In this blog post we will share some useful information on weddings in Maui and the best way to go about choosing your Maui wedding photographer. With so many top wedding photographers on Maui, you are spoiled for choice! We will give you some tips about how to choose the right photographer for you.
Maui and weddings go hand in hand! When you look at Maui wedding photography you’ll see exactly why! Hawaii is incomparably beautiful and Maui island is one of the most popular places for destination weddings. This isn’t really surprising as Maui also boasts some of the best vendors in the wedding industry. As award winning Maui wedding photographers, we are proud to be counted in among these top rated vendors. These industry vendors range from wedding planners & coordinators, florists, wedding photographers, hair and make up artists, celebrants, caterers, entertainers and the all-important venues.
Of course, there is much more which make the islands of Hawaii such a popular wedding destination. The islands are each so unique. If you want to visit two or three islands, it is easy to catch an inter-island flight from one to the other while you’re here. All of Hawaii is so very beautiful and that is one of the reasons that makes these islands such a wonderful backdrop for so many brides and grooms.
Maui Wedding Photography
Wedding photographs with Maui as your backdrop are unique and breath-taking. We have photographed weddings on Maui and enjoy the diversity of the locations. These range from the bright teal ocean calmly kissing the shore or magnificent waves on the north shore. In contrast, you have the drama of dark, jagged lava rock. Or backgrounds of lush green upcountry mountains. Each of these has it’s own beauty in our wedding photography.
Interesting Facts About Weddings In Hawaii
If you’ve ever wondering how many weddings actually take place in Hawaii, here are few interesting statistics about weddings in Maui and the state of Hawaii.
According to the Wedding Report, the total number of weddings in 2018 in the state of Hawaii was 22,857 and the average wedding cost was $37,827. The total number of weddings on Maui in 2018 was 6,503 with the average cost at $38,279. According to the government of Hawaii the busiest months for weddings on Maui were May and September. 680 weddings took place on Maui in May! Statewide, August was the busiest wedding month with 2200 couples getting married, 99 of which were same sex marriages.
Maui Wedding Styles
Most weddings on Maui are usually less formal affairs. Black tie events are in the minority as many brides and grooms and come to Hawaii for a relaxed and informal feel to their wedding day. This is not to say that some weddings in Hawaii are highly exquisite and luxurious. There are some incredible wedding planners who specialize in high end weddings on Maui such as all the professional ladies at Belle Destination Events, Maui’s Angels, and Unveiled Hawaii as well as the awesome duo at Bliss Maui, to mention just a few.
Weddings range from elopements to small beach weddings to luxury weddings at some of the finest venues on the islands. Beaches are popular settings for couples who exchange vows on the Hawaiian Islands. In fact, it is very simple organizing a beach wedding ceremony. You can find a quick guide to planning a beach wedding in our blog post “Elopement or An Intimate Wedding”.
One thing to note about beach weddings is that beaches in Ka’anapali are off limits for any commercial photography including wedding photography.
Maui Wedding Venues
If you’re looking for something with a more private feel for you and your guests, there are plenty of beachfront venues for weddings. Although the beaches are all publicly accessible, you can find venues which back onto beaches that are rarely accessed by other people. Some of our favorites on Maui are oceanfront or ocean view locations.
Olowalu Plantation House, Olowalu
The Olowalu Plantation House is a superb choice. The grounds are pristine and the large lawn overlooks the ocean. The plantation house is charming and allows for bridal prep and a kitchen for a private caterer. It is a very popular venue and has a distinctively Hawaiian vibe. The outdoor venue can hold approximately 200 guests and has plenty of parking space. The perks of Olowalu Plantation House for wedding photography is that you get both the ocean and west Maui mountain views!
Kukahiko Estate, Makena
Kukahiko Estate is family owned and is situated on a small cove in Makena. The cove is simply breath-taking. The stunning lava rock jutting out of the ocean is dramatic. The waves and sunset finish off the perfect Maui views. The well maintained grounds are just a few steps away from the ocean with views of nearby islands.
The Steeple House, Kapalua
The Steeple House in Kapalua has recently been beautifully restored. And my goodness, did they do a wonderful job of the restoration! The chapel, originally built in the 50’s, retains its charming character. As a photographer, the most beautiful aspect of the Steeple House is how they have incorporated beautiful light into the minimal and bright space of both the chapel area and the bridal preparation area. This is such a romantic location with sweeping ocean views. A short walk away is a wedding photographer’s dream – a stunning clifftop overlooking the ocean. We highly recommend the bride and groom schedule ample time for their wedding photography. This allows the couple and the photographer to take advantage of some incredible backdrops in each of these locations.
The Haiku Mill, Haiku
If you’re looking for something a little more unique, in my opinion, I don’t believe you will find anything more intriguing and fascinating than the Haiku Mill (http://www.haikumill.com). The Haiku Mill was originally a 19th century sugar cane mill. Now the lovingly restored ruins of the mill are the backdrop for some of the most elegant and dreamy Maui weddings. The Haiku Mill website puts it perfectly when it says “stepping onto our property is like stepping into a secret garden”.
