Eloping on Maui, photographed and filmed
A Maui elopement is a license, a permit and a short ceremony at either the shoreline or the crater, photographed and filmed by one crew. For a larger guest list, see our Maui wedding page; here we cover the paperwork and the half-day plan.
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In short
A Maui elopement needs a Hawaii marriage license and a permit that depends on the land: the National Park Service at Haleakalā, a DLNR Wiki Permits permit on state beaches, State Parks elsewhere. We plan a half day around the permit window and the light.
Eloping on Maui
A Maui elopement keeps the group to the size the land allows. Haleakalā National Park caps weddings at 25 people1, and the average event on state shoreline is 10 people; DLNR asks to be contacted before applying for more than 25 to 302. On a state beach nothing is exclusive: the public may not be asked to move and other events may share the site2.
The half day follows the permit. We meet at the site, walk the ground with the officiant, hold the ceremony, then spend the remaining time on portraits while the light moves. One crew shoots photo and video, so there is one schedule to manage, and the ceremony audio is recorded on the officiant wherever the land allows it.
Haleakalā adds rules of its own. The summit permit is not approved anywhere in the Wilderness Area, and flowers and lei must be taken out of the park afterwards1.
Getting married on Maui: the paperwork
One Hawaii Department of Health license covers every island. Apply online and pay $65 ($60 application plus a $5 portal fee, non-refundable)3. Both of you then meet an agent in person with valid photo ID, no sooner than 30 days before the ceremony3. There is no waiting period, no residency or citizenship requirement and no blood test; the legal age is 18, and proxies are not allowed3. The ceremony must happen within 30 days of pick-up, and the officiant must hold a Hawaii Department of Health license to perform marriages3. For Maui, call the agent at (808) 984-82103.
On the shoreline, a DLNR right-of-entry permit costs 10 cents per square foot per event per day, with a minimum of $204, and requires insurance naming the State of Hawaii; no arches, altars, tables, tents or signage, and no alcohol. In Haleakalā National Park, the special use permit costs $150 and excludes audio devices, banners and signs1. At Mākena and Waiʻānapanapa State Parks, State Parks issues the permits2; its special use permit is requested at least 45 days ahead5.
Marriage license
The day
A half day on Maui
This sample is an October sunrise elopement at the summit, built on sunrise at 06:20 and sunset at 18:01 on October 159. Sunrise ceremonies in Haleakalā need a sunrise reservation1, and the permit excludes audio devices, so tell us before you choose the summit and we confirm how that applies to sound.
- Arrive at the summit area in the dark with the sunrise reservation in hand.
- The crew walks the site with the officiant.
- The ceremony, as the sun rises.
- Couple portraits at an approved overlook while the light is low.
- Breakfast, and a quiet hour before the drive down.
Kahului Airport sits on the coast and averages an 88.7 °F high and a 70.1 °F low in October, with 0.83 in of rain8; the summit is at 10,023 ft6, so bring layers far beyond those numbers.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 07:04 | 18:05 |
| Apr | 06:06 | 18:44 |
| Jul | 05:53 | 19:09 |
| Oct | 06:20 | 18:01 |
Sunrise and sunset computed for the 15th of each month, local time.9
Where we shoot an elopement on Maui
Three kinds of site suit an elopement here, each with its own gatekeeper.
- Haleakalā summit sites Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill), Pā Kaʻoao Overlook (White Hill), Kalahaku Overlook and Leleiwi Overlook are the approved summit locations1.
- Kīpahulu the Kūloa Loop Trail and the Coastal Trail from Kūloa Point to Kīpahulu Campground are approved; Wilderness Area trails, Kaʻāpahu and Alelele are not1.
- Wiki Permits beaches Kapalua Bay, Napili Bay, Baldwin Beach and Hāmoa Beach are among the permitted unencumbered shoreline sites10.
- Closed to commercial work ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve and La Perouse Bay prohibit all commercial activity, and DLNR issues no commercial permits on the Kāʻanapali coast from Canoe Beach to Kāʻanapali Shores2.
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 Maui 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 Maui 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
How booking works
- Send the form with your date and location.
- We reply within one business day with the Maui 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.
Questions about eloping on Maui
01Do we need witnesses to elope on Maui?
The Department of Health page we read does not list a witness requirement, so we do not state one. Ask the licensing agent when you meet, since both of you must appear in person, and the officiant must hold a Hawaii Department of Health license3. The agent confirms what the signed license needs.
02Can you help us choose a time and a spot for the ceremony?
03How long does an elopement session take?
A half day collection covers getting ready, the ceremony and portraits. On state shoreline the permitted event, including set-up and clean-up, fits inside two hours4; the rest of the half day goes to portraits. If you add a dinner or a second morning, a full day or two days suits better.
04Can family join us for part of the day?
Say when.
Tell us the date, who is coming and whether you want the shoreline or the summit. We reply within one business day with the Maui price list and a partner's recent work.
Sources
- National Park Service, Haleakalā — Special Use Permits (Wedding Ceremony) nps.gov/hale/learn/management/special-use-permits.htm
- 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 State Department of Health, Vital Records — Marriage and Civil Union Licenses health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/marriage-licenses
- Hawaii DLNR Wiki Permits — General Terms and Conditions for Commercial Activity, Unencumbered Land, State Public Beaches wikipermits.ehawaii.gov/permits/terms.html
- 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
- National Park Service — Puʻuʻulaʻula (Summit Observation Deck), Haleakalā nps.gov/places/puuulaula.htm
- Wikidata Q111409 (Maui County): population P1082, 2020 census (preferred) wikidata.org/wiki/Q111409
- Wikipedia, "Kahului, Hawaii" — weather box, Kahului Airport, NOAA 1991–2020 normals en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahului,_Hawaii
- Computed with suncalc (NOAA algorithm) for the 15th of the month at 20.7984, -156.3319, Pacific/Honolulu (HST, no DST) github.com/mourner/suncalc
- 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