Wedding photographer & videographer on Kauai
Sunrise on Kauai on July 15 is 06:03 and sunset is 19:241, and a wedding day fits between Hanalei Bay on the north shore2 and the beaches at Poʻipū on the south coast3. One team shoots photo and video, and travel to Kauai is in the quote.
Last updated
- Coverage
- Photo · Video · Photo + Video
- Collections
- Half day · Full day · Two days
- Travel
- In the quote
- Booking
- Direct with your photographer
In short
We photograph and film weddings and elopements on Kauai, with one team on the day and travel in the quote. One Hawaii license covers every island with no waiting period, and a beach ceremony on state shoreline adds a DLNR Wiki Permits permit.
In pictures
How we shoot Kauai
Kauai days range from a ceremony for two on a north-shore beach to a full-day wedding on the south coast.
Collections
Every collection comes as photo, video, or both, with the same team on the day. Half day covers an elopement or a small ceremony and portraits; Full day runs from getting ready to the first hour of the reception; Two days adds a rehearsal dinner, a welcome evening or a next-morning session. Travel to Kauai is built into the quote, not added later.
Prices depend on the date, the team and how far we travel, so we send a price list for Kauai rather than publishing one number for every town. Ask for it below; it arrives within one business day.
Half day
Covers an elopement or a small ceremony and portraits.
- Edited gallery
- Print rights
- Sneak peek within days
- Feature film
- Teaser
- Full ceremony audio
- One crew
Full day
Runs from getting ready to the first hour of the reception.
- Edited gallery
- Print rights
- Sneak peek within days
- Feature film
- Teaser
- Full ceremony audio
- One crew
Two days
Adds a rehearsal dinner, a welcome evening or a next-morning session.
- Edited gallery
- Print rights
- Sneak peek within days
- Feature film
- Teaser
- Full ceremony audio
- One crew
The day
The day,as we shoot it on Kauai
A July wedding on Kauai starts in the afternoon and runs into a long evening. The sun rises at 06:03 and sets at 19:24 on July 151. This sample is for the north shore, where July sits inside the season for Lumahaʻi Beach: permits there run only from Memorial Day to Labor Day because of high surf4.
- Getting ready, details and family portraits away from the sand.
- The ceremony at Anini Beach, inside a two-hour permit window5; Anini lists three Wiki Permits sites, so we pick the one that suits the group and hold another in reserve3.
- Couple portraits along Hanalei Bay.
- Last frames at Lumahaʻi Beach, from the dry sand, since the water is unsafe for swimming most of the year6.
Rain is part of the plan on Kauai. Līhuʻe Airport averages 1.75 in in July, 2.78 in in January, 2.03 in in April and 3.27 in in October7, with highs from 78.6 °F in January to 84.6 °F in July7. A state-shoreline permit does not allow a tent5, so rain is met with timing, not cover: we start the ceremony early in the window and shoot through a shower if the light holds.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 07:19 | 18:15 |
| Apr | 06:18 | 18:58 |
| Jul | 06:03 | 19:24 |
| Oct | 06:34 | 18:13 |
Sunrise and sunset computed for the 15th of each month, local time.1
Where we shoot on Kauai
Kauai's permitted beaches sit on state shoreline, so each one carries a permit rule. These are the places we plan around.
- Hanalei Bay the largest bay on Kauai's north shore, with the town of Hanalei at its midpoint2.
- Lumahaʻi Beach a north-shore beach at the mouth of the Lumahaʻi River near Wainiha, between Hanalei and Hāʻena State Park6. Permits run only from Memorial Day to Labor Day4.
- Hāʻena State Park the "end of the road" on the Kuhio Highway, with beaches, the Kalalau Trail trailhead and sea caves8. Check its current status below.
- Anini Beach three Wiki Permits beach sites along Anini, also listed as Kalihikai, north-west of Kalihiwai3.
- Poʻipū Beach a south-shore Wiki Permits site fronting the beach park3.
- Spouting Horn a blowhole on the south coast in the Kōloa district, where spray can shoot up to 50 ft9.
- Waimea Canyon about 10 miles long and up to 3,000 ft deep on the island's west side, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific10.
- Wailua Falls a 173-ft waterfall on the South Fork Wailua River near Līhuʻe11.
How we match you with your photographer
Troth Weddings is a network of independent wedding photographers and videographers, built location by location. When you inquire about Kauai, we introduce you to the partner photographer matched to it. We share their recent galleries and films and set up a call. You book directly with them; we stay in the loop until your gallery is delivered.
Partners join by invitation. Before we list anyone we review full weddings, not highlight reels, and how they handle contracts, backups and delivery.
How booking works
- Send the form with your date and location.
- We reply within one business day with the Kauai price list and the partner's recent work.
- Call with the photographer; if it fits, a deposit holds the date.
- A short questionnaire about people, places and timing, two weeks before.
- The day.
- A sneak peek first, then the full gallery and the film on the dates set in your contract.
