Eloping in Maui

You’re engaged, congrats!! And you’re thinking of Eloping in Maui, how exciting! Eloping is such a magical way to get married, it’s focused on the two of you and is a day you actually spend with each other. This article will help you with all thing Maui Elopement related.

First of all, why elope on Maui and not another Hawaiian Island?!

In a nutshell “Maui No Ka Oi”- Maui is the best :). Each Hawaiian island has it’s own unique characteristics. Oahu has the big city of Honolulu and party scene in Waikiki, Kauai the “garden” isle has abundant rain forests and lush greenery, Lanai offers remote tranquility far away from the crowds. But it’s Maui that has the best of all worlds, it’s a happy medium between the city life and quiet towns. The diverse landscape and different parts of the island make Maui the most amazing place in Hawaii (if not the world!) to get married in.

Also, it’s a couples paradise! There are numerous incredible beaches, private venues and locations to get married at and the most incredible restaurants for a celebratory dinner. You can plan on a relaxing casual elopement day or you can dream up your favorite activities to do on your day, the possibilities are endless on Maui!

Where can we elope on the island?

Maui abounds with beautiful picturesque white sandy beaches, black sand beaches, red sand beaches, waterfalls and rain forests, dramatic rocky cliffs, country roads and pastures, fields of flowers, and not to mention the 10,023 foot mountain Haleakala with the vast volcanic crater that may as well be Mars! The top choices for an elopement on Maui are:

The beach (almost any beach is ok with the proper permit)
A private venue (there are oceanfront venues, countryside vista venues, historic building venues, waterfall venues, etc.)
A resort (most resorts have locations on property for a lovely ceremony)
A church (Maui has some charismatic churches across the island)
Atop Haleakala Crater in the National Park (Special use permit required)

The most popular location to elope on Maui is the beach but there are also some beautiful private venues, resorts, and unique locations for the more adventurous at heart. The good news is you can get married on almost every beach on Maui. They do require a permit but your wedding officiant, photographer, or planner can usually obtain this for you. There are only a handful of Maui beaches that are off limits for weddings and elopements and those are mainly Makena State Beach (Big Beach) and Ka’anapali Beach.

What do we need to do?

Decide when and where you want to elope. The general parts of the island are the South Side, West Side, North Shore, Upcountry, and East Side. Each part of the island has a different feel. There are beaches and/or private venues on all parts of the island, most resorts and hotels are in Wailea and Ka’anapali (South and West sides). Your photographer can help you pick out the perfect spot.
Hire your wedding vendors. Do some research for each category, at minimum you will need an officiant to perform the ceremony, a photographer, and a place to eat and celebrate. But adding some details and/or Hawaiian elements to your day will make it even more beautiful! Having a stylist for your hair and makeup, flowers, a musician, videographer, and even a fun ride can make your day all the more special and exciting. Also, hiring a wedding planner or coordinator can be especially helpful!
Book your flights and accommodations. Choose if you will stay at a resort, condo, vacation rental or Airbnb. Most resorts on the island are located in Wailea and Ka’anapali. Staying at a resort is a wonderful way to have a more inclusive experience. They usually have restaurants and are located right on the beach. Vacation rentals and Airbnb’s are scattered around the island. This might be a more affordable way to stay, and you can save on eating out costs if they have their own kitchen.
Go to your marriage license appointment. It’s simple to obtain your marriage license in Hawaii, and you do not need any witnesses on wedding day. See below for more information about obtaining your Hawaii Marriage License.
Enjoy the best day of your lives! To really visualize what your day might look like, scroll below for inspiration and photos or click here for a sample Maui Elopement Day Timeline. However, the possibilities are endless! You can craft your most perfect day on Maui.

What are the legal requirements?

You will need to do the following:

Complete a marriage license application. This is done through the State of Hawaii website, is $65 and is fairly fast and easy to do.
Schedule your marriage license appointment. There are a few marriage license agents on Maui who can issue your marriage license. You will need to meet with one of them to obtain your marriage license. Your wedding planner, officiant, or photographer can help you with scheduling your appointment.
Go to your marriage license appointment. Once you arrive on the island you will need to go to your appointment before wedding day. You will need to bring your id’s (drivers license is fine), $5 cash for the agents fee, and your application reference number. Your marriage license agent will provide you with your marriage license, which you will need to bring on wedding day and give to your officiant.
Your wedding officiant will complete the process for you. Be sure your wedding officiant is commissioned by the State of Hawaii to legally perform the marriage. If you have a friend or relative who you would like to marry you, that is ok too but they will need to complete the process to become commissioned by the State to perform the marriage. It’s a relatively easy process, click here for information about becoming ordained and commissioned by the state of Hawaii.

When is the best time of year to elope?

One of the best things about Maui and Hawaii is that it’s amazing year round! Typically the Summer time is going to be hotter and dryer and the Winter time is a littler cooler, especially at night. However, it doesn’t change by much! In the Summer time you can expect highs in the 90’s and in the Winter time highs in the mid to lower 80’s.

The most popular months to get married on Maui are April through October. If you are looking for the quieter times on the island then November through March is best. However, the two weeks around Christmas are especially popular for holiday visitors so you may want to steer around that time.

What is Maui weather like?

What makes Maui unique are the micro climates it has. Different parts of the island regularly have different types of weather. Generally, the south and west parts of the island are going to be more sunny drier. The east part of the island is the wetter part, and thus more waterfalls, rain forests and potential for rain.

Maui is also known as the windy island, it’s actually a world famous wind surfing destination. So be prepared for some breezy winds if you are eloping outdoors. If there happens to be some light rain on your day, the winds are beneficial as often times the showers will blow by in about 5-10 minutes and the sun shines bright again. It’s very common for it to rain then for the sun sun to come out like there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

In general, Maui has beautiful weather year round. The great thing about eloping on Maui is even if there are some sprinkles in one part of the island, you can almost certainly go a few miles down the road and find the sun shining bright :)