From the mainland to Hawaii – An Elopement Story

As the destination elopement Maui wedding photographer for Bri and Ruhaab, I was so thrilled to capture this private getaway and major life event for them. Since they were from the mainland, they knew that hiring a local Hawaii wedding photographer was the way to go. And I agree with them! If you’re thinking about opting out of a large and extravagant wedding for a more intimate elopement, hire vendors that are local to the area. Because planning a wedding from all the way across the ocean is hard enough, making sure that you have the best and most knowledgeable team will relieve so much stress.

Why Hire Local

As a Hawai’i wedding photographer for the better part of the last decade, I’ve learned some things along the way. And one of the most relevant pro tips I can give is to always hire local vendors when planning your Hawaii wedding. Sometimes couples will fly their wedding photographer or planner out from the mainland to Hawaii and while it is of course doable, I have a few good reasons to try and keep it local. The number one reason is, to hire vendors who are extremely knowledgeable about the area. We know the pros and cons of not only the locations of various venues or beaches but also, the pros and cons of other vendors. When my clients hire me, I am often asked to give them my personal recommendations for other vendors like planners, videographers, and hair and makeup. The reason they ask is that they don’t know. And they know that I will be 100% transparent with them.

The second reason to stick with local wedding and elopement vendors is to support our local economy. I am always telling people, even locals, to buy local. It’s so important to support our businesses because it is not cheap to live in paradise. I do all I can on a daily basis to buy local and fortunately, my clients share this belief.