Hawaii Destination Wedding | Kauai Elopement
If you’re thinking about having a Hawaii Destination wedding (or just a destination wedding/elopement in general), this one is for you. In other words, have you ever considered getting married on your honeymoon?
Stevie and Ricky are two of the raddest humans, and I will forever be grateful for them and the experiences we had together. They decided to have their Hawaii destination wedding/elopement on Kauai in July of 2019. The more elopements I photograph, the more I love them, and people like Stevie and Ricky are exactly why.
The whole week we spent in Kauai was…. so… chill. To say the least. It was a vacation, even for me. I never once actually felt like I was even “working”. Stevie and Ricky treated me like family, and I will always remember their generosity and hospitality towards me. Luckily we live in the same city and go to the same gym so I still get to see them… (When I go to the gym hehe.)
We explored around the island, visited blowholes, had breakfast at the Hanalei Bread Company, lunch at the world famous Brennecke’s in Poipu, roamed the farmers market, and spent a lot of time relaxing at the beach.
Stevie and Ricky planned to elope on Sunday, at the Poipu Botanical Gardens, more specifically at the McBryde Garden. The day started off like any other. Stevie, her sister and I cruised down to Hanalei and Stevie picked out a ring for Ricky… And in the early afternoon we headed to the other side of the island, where they would get ready (in the most amazingly air conditioned hotel room), and head to the gardens to say their vows. The entire day was just so relaxed, there was no rushing, no drama, no stress… Just relaxation, happiness, beautiful island views, the most colorful sunset, and really delicious food.
There is only one way to get into the McBryde Garden, and so we had about 4/5 cars driving (reaaaally slowly) in a single line to get to the location, and had to keep Stevie and Ricky apart of course…. Until we got into the garden where they would have their first look.
After Stevie and Ricky had their first look, they got ready to walk down the aisle and say their vows to each other, in front of their best friends and family.
After their ceremony, we took some family photos, and then took a little hike to a waterfall. Friendly reminder: Bug spray… Bug spray…… Do not forget it.
After the hike we headed to the Beach House Restaurant for the dinner following their ceremony, and took some photos on the beach while the sun set.
If you’ve ever thought of honeymooning in Hawaii, just think.. You could get married there too! From my experience photographing Hawaii Destination Weddings, my personal opinion is that November, December, and January can be really great times to visit the islands. It is waaaayyy less hot during those months, and it’s also SO MUCH LESS crowded. Those tend to be the rainier months, but… Tropical rain. Glorious.
