Marie + Devan’s Kauai Elopement
From the first moment that Marie inquired with us about her Kauai elopement, I knew her and Devan were going to be a good fit for us. They told us all about their hiking adventures and the climbing routes that they love to go on all throughout Utah. The passion that exuded from Marie’s words about her life with Devan, their adventures together, and how excited she was to plan their elopement with us made me feel super confident about working with these two from the very beginning. After we hopped on the phone with them, we knew they were the perfect fit us and they thought the same about us. It didn’t take much time before we were planning their epic Kauai elopement!
First Look and Vow Reading in Waimea Canyon
When planning Marie and Devan’s first part of their day, it was evident that we had to make it to Waimea Canyon for their first look and vow reading. You see Devan is a mountain guy and Marie is a coastal girl. They knew that for the first half of the day, they wanted to see the incredible canyon that resides in Waimea with its beautiful ridges. And you guys, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I love that every time we visit Kauai, no matter how many times we’ve been, it is still such a wonder to us. Something about this incredible and vast canyon that was formed in the middle of the Pacific is so mind-blowing. The first location we went with Marie and Devan was incredibly windy. But, Marie and Devan totally went with it and we were able to capture some magic with Marie’s wind-blown hair and dress. One of my favorite things about Marie is when she said, “The biggest expectation I have for our wedding day is to let things be… Not to overthink it, not to overact it, not to over-analyze every small detail. Instead, just to take it the day for what it is, explore around the island, and happen to be in stellar outfits.” I truly believe Marie and Devan’s positive and carefree attitude made their day so incredibly magical.
After our time spent in our first location, we went on a hike to a different location in Waimea Canyon so that Marie and Devan could read their personal vows to each other. It was such a sweet moment for them and absolutely no one was around. It was emotional, beautiful, and so completely perfect for them. We also captured them exploring the area around our hike, as well as captured their first dance song. I absolutely loved watching these two be completely in their moment and in total awe of their surroundings.
Why a Campervan is a Perfect Addition to Your Elopement Day
Marie and Devan rented this epic campervan from Kauai Camper Rental. It was absolutely perfect for them! For the backpacking type of couple who loves the flexibility and really being connected to nature, a campervan is such an awesome solution for accommodation while you’re in Kauai. The thing is, when you rent a campervan, you are not bound to staying in just one location for your entire trip. Instead, you can stay in multiple places all over the island and choose which locations are your favorite. Marie and Devan loved the flexibility of being able to drive their campervan all around the island and then staying in their favorite spots instead of deciding a place to stay before they got to Kauai.
In addition to the camper van just being super rad and vintage, it also had everything they needed including a mini kitchen and sink. Marie and Devan were able to buy food ahead of time that they cooked on their mini propane stove! This helped them save on some money rather than eating all their meals out compared to if they were staying at a hotel.
We loved being able to go back to their campervan with them for breakfast and chill morning moments before the rest of their elopement day. They even took a little power nap in their campervan during our mid daybreak.
Some different campervan companies around the island are:
Kauai Camper Rentals (the one Marie and Devan used)
Campervan Elopement Breakfast in Koke’e
After our morning in Waimea Canyon, we ventured back to Koke’e (where Marie and Devan had slept in their van the night before) to capture them eating their breakfast and check out their dope campervan. One vision that Marie had for their photos was capturing her and Devan eating breakfast together. You see, Marie has Czechoslovakian heritage and wanted to bring in some of her cultures to their day. One of the Czech wedding day traditions is for the bride and groom to share a bowl of soup using the same spoon. This symbolizes that the bride and groom understand the sharing of the spoon is like sharing a loaf of bread and that it’s necessary to take and give equal parts to each other. They are also covered by a large blanket that symbolizes unity. I loved that Marie wanted to include this as a part of her day.
Elopement Beachside Ceremony
Marie and Devan had their ceremony on the beach during the second part of their day. We met them at a beach on the south part of the island where we knew there wouldn’t be any rain. It was a perfect way to make their marriage official! Their ceremony was short and sweet because they had already read their personal vows to each other in Waimea Canyon, but I loved that we were able to incorporate their official wedding ceremony at the beach, which Marie absolutely loved.
Kauai Cliffside Bridal Shots
After their ceremony, we headed for the Kauai cliffs for some bridal shots. Marie wanted a totally different look for her bridal shots so she quickly changed into a beautiful, flowy black dress for these photos. Also, if you’re wondering if you can do an outfit change on your wedding day, the answer is YES, you can! That’s the beauty of elopements! You get to decide exactly how you want to craft your day according to what your desires are, and we are there to make it a reality!
We’ve even had brides in the past that decide to change from their super nice wedding dress to a cheaper wedding dress just so that they can “trash the dress” at the end of their elopement day! Check out our How to Plan Your How to Trash the Dress Session for more tips on crafting this type of session on your wedding day.
End Your Elopement Day in the Water
I loved that Marie and Devan ended their entire day with some in the water shots! Marie and Devan changed into their swimsuits so that we could capture these shots before it got too dark. I love that we were able to capture these romantic and super playful shots to complete their full day elopement gallery. It was such a fun way to end their day!
How to Prioritize Your Kauai Elopement Budget
I want to be the first to say that I totally understand how much traveling to Hawaii costs and what an investment it is to have an elopement. Trust me, Ryan and I planned our own intimate wedding in Hawaii, and it was not cheap. We get that!
However, the best advice we give to anyone who is thinking of having an intimate wedding ceremony or elopement in Hawaii is to prioritize the things that you love the most into your elopement budget. Let me give an example. If your highest priority is having super epic elopement photos, but it’s more than you imagined financially, start really thinking about the rest of your budget and how you can cut costs.
Three Ways to Cut Costs for Your Elopement
Instead of spending money at restaurants for every meal while you’re there, find an Airbnb and go to Costco to load up on food that you can cook throughout your week on the island to cut costs on food and drinks.
If you don’t mind camping or staying in a cheaper hotel for the majority of your time instead of at a nicer resort, do THAT or rent a campervan! 🙂 Save yourself some money in your accommodation and allocate money towards having some wedding florals or a makeup artist do your hair and makeup and whatever else you feel is super important to you for your day.
Another way to cut costs for your elopement is by choosing a less expensive wedding dress. There are so many awesome companies out there that produce wedding dresses that are totally affordable. A few sites that we really love to find reasonable costing wedding dresses are:
Everyone is going to be different in what they value and want for their wedding day. For elopements, you can decide exactly what you want to spend money and what you can save money on!
Kauai Elopement Vendors
Bride’s Dress: Reformation
Camper Van Company: Kauai Camper Rentals
Florals: Kealoha Flowers