Hawaii
Elopement photography · Maui
In short
Elopement photography in Maui starts at $2,200: 4 hours on location with a photographer who works in Maui, and 200 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 3 weeks.
Why choose Elopement photography in Maui?
Maui offers an elopement two genuinely different days and they cannot both happen at their best on the same morning. The summit of Haleakalā at sunrise is above the cloud layer at 10,023 feet, near freezing, and a two-hour drive from the coast. A beach at sunset is warm, ten minutes from where you are staying, and needs a state permit that costs from $20. Which one you get is decided sixty days out by a reservation system rather than by preference.
Worth knowing about Maui
Couples routinely try to do both in one day, and it is possible but it is a genuinely long one: a 3am departure for the summit, a ceremony at dawn at near-freezing temperatures, two hours back down, and beach portraits at sunset with the middle of the day spent asleep. It works, and it needs the park reservation and the DLNR beach permit both in hand before the date is fixed.
What does the session in Maui look like?
- Haleakalā summit
- Above the clouds at 10,023 feet. Near freezing at dawn, two hours’ drive, and a reservation released 60 days ahead.
- Makena Cove
- A lava-framed cove on the south shore, and tiny. A permit gives no exclusive use, so another party may be there.
- Ironwoods Beach, Kapalua
- Ironwood trees over a crescent of sand with Moloka’i across the channel. Quieter than the resort beaches.
What does elopement photography in Maui include?
- 200+ retouched photographs
- Four hours of coverage
- Guidance on which permit you need, where and when to apply
- Location and timing planned around sunrise or sunset
- Private online gallery within 3 weeks
- Print release for personal use
Permits at these locations: Makena Cove: Hawaii DLNR right-of-entry permit for a wedding or commercial photography, from $20: 30 people, two hours, no exclusive use of the beach. Haleakalā summit: Park entrance fee plus a $1 sunrise vehicle reservation for 3–7am, released 60 and 2 days ahead. A wedding needs a $150 Special Use Permit, 25 people maximum. Ironwoods Beach, Kapalua: Hawaii DLNR right-of-entry permit for weddings and commercial photography, from $20; the beach is shared with the public.
FAQ — Elopement photography in Maui
Can we do the summit and a beach on the same day?
Yes, and it is a long day. The usual shape is a 3am departure, a ceremony at the summit at sunrise near freezing, two hours back down, sleep through the middle of the day, and beach portraits at sunset. It needs the Haleakalā reservation and the DLNR beach permit both secured before the date is fixed.
Which beach for a small ceremony?
Makena Cove on Maui is the most-requested and it is tiny, and a Hawaii DLNR beach permit gives no exclusive use — another wedding party may hold a permit for the same hour and cannot be asked to move. Ironwoods Beach at Kapalua is the better choice for a slightly larger group: ironwood trees over a crescent of sand, Moloka’i across the channel, and considerably quieter than the resort beaches. Both need a DLNR permit.