Elope in Hawaii: Oahu’s Various Backdrops
When deciding where to elope in Hawaii, all of the islands have something different and incredibly beautiful to offer. We love each island for different reasons, and here we have listed the advantages and disadvantages of eloping on each of the four main islands (Hawai’i Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai). One of my favorite aspects of shooting an elopement on Oahu is the drastic mountains that surround this island. Oahu is known for being the island where Jurassic Park was filmed. You can even visit Kualoa Ranch for a tour of the different scenes from the movie. Not only does it have beautiful mountains, but there are so many accessible hikes to adventure on your elopement day! Not to mention, the beaches and waves on the North Shore of Oahu are some of the best in the world! So, if you’re a fan of drastic ridges, green mountains, crystal blue water, and golden sand beaches, Oahu is the island for you to elope!
Why We Always Have a Backup Plan When You Elope in Hawaii
The day before Alex and Amber’s Oahu Elopement, we got a panicked call from Amber explaining that Alex either rolled or sprained his ankle when he was playing in the waves earlier that day. The truth is, we had a jam-packed day for their full day elopement with lots of hiking; however, we ALWAYS have a Plan B just in case something like this happens. We had planned to do two more challenging hikes to a waterfall and up a steep mountain, so Ryan and I suggested several different options for Amber and Alex until they chose the final locations for their big day. We avoided the more difficult hikes and substituted for more locations around the entire island of Oahu that would be easier to access. Here’s what their final day looked like!
Sunrise Beach Elopement Ceremony on Oahu’s South Side
Amber and Alex met us at sunrise on the Southeastern side of Oahu for their elopement ceremony. It was a really special ceremony because Amber and Alex had been together for so long before getting married and had been waiting to commit their lives to one another for years. This sunrise location was perfect for them because you could see the mountains in the background, you could hear the waves crashing in the background, and we were able to see the sunrise on the horizon! After their ceremony, we captured some golden hour shots before heading to the next location.
Elope in Hawaii for its Unique Rock Formations
One of the most incredible features of Hawai’i is the unique lava rock formations that exist on different islands. This makes Oahu such an epic island to elope on, especially if you are as intrigued by the formation of the islands! Each island is totally different!. For instance, Oahu was formed long before the Big Island of Hawaii; therefore, you will notice drastic differences in the lava rock formations between these two islands. We took Amber and Alex to one of our absolute favorite spots! This rock formation was not caused by a typical lava flow. These rock formations evolved from layers of volcanic ash combined over years from multiple volcanic eruptions. These layers of volcanic ash became cemented over the years to form this unique rock formation. I don’t believe there’s anything quite like this on any other island.
Adventure on a Boat During Your Elopement in Hawaii
Because we had to change the two of the hikes we originally had planned, we decided to plan a boat adventure to one of the most stunning sand bars! We knew that this would be the perfect and relaxing addition to their day. Although it was midday, it was a fun activity for cooling off and just enjoying the incredible weather we had on their elopement day. If you are eloping in Hawaii, we highly recommend this activity as a part of your day. It really is such a fun addition. Amber and Alex decided to do a wardrobe change and get out of their wedding clothes for a bit. They swam in the ocean and had such a blast playing around in the water. The best part about it was that they got to change back into their wedding clothes afterward and finish off the rest of their day!
Sunset Session with Oceanside Cliffs and Golden Sand Beaches
We finished our day with Amber and Alex by visiting the northeastern shore of Oahu. Amber and Alex wanted the most variety and epic scenery in the gallery, so we loved being able to visit so many different locations with them. That’s honestly one of my favorite parts about these islands. It’s so easy to drive and visit so many different spots in a matter of hours. We captured them at some incredible cliffs against the ocean. We then hurried to our last location of the night. It was really important to Amber that they had multiple different mountains for the backdrop of their photos. We hurried to this golden sand beach as the sun was setting so we could capture the last light of the night. These two danced the night away by themselves on this beach. It was so incredibly beautiful to watch!
