sunrise vs. sunset
- Can be more secluded
- Right off the bat, sunrise is a great way to avoid crowds on the beaches in Hawaii! This is honestly a must if you are eloping on more crowded islands of Maui and Oahu. If you are coming from the mainland, you will likely be waking up early already with the difference in time zones (Hawaii is 5-6hours behind the east coast) so it's not too bad :)
- If you are concerned about how much privacy you are going to have while you are saying your vows to your partner, then a sunrise elopement or intimate wedding might be a good idea–especially if you choose a heavily-trafficked or well-known area.
- It's a great way to start your day
- Starting early and having your elopement or intimate wedding ceremony right at sunrise is an incredible way to start out your wedding day. It also gives you plenty of time to relax for the rest of your day and enjoy any other activities that you and your partner want to do.
Benefits of eloping at sunrise
- You can sleep in
- If you decide to do your elopement ceremony at sunset, then you will have more flexibility regarding what time you wake up and be able to get ready in the daylight. If you know that you are not a morning person, you’ll want to keep in mind that a sunrise elopement could potentially leave you groggy and tired on your wedding day–so you may want to seriously consider the benefits of a sunset elopement instead.
- Great light for west-facing views
- If you are wanting to say your vows with a beautiful west-facing view behind you, then eloping at sunset means that the sun’s final rays will be hitting the features behind you–and if the view behind you includes mountains to the west, then they will be illuminated with alpenglow towards sunset on a clear day.
- You'll be all warmed up
- It can take some people a bit of time to get comfortable being photographed, and your awareness of me as your photographer will likely be greatest at the beginning of our time together. A benefit of eloping at sunset is that we will probably have already spent a good chunk of the day together, which means that you will have had time to get more comfortable with having a camera pointed at you–especially right before you say your vows to your partner, which many couples consider to be the most intimate part of an elopement day.
Benefits Of Eloping At Sunset
If your shoot location is on the west side of the island you will get gorgeous golden hues during sunset if it's not overcast. And beautiful, cool colors in the morning (sometimes soft pinks and purples, and blues) which gradually shifts into more intense sunshine as the sun rises.
Across all of the islands, the east facing sides are typically rainier and more jungle like and lush, so it is a good idea to have a sunrise shoot in these locations!
If you are on the east side of the island, you can get some golden hues in the morning during sunrise if it is not overcast. Additionally, starting in the morning on the east side of the island is a good idea to avoid rain showers that often move in during the afternoon. That being said, it's impossible to know exactly how the weather will pan out on your wedding day, but if it is not raining, you will usually get gorgeous light in the evening that makes for crisp images, and sometimes some pinks on the horizon during sunset.
If you are absolutely not a morning person, no worries, we can choose a location that is less likely to encounter turbulent weather, or we can just shoot our shot and go for it....and if the weather pans out to not be great on the day of, we can change up locations to a drier part of the island.
Final tips
It’s also always an option to do a full-day elopement that spans both sunrise to sunset or a multi-day elopement where you get to experience both as well.
