Ceremony Locations

“Jurassic Park mountains” is something I have heard a lot of couples wishing for when it comes to the backdrop of their wedding ceremony. The older the island is, the more likely you'll get the “Jurassic Park” type of mountains – with texture and rugged geography. The oldest island in terms of geology is Kauai. There are some gorgeous beaches with mountains looming beautifully in the distance!

Oahu is also home to green mountains you might be after: located in Kualoa regional park or Kualoa ranch. These mountains are easily accessible for your elopement ceremony.

You can find some of these mountains in the west Maui mountains of Maui. The difference between the mountains here and in Kauai and Oahu is that in Maui, you can actually be in the mountains, but there aren’t many places for vast vantage points with the mountains as a backdrop on this island. The shots we’d get would be tighter, so keep that in mind.

You will not get those green chiseled mountains on The Big Island of Hawaii. But if you’re looking for lava flow, The Big Island of Hawaii has got your back.

If you want to see lava, the The Big Island of Hawaii is the only island with active volcanoes. The lava comes and goes depending on how active Kīlauea is. Be prepared that seeing the lava is never a guarantee, and the best time to see it is after sunset or at night because it’s easier for those red tones to come through. Bringing binoculars can really enhance your experience. During the day you are more likely to see steam but the landscapes within volcano national park are so unique and “mars-like” with lots of craters.

Volcano National Park is open 24/7 to check out the lava, so you can go anytime which is really nice and later in the evening to avoid crowds. You can also see the lava and national park by helicopter.

Black sand beaches? The Big Island of Hawaii and Maui. Maui it is difficult to get permits and the beaches are a little less accessible, while The Big Island of Hawaii has multiple to choose from. If a black sand beach is your number one priority I would recommend the Big Island over Maui. But if you really want to do the road to Hana and see other types of landscapes, Maui would be worth it!

Cliffs? Kauai has golden, epic cliffs that are easy to get to for your elopement. Another island where you will find lots of cliffs is Maui. The cliffs here are grassy and more expansive with super cool views. Oahu doesn’t have many cliffs for photography (the photos you may see on google have recently become illegal for photography….but these lookouts make a great adventure day for epic views of Oahu’s southern coastline). The Big Island of Hawaii has two areas with black lava rock cliffs, but these require local knowledge which I can help with!

If you are looking to have your ceremony or photographs above the clouds, the only island is Maui at Haleakala National Park. I love this area because it is very easy to drive up…no 4WD required. The views are incredible and while sunrise permits are hard to get, I am a HUGE fan of sunset on Haleakala. Haleakala is a dormant volcano, 10,023 feet above sea level. If you have children in your group or adults who may struggle with colder temperatures and lower oxygen levels, Haleakala may not be a good fit. But don’t worry if members of your group don’t want to hike, you can see many views as you drive up and you can park and stick to the outlooks rather than a hike and still get AMAZING views.

The Big Island of Hawaii is the only island where snow usually sticks…..on the slopes of Mauna Kea. I highly recommend visiting Mauna Kea while on island, but it is no longer a photography option due to requests from the Mauna Kea Center for Stewardship.

Mauna Kea on The Big Island of Hawaii is a dormant volcano that lies 13,803 feet above sea level and is not a national park. Keep in mind that access to Mauna Kea requires four wheel drive.

It is one of the most sacred points in Hawaii as it is the tallest point of all the Hawaiian islands. Out of all the islands, you are most likely to see and get snow on Mauna Kea usually during winter months after a large rain storm.

Mauna Loa on The Big Island of Hawaii is 13,679 feet above sea level. While you can see it from the highway (Saddle road), an eruption in November 2022 has made the road to Mauna Loa inaccessible.

Do you want to include a waterfall in your elopement day? You will find waterfalls on all of the islands, but will usually need a fee to access property if you want to do a ceremony. The Big Island of Hawaii boasts Kulaniapia Falls, but is more expensive than other waterfalls but honestly so incredible for photos and a ceremony site. The Big Island of Hawaii is also home to Akaka Falls (which is three times the height of Niagara Falls), and Rainbow Falls (you cannot hold ceremonies here but I recommend checking these out while in Hilo).

Maui has a waterfall we can access for a ceremony for a $100 fee (see my locations guide). The road to Hana in Maui is a must to stop off at all the waterfalls. This is not ideal for a ceremony though, because the road to Hana is quite crowded and hard to get a permit for a ceremony but it could be fun for more of an all-day experience.

Oahu has one waterfall we can legally access for a ceremony or photos after a ceremony. For elopements, I recommend doing your photos here afterwards, but for weddings and micro-weddings the venue fee makes more sense. There are random waterfalls that require muddy hikes to get to that are fun while you are visiting! You find them in guidebooks - if you are really interested, you can contact me!

Kauai has Wailua Falls to visit, and it’s a crazy but really fun hike! This location is not legal for ceremonies. To access this waterfall requires a steep and sometimes muddy scramble and I recommend it for a fun activity but not on elopement day. There is one legal waterfall to access for ceremonies but I am still working on private access with the owner of the property.

Overall, if you are wanting a waterfall ceremony, the best lighting and location is on The Big Island of Hawaii with Kulaniapia Falls. If you just want fun photos before/after and a waterfall is not your main priority then we can utilize the ones on the other islands but the lighting isn’t always as good because they are more forested.

Every Hawaiian island has white sand beaches if that is what you are after for your elopement! If you want a simple beach ceremony, I usually ask you where you are staying and then make recommendations closest to you that are also scenic and accessible. The only slight exception would be that on The Big Island of Hawaii, you are limited to Kona or Waikoloa (the west side of the island).