There are so many more venues that it would take pages and pages to describe each one! There are of course many more private venues as well as high end hotels to choose from. The Andaz, Grand Wailea, Sheraton, Four Seasons are just a few you can choose from on Maui.
Maui Wedding Vendors
As mentioned previously, Maui can be particularly proud of its world-class wedding vendors. The aloha spirit and excellent customer service abounds within the Maui wedding industry. We personally strive to go above and beyond for each of our wedding couples and not just with the wedding photography. We appreciate just how important your wedding day is to you. And we also appreciate that planning a destination wedding often requires some advice and assistance from someone based locally. Therefore, we are always happy to provide assistance, support and answer questions regarding your wedding day plans on Maui.
With so many options for venues, planners, photographers, florists, etc, how on earth do you begin to start choosing? Or rather, how do you make the RIGHT choice for you? The internet is your friend! For example, how do you choose which of the beautiful Hawaiian islands to have your wedding? We are obviously biased and would always answer Maui but a quick look online and you’ll find lots of information about each Hawaiian island. It’s interesting to read what the Huffington Post has to say about each island here.
When choosing your wedding vendors, I have three words for you …. research, reviews, communicate! Research your vendors and their quality and style of work. Read reviews about your vendors. Communicate by email, by phone and/or face to face.
As an example, let’s look at how you might go about choosing your wedding photographer on Maui.
Choosing Your Maui Wedding Photographer
When it comes to choosing your photographer, decide what kind of photographic style you like. Do you like a light and bright style or do you prefer a more dramatic look? Do you like a posed style? Or a more natural, photo-journalistic feel? Put together a selection of images to help you figure out what style you prefer. You will find some photographers are experienced at blending both natural, documentary lifestyle as well as stylized, posed portraits. We love to capture the natural moments without interrupting but equally enjoying setting up stunning, beautifully lit stylized moments.
Style
When considering which style of photography you like, try not to choose specific trends that will date in time. For example, different color processing comes into fashion and quickly goes out of fashion. Vintage toning was all the rage a couple of years ago but has quickly disappeared. In the 90s it was fashionable to spot color. In other words, a red rose bouquet and the bride in black and white! All of these styles date quickly. Select a photographer who is classic and timeless.
Portfolio
Don’t just look a photographer’s portfolio on their website. Most photographers pick a small handful of the very best photos and this doesn’t always give you a full understanding of their work. Ask to see an entire wedding. Visit their Instagram and Facebook page to see more of their daily work. The quality of the photographer’s work should be one of the most deciding factors as whether to commission a particular photographer. Add to that experience in the wedding industry and you’re well on your way to choosing a great photographer!
Experience & Professionalism
It is important to make sure your photographer is both experienced and professional. Some may feel that experience is gauged by the amount of weddings featured on a photographer’s website. Remember that quality is more important that quantity.
Customer service is all-important and a good guide as to how professional a photographer is. Email a prospective photographer with a series of questions. See how quickly they respond. Ask yourself, how knowledgeable are they with their replies? Get a feel as to how generous they are with their time in replying to you. Do their answers feel rushed or brief? Are their replies personal? Do they seem to be from a copied brief? Is the photographer interested in you and your event or are they more interested in selling themselves to you?
Reviews
Be sure to read reviews to see what other clients have to say about them. Usually you can find a photographer on Google business pages. A photographer’s website often features testimonials from previous clients.
Is Your Photographer the Right Fit?
Make time to talk with a handful of selected photographers on the phone or face to face to see if you’re the right fit! Why? Because you need to feel fully at ease with your wedding photographer. It’s good to get to know each other. This breaks the ice before the wedding day and helps you relax in their presence. Above all, your wedding photographer should be interested in talking about you and your wedding day plans! They should not spend the majority of the phone call talking about themselves!
Do your Research
Unless someone has recommended a photographer to you, the internet is where you will start your search. You will likely search for ‘maui wedding photographers’, ‘professional maui wedding photographers’, ‘best maui wedding photographers’, ‘award winning maui wedding photographers’ and so forth. Remember that Google does not rank the best wedding photographers in order! 🙂 With that in mind, be sure to extend your search beyond the ads and first couple of pages. Your perfect photographer may well be lurking somewhere on page 5!
One Last Piece of Wedding Advice
Don’t settle for second best! Your wedding day should be perfect and there should be no regrets when it ends! We highly recommend you budget wisely for the best photographer you can get. Remember that your photos are your tangible memories of your wedding day when it’s all over! You will create the most beautiful memories on your wedding day so please make sure you choose the best photographer to capture all those cherished moments.
Get in Touch
And finally, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions about getting married on Maui or to discuss your wedding photography requirements. We are excited to hear from you!
