This adventurous Kauai elopement wasn’t always supposed to be on Kauai, but this Maui photographer turned Kauai wedding photographer wasn’t going to complain about island-hopping to celebrate Nate and Justine!
After the August 8 wildfires that devastated Lahaina, I found myself on the phone with Nate and Justine – feeling out our options and figuring out our next steps as their wedding was supposed to be one week later.
We quickly made a new plan – a pivot from Maui to Kauai – and started organizing their day from scratch. I am so grateful that Nate and Justine were flexible and kind as we navigated this together.
Together we visited Timbers Kauai, Sunrise Coffee, Leong’s Meat House, and ended our time together at Shipwreck Beach!
But instead of me droning on about their day – I’m going to let Justine and Nate tell it from their point of view!
1. Tell me about your thoughts leading up to the wedding, did you think about it growing up, did you plan it together? How did it feel to make your choices and marry one another? We wanted the day to be about us instead of everyone else like it is during a traditional wedding. Neither of us feel the need to be the center of attention at a big event. So eloping was perfect for us! Hawaii was an easy choice because the weather is perfect year round and it is simply paradise. We felt like our choice to elope in Hawaii was an amazing decision and we have no regrets. Leading up to the wedding we were both extremely excited to marry one another-dropping fiancé and replacing it with husband/wife felt wonderful!
2. Why did you choose the locations you did? We originally chose locations on Maui but because of the wildfires we pivoted to getting married on Kauai. Angie did a great job finding similar locations on Kauai. We wanted a mix of beach scenes along with amazing views and Angie really hit the nail on the head!
3. What was your favorite part of the day? The ceremony. Justine’s brother married us which was very special. He put a lot of time into the ceremony by interviewing both of us and our closest friends to include our and their words into the ceremony. He also included some Hawaiian traditions in the ceremony which was really special!
4. What were your favorite details and why? (dress, suits, flowers, etc) 1) Nate’s suit and shoes: he custom made his suit at Surmesur and got creative with his shoes by going with fancy sneakers instead of classic dress shoes. 2) Justine’s hair and makeup: Because of the last minute pivot of location, Justine had to find hair and makeup on Kauai only a few days before the wedding. Crystal Hunter pulled through and agreed to do my hair and makeup which I was SO thankful for. She did an absolutely amazing job! I am picky about my hair/makeup and Crystal made me feel like the most beautiful bride on earth! She was a godsend. If you’re getting married on Kauai I highly recommend her! 3) Jewelry: Nate surprised me with two different necklaces that he designed and let me choose one to wear on our wedding day—it was so special and sweet. Also he got me wedding day earrings for my birthday and a tennis bracelet that I wore the day of our wedding.
5. Why did you choose me as your photographer? We were interested in Angie because we really liked the genuinely candid photos we saw on her instagram and we also really liked what she did with the lighting in the background of photos. When we met with her on zoom she came very prepared with a PowerPoint, she was very funny, and it seemed like she genuinely cared about her couples—we felt like she was someone we could be comfortable around on our big day. She truly went above and beyond for us—she did an amazing job on our photos and we had a blast with her on our wedding day.
6. Do you have any wedding advice for couples getting married in the future? First off, marry your best friend! Nate is the only person I would want to go through the good and the bad times in life with. Second off if eloping is a good fit for you, do it and ignore any pressure from friends and family to have a traditional wedding. It was the best decision we made and the planning was stress-free for the most part.
If you loved Nate and Justine’s elopement and you’re considering me as your Kauai elopement photographer, let’s chat about it!
In the meantime, here are some other elopements I think you’ll love!
Jen and Tyler – Adventurous Maui Elopement
Krystal and Danny -Maui Beach Elopement
Stormy Kauai Engagement Photos
Erica and Preston’s Hanalei Bay Intimate Wedding
