We love helping couples plan their ideal day when getting married in Hawaii! Choosing to elope gives you a lot of leeway with ceremony time. There’s less coordinating involved, and you don’t have to sort out an 8 hour timeline that makes everyone happy. We always encourage couples to do what suits them, but we know that time of day and lighting can have an impact on your experience and your photographs. So we are here to help you pick the right time for you!

Let’s start with lighting

You’ve probably heard that photographers prefer early morning at sunrise, or evening leading up to the sunset. This is true! Either having a sunrise or sunset ceremony/photo session will give you more opportunity for softer lighting and beautiful colors in the sky. While times in between are doable, a midday ceremony means the lighting will be much more harsh and you will have a different experience. Think lots of squinting, and lots of heat. It’s not ideal, which is why we always recommend morning or evening ceremonies.

Sunrise Ceremony

The pros of having a sunrise ceremony: You’re more likely to have the beach all to yourself, and it’s the perfect way to turn the rest of your day into an adventure. Depending on the time of year, your ceremony time would be anywhere from 5:45am to 7:00am. So you can probably guess the con to choosing sunrise: Getting up early. But, if you’re traveling from the mainland before getting married in Hawaii, then the time difference will be an advantage for you!

Sunset Ceremony

The pros: The lighting during the sunset is just 🤌 *chef’s kiss* It’s softer and the sunsets in Hawaii are iconic. You could be in for the most epic sunset full of pinks and oranges reflecting on the ocean. It’s also cooler in the evenings, and the lighting will be softer longer than it would during a sunrise ceremony. The cons: This is a popular time for others to be at the beach, but we only recommend locations that are less frequented where you will be less likely to come across crowds.

Best day of the week

We always recommend eloping on a weekday to avoid crowds. Even the most secluded beaches will be busier on weekends and holidays. To play it safe, plan your elopement any day between Monday – Thursday when possible.

All that being said…

Your ceremony time will ultimately be decided by the look you are going for and the day you have planned. Different locations are better for sunrise vs. sunset. We are happy to help you pick the perfect location and time for your Hawaii elopement! Just click here to contact us!