First of all, congratu-freakin-lations on your engagement. You have conquered the greatest obstacle of your lifetime and found a man worth marrying. Lol. Now, what do you do…?
People are already asking you if you’ve picked a date, what kind of wedding dress you want, and what your colors will be. And you have absolutely no. Damn. Clue.
I know there are a ton of girls out there who have dreamed about their wedding their whole life, have an entire mood board constructed, and their bridesmaids pre-picked. But if you’re anything like me, you are not that girl.
This blog post is all about why you should elope in Maui!
What did I do?
The first time I was engaged (yes, you read that right) I let an entire year pass and didn’t give the wedding a single thought. Honestly, thinking about dragging tons of people to one place to stare at me for hours…and then to pay thousands of dollars to fill them up with food and booze, gave me a headache.
Now my second engagement was a little different. My best friend (now my husband) wanted to marry me! Can you hear the disbelief? I was totally obsessed with him, and wanted to do the deed as quickly as possible. I mean, what if he changed his mind?! Lol, I’m only sorta kidding.
Now, this was at the end of 2020…arguably the worst year of the century. Large parties weren’t allowed anywhere, almost all venues were closed…a wedding was out of the question. Not to mention how FREAKING expensive it would be anyway.
I toggled with the idea of a small wedding, going to city hall, or maybe even eloping. I initially wanted to go to Mexico, I had seen the dreamiest photos from these elopement planners based in Tulum. I was SET. I WOULD HAVE THOSE PICTURES LORD HELP ME. But. Alas. My fiance didn’t have a passport. And good luck getting one when every government agency was working from home.
So, where could we go, that would feel like a getaway, that didn’t require a passport? *insert Jeopardy music* “What is Hawaii?!”
Neither of us had ever been (which is rare amongst Californians), and holy moly guess what?! There is a thing called an elopement planner! And many based in Maui. And they do everything, and I mean everything, for you. I wouldn’t have to pick flowers or a makeup artist or book a venue.
Honestly at the moment it was a no brainer; and in hindsight, I am even more grateful that we went this route. It was like nothing I could have ever imagined. And let me tell you why.
These are my 9 reasons why you should elope in Maui:
1 YOU VALUE INTIMACY
Having a day for just you and your fiance means you can truly honor who you are as a couple. You get to be you and do you. And you can be open and honest and there is nothing to pull your attention from your big day and your new life partner.
The most memorable part of the day for me was exchanging our vows. If we had been in front of a group of people I wouldn’t have been able to be as vulnerable and truthful as I was on that day. Honestly I don’t know if we would have written personal vows at all! We even asked our officiant to step away. It was literally just me, him, and crashing waves.
After our ceremony, we had a luxurious picnic waiting for us on a nearby beach. We had the next hour or so to spend together, take in the view, reflect on the day, eat some yummy food. Then we took sunset photos while splashing around in the waves. It was a long day but it was so much fun.
On our way back to our hotel we stopped at some food trucks on the side of the road, in a suit and a wedding dress nonetheless. Everyone congratulated us and it truly was so unreal. It was so, us. So, fun. So, stress free. And it was just him and I together the entire time.
2 YOU LOVE THE OUTDOORS
Maui is packed full of outdoor adventure. It is seriously a mecca for the young wild and free. From the awe inspiring stops on the Road to Hana, the waterfalls, the hiking, the bamboo forests, the extreme biking, and the INSANE surfing. Really there is every outdoor activity that you can imagine. And, it’s in paradise. Win, win!
3 YOU HAVE A BUDGET
I’m sure this is no surprise to you but…weddings are EXPENSIVE. Regular ol’ people are spending tens of thousands of dollars for a single day event. And THEN have to pay for a honeymoon after. The average wedding cost in my state of California is $39,000! HOLY MOLY.
Not only will you save a TON not having 50-200 people attend your party, almost all other expenses are slashes as well. Venue, florals, rehearsal dinners, gifts and trinkets for your parents, in laws, and bridesmaids. Every single dollar you spend on an elopement is for you and your future spouse.
4 YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF A DESTINATION WEDDING
If you’re one of those gals that day dreams about a beach wedding in the tropics with your friends and family in pretty white chairs while you walk down the aisle in your boho dress with no shoes on…..eloping might be for you. It’s extremely difficult to plan a large event from afar and it’s not only costly for you but for your guests! Really you’re doing everyone a favor just running off on your own (;
5 YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME OR DESIRE TO PLAN A TRADITIONAL WEDDING
Ok, my elopement planner was invaluable. She was the all in one wedding planner extraodinaire! I’ll link to her website here. She offered multiple different packages to choose from. But once I booked her she had me make a mood board on Pinterest and that was pretty much it! She gave us very clear directions on what paperwork we needed to fill out, when to book a hotel, etc etc. She was our photographer, our chauffeur on the day of, she booked my makeup artist, she chose the officiant. It was so hands off which was perfect for me. I wanted to just show up and get married, and thats exactly what I got. Not to mention the best day of my life.
6 WEDDING + HONEYMOON = EFFICIENT
Maybe you have a busy schedule, kids, a full time job. Imagine trying to get two lengthy leaves away from your everyday life to accommodate both wedding festivities and a honeymoon. Taking one trip to a magical paradise to get married and vacation together is the most efficient route you can go. Half the time + half the money = double the fun [:
7 THERE’S SOMETHING IN MAUI FOR EVERY TYPE OF COUPLE
Whether you’re looking to be active and adventurous or relaxed and serene, Maui is the place for you. You can travel the entire island fairly quickly. Lahaina is for those who want a little more buzz and bustle, Wailea is perfect if you want to unplug and feel removed from any sort of stressors.
We personally preferred Wailea. The weather was more mild, even a tad gloomy, which I love. We stayed at the Andaz, Maui (10/10 recommend). We felt Lahaina had a much younger crowd, which was most likely due to it being spring break, but just really wasn’t our vibe. Felt like we could have found that environment anywhere in the country.
8 YOU WANT DREAMY PHOTOS AND EVERLASTING MEMORIES
Can we agree that photos tell more than words can here? This magical fairy looking forest had wild chickens roaming around, it literally looked like it was taken out of a dream. When your setting is this gorgeous you don’t need any extras. In my head I can hear money being saved…*ca-ching*.
9 and most importantly…THE MAUI MAI TAIS
Holy shit y’all. I know this sounds like a joke but it isn’t. If you end up in Maui, for whatever occasion, you must go to Monkeypod Kitchen and order one or…four, mai tais. They say if you get past four they can wheel you out in a wheel barrel, because; trust me, you wont be able to walk. There is no better drink on earth. The mai tai alone is reason enough to head to Maui, I swear it.
I hope this list was helpful to you! The island is now so near and dear to our hearts. I urge you to consider something different and to elope in Maui…it’ll be the best decision you ever make.
xoxo, Nadia <3
This post was all about why you should elope in Maui.