Want to Elope in Hawaii? - Why Hawaii Is Perfect for an Elopement

“They made our elopement so stress-free, and everything went as smoothly as planned. My husband and I planned to elope to Hawaii with our two kids and were very pleased with Weddings of Hawaii.” -Charisse M.

At Weddings of Hawaii, we have become elopement experts and have helped countless couples plan their dream Hawaii beach wedding. Elopements are a great way to have an affordable destination wedding in a beautiful atmosphere, and Hawaii makes it incredibly easy to do.

What does it cost to get married in Hawaii?

We get asked this question a lot, and it’s a tough one to answer because it all depends on you! The good news? It's cheaper than most traditional weddings by far. 

Before writing this article, we did our research and came across an article by The Knot. While The Knot is a good website (we check it out ourselves), its cost breakdown is misleading.

The image below gives you a basic idea of what it'd cost to fly to Hawaii, stay six nights at a hotel in Waikiki, and get married with Weddings of Hawaii.

*Fights and hotel are NOT included in our packages. Hawaii wedding costs are examples based on our packages and research. (Prices are as of January 2022 packages and are subject to change.)  

The chart above is only an estimate, but we found that most of our couples spend between $5000-$8000 on their Hawaii wedding, flight, and hotel. 

• Our average Hawaii destination wedding couple spends around $2500 (Our wedding packages range from $295 to $8,825. Prices vary as there are many possible customizations.)
• Flight to Hawaii per person from the US mainland: $300-$800 (estimate and not included in packages)
• 7 nights hotel in Waikiki: $1800-5000 (estimate and not included in packages)

We find that most couples can have a destination Hawaii wedding for around $6000, which includes the wedding, flight, and hotel, an enormous savings over the cost of a traditional wedding, which is currently over $30,000. 

NOTE: Hawaii wedding packages do not include flight and hotel, and Hawaii does not have all-inclusive resorts. Once you visit Hawaii, it's easy to see why you wouldn't want to spend all your time and eat all your meals at the same place. Hawaii has much more to offer than just your resort. Also, outer island weddings, such as a Maui wedding, are more expensive. Compare our packages for details.

Is the Knot's Cost Estimate Accurate?

Before you look at these numbers, please know their estimates look astronomically high to us. This is not to say they’re wrong, but these estimates must only consider traditional weddings with high guest counts, and we know extravagant weddings can easily surpass this estimate.

In comparison, most of our weddings are beach, park, or private venues with guest counts from 0-50. Very different.

You can see on our wedding packages page that we have seven packages running from $295 to $8,825, with our most popular package at $2,995 (we'll look more at that later). 

Let’s take a look at their cost estimates and then compare them to ours. As a spoiler, we estimate most of our couples spend between $4,500 and $8,000 on their wedding package, flight, and hotel. We'll have our breakdown below.

Introduction to Micro Weddings

Micro weddings are rising in popularity, and now more than ever is a great time to consider if it may be right for you. Here at Weddings of Hawaii, we’ve been specializing in destination weddings of all sizes for over 40 years.

Thousands of couples have benefitted from the happy-medium of a micro wedding, and we’d love to help you determine if you could be one of them!

Small, intimate beach weddings are the perfect kind of micro wedding.

What Is a Micro Wedding?

A micro wedding for many places in the world is a small wedding, usually with around 20 and no more than 50 guests, but a Hawaii micro wedding is usually smaller, often with the couple and a few guests.

Generally, it is more streamlined but similar to a traditional wedding, with everything on a smaller scale.

Aside from the guest count, the biggest difference is that the reception is more casual and less structured than a traditional wedding reception.

If you choose to capture your special day with a ceremony and highlight video, it's time to start thinking about your wedding video song.

A ceremony and highlight video are included in Lehua wedding packages and above, and you can add it to any package. You'll have two videos: (1) a video copy of the ceremony beginning to end and (2) a highlight video including clips from the ceremony and clips from the photo shoot. 

You get to choose a song for your highlight video. We know each couple is unique, so we want to give you time to pick a song that fits your personality and style.

Everything You Need to Know About Sherwood Forest Beach

Sherwood Forest Beach (aka Waimanalo Bay) is a popular Hawaii beach wedding location. Not only is it a great beach for a wedding, but it’s also a personal favorite of many of us here at Weddings of Hawaii. Although we have descriptions and photos of all our wedding locations, we wanted to share more details that may help you in choosing the perfect beach for the big day!

Details:

• Location: East shore, 40 minutes from Waikiki.
• Available: Monday - Friday (excluding state and federal holidays), 8:00am to 4:00pm.
• Group Size: 30 people maximum (including couple and vendors).
• Decor Add-ons: No Arches and Chairs. Runways 7 days a week.
• Limousine: Requires one additional hour ($110). Not permitted on weekends and major holidays.
• Recommendation: Lighting is best from 10:00am-4:00pm. Early and mid-day offer more vibrant colors but also more sun, while later in the afternoon offers softer, less vibrant colors.
  
  

As you probably have seen in the pictures, this location features soft white sand, clear turquoise blue water, and the striking ironwood tree forest. We often get requests for a Waimanalo beach wedding, likely because it's attention as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and Sherwood Forest Beach is the best Waimanalo has to offer.

The stark contrast between the beach and forest gives couples a "two-in-one-location” photo opportunity. Because of its logistics, it is also our most secluded beach location.

Beach wedding dresses aren’t really different from other types of wedding dresses. Anything goes for a destination wedding, so what you wear is entirely up to you!

There are, however, certain dress styles and materials that work better for a beach wedding.

After planning Hawaii beach weddings for more than 40 years, we have seen what works and what doesn’t. We’ve put together all the information you need to pick out the beach wedding dress that’s right for you!