, even the vendors you book, everything can be done in a way that fits you and your vision for your elopement. 

This amount of creative freedom is why I suggest taking some time to dream about and discuss the ideas you have for your elopement with your partner. The sky is quite literally the limit for what you can do, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your day! For some outside the box ideas to give you some inspiration check out this article.

Decide When to Elope in Hawaii

The great thing about choosing to have your destination elopement here in Hawaii is that the islands are consistently beautiful year-round. This allows you to plan your elopement for a time that works best for your schedule, though there are a few things to make note of.

While the weather here on the islands is pretty consistent throughout the year, the driest season in terms of rain is from April through September. This also happens to be one of the busier seasons here on the islands though due partly to the weather and partly due to families traveling for summer vacations.

The winter months are also particularly busy thanks to families traveling for the holidays. These busier times of year also see higher costs when it comes to things like airfare and your lodging, so you may want to plan your elopement during the tourism “offseason”.

Late fall and early spring is when tourism is at a low point here on the islands, which is when I recommend having your elopement if you’re looking to make the experience as intimate as possible. This also happens to be the rainy season here, but luckily for us rain storms on the islands pass VERY quickly! If your schedules only allow you to travel during the busier months though don’t worry, there are still PLENTY of locations to elope at on the islands that still give you a ton of privacy for an intimate experience.

Choose Which Island You’ll Elope On

One of the biggest decisions you’ll  make when planning your destination elopement is choosing which of the islands you’ll elope on. Each island has their own appeal in terms of the settings they offer and the experience they provide, so it comes down to personal preference. For this article we’ll be separating the islands by their popularity when it comes to tourism, starting with those on the more popular side.

The More Popular Islands

The Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai all are significantly more popular in terms of tourism, which is understandable as they’re also the most accessible and have plenty of established resorts to choose from. While these islands are definitely more popular, that doesn’t mean that they’re not worth considering for your elopement! There are SO many beautiful locations spread across each of the islands for you to choose from. Whether you’re looking for breathtaking oceanside cliffs, a lush tropical forest, or a romantic sunset on the beach, these islands have no shortage of options to bring your vision to life.

The Less Popular Islands

The two other islands that plenty of couples choose to elope on are Molokai and Lanai. Both of these islands are considerably smaller and more remote than the others on the list, but that doesn’t take away from the experience one bit. I’d even argue that their more remote nature allows you to truly appreciate the beauty of the experience you’ve created more fully. If you’re up for a bit more planning when it comes to the logistics of your travels, the experience these islands provide is definitely worth it!

Decide Where You’ll Elope on the Island

After you’ve chosen which island you’ll elope on you’ll then want to decide which location on said island fits your vision best. As I mentioned, there are no shortage of options to choose from across the islands, which presents its own set of challenges! This is where your vision for your day comes into play as you’ll likely have a rough idea of the setting you want for your day. Whether it’s on the beach, atop a mountain, in a remote forest, or even in a bustling city, you can find the perfect spot here on the islands! To get an idea of some of the options available check out our 15 favorite elopement locations throughout the islands!

Book Your Vendors

Even with the smaller scale of elopements compared to more traditional weddings, you’ll still want a team of talented vendors to help bring your day to life! This is another challenge that couples planning a destination elopement in Hawaii face as it’s hard to know which vendors are the right fit for you, and which you need for your day.

If this stresses you out, something I strongly encourage you consider is booking an all inclusive elopement with us here at Olson Productions! As the name suggests, our all inclusive elopements take care of everything for you when it comes to the elopement itself. From finding and booking vendors, to choosing the perfect spot to fit your vision, and of course documenting the day in stunning beauty, we take care of it all so that you can relax and enjoy the experience. Find out more about this option here!

If instead you want to handle the sourcing and booking of your elopement vendors yourselves, here’s a list of must have vendors for your day as well as some additional ones that can help to elevate the experience:

Must Haves

• Elopement Photographer
• Officiant (Known as a Wedding Performer on the Islands)
• Venue (if Needed for Your Ceremony or Reception)

Consider Booking

• Hair and Makeup Artist
• Planner/Coordinator
• Florist
• Videographer
• Entertainment
• Catering

Create Your Guest List

A common misconception about elopements is that only the couple can be present. While this may have been true in decades past, today couples can, and often do, invite a handful of guests to attend their elopement! The specific cutoff for this guest count varies from source to source, Simply Eloped considers an elopement to be anything under 20 guests as an example. Typically though this guest count usually lands somewhere in-between 4-10. 

