Elopement Location Guide

Picking your elopement location is one of the best parts of the experience.

Maui has so many beautiful locations to pick from that it can almost be overwhelming. I grew up on Maui and I’ve seen every inch of this beautiful island. I’ve put together this list of locations knowing these are the best Maui has to offer. Take a look through and let me know what you think!

1. Wailea Beaches

Wailea is a popular resort town that has some of the most beautiful beaches in Maui. The sunset is directly over the ocean here, so if you’re wanting to watch the sunset on your elopement day, this is the place for you. It also means we can get those nice golden hour photos that my couples love. Wailea is in a dry area, which means there isn’t a ton of greenery. However, a lot of my couples will decide to start their photo time at Iao Valley (listed next) and end with the ceremony on a beach in Wailea. Mixing these two locations only works if you have 3-hours of photo time or more. Wailea has the least amount of wind & rain on Maui, so if you’re concerned about the tropical weather here on Maui, I’d definitely go with Wailea. Once booked, we’ll send you our favorite beaches in Wailea that have a ton of privacy. Here are a few photos to give you a general idea of what the Wailea area looks like:

To view more photos of the Wailea area, click here.

2. Iao Valley & Kanaha

I LOVE doing photos at Iao Valley. If you want to be down in a valley with lush mountains surrounding you, then Iao Valley is perfect. After photos at Iao Valley, I love heading just 15-minutes down the road to Kanaha for the ceremony. Kanaha is a lesser-known beach and it’s usually empty at sunset. It’s so rare to be at an empty beach, so Kanaha really is a hidden gem. Kanaha only works for elopements with no guests. If you’re having guests, I suggest doing the first look at Iao Valley and then heading to Wailea for the ceremony.

To view more photos of Kanaha, click here

To view more photos of Iao Valley, click here

3. The North Shore

The North Shore of Maui is really popular among locals. The beaches are beautiful and it has great surf in the wintertime. When you think of those little hippy Hawaii towns, the North Shore is it. I love doing a first look at the Ho’okipa beach and then having the ceremony at a private venue. Please let us know if you’re interested in this location and I’ll send more information on the private venue.

To view more photos of the North Shore, click here.

Another location on the North Shore that I love is Twin Falls. If you’d like to get married at a waterfall, this is the only legal place in Maui to do so. The location is on private property, so a $100 fee (added to your invoice) and a permit with proper insurance (I take care of this) are required. This is a heavily visited waterfall. There will be lots of people around while you get married at the waterfall. We could have the ceremony at Twin Falls, then head down to the cliffside and/or beach for sunset!

4. Kapalua Ironwoods & Honolua Bay

These are hands down my most popular locations. They’re all pretty close together, and depending on the collection you’ve booked, we may be able to see all three. Let’s start with Kapalua Ironwoods. Kapalua Ironwoods is a beautiful beach with a dramatic black lava rock cliffside. Now, I always recommend having the ceremony on the cliffside because the beach can be busy. It’s not uncommon for there to be more than 1 elopement happening on the beach at a time. The cliffside is always empty, so 95% of my couples opt for that! Please note that this part of the island is windier than all the other areas. More often than not, you will have wind so that’s something to keep in mind. The chances of wind and rain are higher in the winter, so please consider that when picking this location!

*Please note that this is a popular location. It’s not uncommon to see multiple photoshoots and other elopements taking place on the beach.

Here are some photos of the beach and cliffside:

Honolua Bay is a favorite location for a first look. We can’t legally have the ceremony here, so I love it when my couples decide on the first look in this magical forest. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves: