Intimate Oahu Elopement on the North Shore

This intimate Oahu elopement was an absolute dream! Katelyn & Highland were the sweetest couple and I am so happy me and my team got to take care of these two! Katelyn saw my photos online and she immediately wanted an intimate Oahu elopement and have me as their photographer. I was so honored that my photos really grabbed their attention. They wanted a very laidback & stress-free day. They were unfamiliar with Hawaii and what locations would look great, what time, or which vendors. One thing they knew was that they wanted me to be their photographer and to help plan their day.

We chatted so I could first get to know them, their story, and what they envisioned for the day, and then we got to planning. I was able to give them recommendations of what locations we could shoot at, planning the entire day from getting ready, reading vows, and ceremony all the way to popping some champagne on a cliff at sunset! I arranged for a full day of adventure and they were so grateful they booked my bundle elopement package that included my photography, a detailed planning guide, an officiant, and drone photography!

Literally the dream package to make it such a stress-free process and a bundle all inclusive. This is perfect for all of my couples looking to have an Oahu elopement and don’t want to hire separate vendors. This makes it a seamless process. My team and I got you covered!

TIPS WHEN ELOPING IN HAWAII:

1. PLAN AROUND THE BEST TIME OF DAY FOR PHOTOS

Sunrise and sunset is the best time for photos. In Hawaii sunrise is typically 5:30-7am and sunset is 5:30-7:30pm. Be sure to check what time sunrise & sunset is because it changes each season and I highly recommend looking it up on time and date to double check the absolute BEST time for photos and plan around that! That is when you’ll get the most dreamy lighting for photos!

2. PLAN YOUR ELOPEMENT ON WEEKDAYS:

Typically my Oahu elopement couples elope in the weekday and I recommend this highly because:
-elopements are usually at a public area and not at private venue
-locals are usually at work Monday-Friday and at the beach and locations on weekends. So locations are more secluded and less crowded on weekdays
-weddings are typically on weekends so there is more availability on weekdays for elopements

3. PLAN YOUR TRIP OR DAYS LEADING UP ACCORDINGLY:

I hold my clients hand and walk them through the process so they aren’t confused. For a lot of them this is the very first time getting married and such new territory. So I let them know to plan their trip accordingly. If they are flying in give themselves at least 1-2 days to get the marriage certificate, fly in get rested, pick up flowers or errands prior and not feel rushed trying to elope the day they arrive and being completely exhausted. This is YOUR DAY and you want to be rested and excited.

I also highly recommend to my clients to not plan their elopement towards the end of their trip. This is because by that point they are usually sunburnt or feel super bloated from eating allll the yummy food. If you get sunburnt it is very hard to edit out and you will most likely show up completely red in all your elopement photos.

Tips: wear sunscreen, stay out of the sun for most of the day till AFTER your elopement, make sure you don’t have very visible tan lines. Plan the days leading up to your elopement accordingly. It makes all the difference, trust me!

4. HIRE VENDORS YOU TRUST:

Hire the team you absolutely trust for your big day! I can’t say this enough: this is a once in a lifetime experience. Don’t hold back, don’t hire someone because they are dirt cheap and don’t hire a friend of a friend that you’re not even sure if they show.

Make sure you hire a professional that can give you a seamless experience from start to finish.  Make sure they have more than enough experience in the industry and someone you can trust.

The vendors my elopement couples typically hire are: photographer, videographer (if you’d like one), florists for a bouquet, officiant to get the couple married, HMUA, picnic/setup.

The nice part is there is less on your vendor checklist in elopements so you can pick your absolute fav vendors and splurge on the most important things! I also send my clients all of my top recommendations for all other vendors. Those that are professional, have more than enough experience, amazing to work with and their work is next level! I help my couples plan their dream day!

5. DRESS ACCORDINGLY TO YOUR ELOPEMENT DAY:

You wouldn’t want to elope on a cliff and bring high heels you could fall in. Figure out where you’re going to elope, finalize locations/details. Then get the final pieces to your outfit, heels, shoes, accessories and more.

Keep in mind that eloping is usually beach side, on a cliff or in lush greenery. So have flats for the cliff and beach, maybe take off your veil at the cliff so it doesn’t snag on the rocks and save the heels and veil for flat surfaces you can actually walk on. The small details really count so you can enjoy your day and not get frustrated with things not going as planned.

Just know that sometimes not everything goes as planned and it’s okay. Elopements are meant to be laidback, non traditional, running on YOUR schedule. The nice part about elopements is there’s typically no strict timeline like weddings. So you can jump in the water if you feel like it, adventure longer at one location compared to the second location, incorporate different looks at each location and just go with the flow.

Why We Love Hawaii Elopements

Me and my team are OBSESSED with intimate Oahu elopements because we get to connect & really get to know our couples, be by their side the whole day and really help make your vision come to LIFE! I also have assistants based on all Hawaiian Islands so if you’re eloping reach out. Some of my couples reach out a few days before they want to run away and Elope, some plan an Elopement for an entire year! Whatever is your vibe that’s all good we’re here to help & hype you up along the way!

Reach out to my team so we can make this dream day happen for you! xx

Inquire Here – Anela Benavides Photography