For couples planning a destination elopement here on Hawaii you’ll want to let any guests you’d like to have present for your elopement know as soon as possible that they’re invited. Traveling to the islands is a pretty big commitment, and requires some serious logistics planning, so give those you love ample time to handle all of this so that they’re able to be there for you on the big day!

Book Your Travel Arrangements

Getting to the island of Hawaii that you’ll be eloping on is yet another logistical hurdle you’ll want to take care of for your destination elopement. First and foremost is getting to the islands, which thankfully is pretty straightforward. Each of the major islands (Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai) have a major airport on them, making traveling to them from the states simple. If you intend on having your elopement on one of these islands you’ll be set, after booking a rental car if needed!

For those looking to elope on Molokai or Lanai however, there’s the extra step of getting to these islands that you’ll want to iron out the details of prior to your travels. This can be done either through inter-island flights from whichever main island you initially fly into, or via ferry.

Decide Where and How Long You’ll Stay

Next on your list is deciding where to stay while you’re in Hawaii for your elopement! With how popular tourism is here on the islands it should come as no surprise that there are a TON of fantastic options to choose from for you, your partner, and your guests to stay at. To see what I mean, check out this article of our 12 favorite resorts across the islands. 

Something I recommend for couples looking to elope here is choosing a place to stay that is relatively close to the location they plan to elope at. I say this because you don’t want to spend the majority of your elopement sitting in a car together if you don’t have to! Minimizing your travel while on the islands is the best way to experience more of the beauty they have to offer firsthand rather than through a car window.

Finally, after you choose where you’ll be staying for your elopement, you’ll also want to decide how long you’ll be staying there for. If you have the time and the freedom to do so, I recommend making a vacation out of your elopement here on the islands. Come to the islands a few days before your elopement to relax and prepare for the day, and stay for a few days after to take it all in as you embark on this next chapter together. You’ll be in one of the most beautiful places in the world after all, you should enjoy it while you’re here!

Take Care of the Legalities

The last thing on our list to cover are the legalities of your destination elopement here in Hawaii! The islands keep things pretty simple when it comes to planning your elopement here, but there are still some key things you’ll want to take into account and plan for before your travels.

The Marriage License

First is your marriage license, something you’ll want to tackle so that your elopement is actually legal! You can start the process through this link. From there, you’ll purchase the license for $65 and fill out the required information, after which you’ll need to meet with an agent here on the islands to receive your marriage license. Note that you’ll need to meet with this agent within 30 days of your ceremony, and you’ll also have to have said ceremony within 30 days of receiving the license. From there you’ll return the signed license to make your marriage official!

The Marriage Performer

As I mentioned earlier in this article, officiants are known as marriage performers here on the islands. A performer is required by law for your marriage to be recognized here on the islands. This can be accomplished either by booking a registered performer for your ceremony, or by having a friend or family member become a registered performer if you want to make things more personal. This process is something they’ll want to start early, and can be done through this link.

The Permits

Last but not least, you’ll want to make note of (and acquire) any necessary permits before your elopement. Some locations require photography permits in order for professional photos to be taken there, others require permits for wedding ceremonies to take place there, and some require both! This is something that we help with here at Olson Productions when couples book us to document their elopements. When recommending potential locations for your elopement we’ll let you know of any permit requirements so that you can take care of them prior to your day!

That just about covers everything you need to know in order to plan a destination elopement here in Hawaii! It may seem like a lot, which if that’s the case I recommend you look into our all-inclusive elopements to help take some of the stress of planning off your plates. Trust me though, it is all worth it as an elopement here in paradise is an experience you’ll never forget and adore to look back on. For more planning tips and inspiration check out some of our other articles, and if you’re looking to book with us send over an inquiry today!