Good to know on Kauai
One statewide license covers every island: it costs $65 and has no waiting period12, and the ceremony must follow within 30 days of pick-up12. Apply online, then meet an agent in person with photo ID; the Kauaʻi agent line is (808) 241-349812.
A beach ceremony on state shoreline needs a Wiki Permits permit13, and state parks need a special use permit requested at least 45 days ahead14. Check current status before you plan a park: a State Parks notice dated November 2, 2026, issued during storm recovery, lists Hāʻena State Park as reopened on October 15, 2026, Kōkeʻe Road as closed until further notice, and the other Kauaʻi state parks as closed14.
Kauai's highest point, Kawaikini, stands at 5,243 ft15, and Kauaʻi County had 73,298 residents in 202016.
Marriage license
- Issued by
- Hawaii State Department of Health marriage license agents (online application at emrs.ehawaii.gov, then an in-person meeting with an agent); one statewide license covers every island
- Fee
- $65 ($60 application + $5 portal fee), non-refundable12
- Waiting period
- none12
- Valid for
- 30 days from pick-up12
Questions couples ask
01What is the easiest way to get married in Hawaii?
The standard route is the easiest: apply online and pay $65, then meet a Department of Health agent in person with photo ID12. Marry within 30 days of pick-up; there is no waiting period, no residency requirement and no blood test12. A beach ceremony adds one step: a Wiki Permits permit on state shoreline13.
02Where are some good places to elope on Kauai?
Permitted beaches include Anini, Kauapea (Secret) Beach, Poʻipū and Shipwreck Beach3. A State Parks notice of November 2, 2026 lists Hāʻena State Park as reopened but the other Kauaʻi state parks as closed, so check current status14. See our Kauai elopement page for the paperwork and a half-day plan.
03How far in advance should we book a wedding photographer on Kauai?
Book when you set the date. State Parks want a special use permit request at least 45 days ahead, and 90 days for events with a commercial aspect14, so the venue can set the earliest date. After the call, a deposit holds your date with the partner.
04Can we book photo and video together on Kauai?
Yes, with one crew. A Wiki Permits permit or a Hawaii Film Office permit covers a photographer on the state shoreline, including after a ceremony on private or county land4. Because the permit forbids tents and signage5, the film is shot in open light, with the ceremony audio recorded on the officiant.
05Can we get the raw files?
Whether a partner releases unedited files is set in their contract, so ask on the call. What every photo collection includes is an edited gallery with print rights and a sneak peek within days. The full gallery follows on the date in the contract, and a July sunset at 19:241 gives the team a long evening to work with.
Say when.
Tell us the date, the shore you have in mind and who is coming. We reply within one business day with the Kauai price list and a partner's recent work.
Sources
- Computed with suncalc (NOAA algorithm) for the 15th of the month at 22.0964, -159.5261, Pacific/Honolulu (HST, no DST) github.com/mourner/suncalc
- Wikipedia, "Hanalei Bay" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanalei_Bay
- Hawaii DLNR Land Division — Wiki Permits Permissible Unencumbered Shoreline Beach Locations (PDF, as of May 9, 2025) dlnr.hawaii.gov/ld/files/2025/06/Beach-Locations-1601_V.5.pdf
- Hawaii DLNR Land Division — Wiki Permits FAQ (PDF, dated 01/13/16, linked from the current Land Division page) dlnr.hawaii.gov/ld/files/2013/07/Wiki-Permits-FAQ-1601.pdf
- Hawaii DLNR Wiki Permits — General Terms and Conditions for Commercial Activity, Unencumbered Land, State Public Beaches wikipermits.ehawaii.gov/permits/terms.html
- Wikipedia, "Lumahaʻi Beach" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumaha%CA%BBi_Beach
- Wikipedia, "Līhuʻe, Hawaii" — weather box, Līhuʻe Airport, NOAA 1991–2020 normals en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C4%ABhu%CA%BBe,_Hawaii
- Wikipedia, "Hāʻena State Park" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81%CA%BBena_State_Park
- Wikipedia, "Spouting Horn" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spouting_Horn
- Wikipedia, "Waimea Canyon State Park" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waimea_Canyon_State_Park
- Wikipedia, "Wailua Falls" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wailua_Falls
- Hawaii State Department of Health, Vital Records — Marriage and Civil Union Licenses health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/marriage-licenses
- Hawaii DLNR Land Division — Commercial Activities / Wiki Permits for Beach Weddings dlnr.hawaii.gov/ld/commercial-activities
- Hawaii DLNR Division of State Parks — State Parks Special Use Permit (includes park notices dated 11/2/26) dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/state-parks-special-use-permit
- Wikipedia, "Kauaʻi" — infobox highest point Kawaikini, 5,243 ft en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaua%CA%BBi
- Wikidata Q111517 (Kauai County): population P1082, 2020 census (preferred) wikidata.org/wiki/Q111517