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Wedding photographer & videographer on Oahu

An Oahu day can begin at Lanikai, a half-mile strip of beach on the windward coast1, and finish in the 13.5-acre Foster Botanical Garden near Chinatown2. One team shoots photo and video, and travel to Oahu is in the quote.

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Wedding couple portrait
Wedding detail
The couple seen from behind in a tall frame
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 Oahu, with one team on the day and travel in the quote. Honolulu's botanical gardens permit commercial photography and video along with the ceremony, and most of Waikīkī Beach allows no commercial permits, so the site comes first.

In pictures

How we shoot Oahu

The couple at dusk
The couple walking together
The two of them close together

On Oahu we cover garden ceremonies, beach elopements, full-day weddings and two-day weekends, in photo, video or both.

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 Oahu 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 Oahu rather than publishing one number for every town. Ask for it below; it arrives within one business day.

Coverage
I

Half day

4 h · Photo + Video

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
II

Full day

8 h · Photo + Video

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
III

Two days

12 h · Photo + Video

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
Get the Oahu price list
Wide frame with the couple small in the landscape

Where we shoot on Oahu

Oahu splits into gardens run by the city and beaches run by the state, and the rules differ between them. These are the places we plan around.

  • Lanikai Beach a half-mile strip at Kaʻōhao, part of Kailua on the windward coast1. The permitted sites ask you to observe weekend and holiday parking restrictions and use public beach access points3.
  • Kailua Beach Kailua Bay's beach, divided into eight Wiki Permits sites from Kailua Beach Park to the western end near Kaimoani Way3.
  • Waimānalo Beach the longest stretch of sandy shoreline on Oʻahu, on the windward side near the island's eastern end4.
  • Makapuʻu Point the easternmost point of Oʻahu, 12 miles east of Honolulu, reached on a hike; its lighthouse dates from 19095.
  • Hālona Blowhole a rock formation and blowhole at Hālona Point off Hanauma Bay; hālona means "lookout"6.
  • Waimea Bay a crescent-shaped bay on the North Shore at the mouth of the Waimea River, known for big-wave surfing7.
  • Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden a city garden at 45-680 Luluku Road, Kāneʻohe, with free entry; it closes on Thursdays, Christmas and New Year's Day8.
  • Foster Botanical Garden 13.5 acres2 at 50 North Vineyard Boulevard near Chinatown, one of five botanical gardens on Oʻahu.
Wedding detail

The day

The day,as we shoot it on Oahu

Wedding detail

A garden ceremony sets the clock on Oahu. Foster Botanical Garden permittees must finish by 3:30 pm to be out by 4:00 pm, and every guest and staff member pays garden admission9. This sample takes that into account, with the beach kept for the evening. On April 15 the sun rises at 06:12 and sets at 18:5110.

  1. The ceremony at Foster Botanical Garden, well inside the 3:30 pm end time, with a guest limit of 509.
  2. Family portraits in the garden.
  3. The drive across the island, and a change of clothes.
  4. Couple portraits at Lanikai in low sun.
  5. Last frames on the sand, ahead of sunset at 18:5110.

Honolulu International Airport averages 0.77 in of rain in April and 0.52 in in July11, against 1.84 in in January and 1.51 in in October11. Gardens give a rain option that beaches do not: botanical garden permits can allow tents and chairs, if the permit says so9, while state-shoreline permits allow no tents and only the chairs strictly needed12. July is the hottest month we list, with an 88.1 °F average high11, so we keep the ceremony in the morning or late in the day.

Sunrise and sunset
MonthSunriseSunset
Jan07:1218:10
Apr06:1218:51
Jul05:5819:17
Oct06:2718:07

Sunrise and sunset computed for the 15th of each month, local time.10

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 Oahu, 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

  1. Send the form with your date and location.
  2. We reply within one business day with the Oahu price list and the partner's recent work.
  3. Call with the photographer; if it fits, a deposit holds the date.
  4. A short questionnaire about people, places and timing, two weeks before.
  5. The day.
  6. A sneak peek first, then the full gallery and the film on the dates set in your contract.

Good to know on Oahu

The Hawaii Department of Health issues one statewide license for $65, with no waiting period and 30 days of validity from pick-up13. On Oʻahu the main office is at City Financial Tower, Suite 100, 201 Merchant St., Honolulu, open Monday to Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:00 PM, by appointment13.

Honolulu's five botanical gardens (Foster, Liliʻuokalani, Hoʻomaluhia, Wahiawā and Koko Crater) require a permit for every wedding ceremony and for commercial photography and video, filed at least three weeks ahead with proof of liability insurance9. Guest limits run from 25 at Liliʻuokalani to 50 at Foster and Hoʻomaluhia9. Most of Waikīkī Beach, from the Hilton Pier to the Elks Club, is under the DLNR boating division and gets no commercial permits14.

Oʻahu's highest point, Kaʻala, stands at 4,025 ft15; the City and County of Honolulu had 1,016,508 residents in 202016.

Wedding detail

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-refundable13
Waiting period
none13
Valid for
30 days from pick-up13

The place

Highest point (Kaʻala)
4,025 ft (1,227 m)15
Population (City and County of Honolulu, 2020)
1,016,50816
Weather by month, Honolulu International Airport
MonthAvg highAvg lowPrecip.
Jan1180.5 °F66.8 °F1.84 in
Apr1183.1 °F70.1 °F0.77 in
Jul1188.1 °F75.1 °F0.52 in
Oct1186.9 °F73.9 °F1.51 in

Questions couples ask

01How far in advance should we book a wedding photographer on Oahu?

Book when the date is set, and start permits early. Honolulu's botanical gardens ask for applications at least three weeks ahead9, and Hawaii State Parks want 45 days, or 90 for commercial events17. A deposit then holds the date with the partner.

02Can we book photo and video together on Oahu?

Yes, with one crew. In the five Honolulu botanical gardens, the permit covers commercial photography and video as well as the ceremony, and drones are prohibited without DPR, FAA, HECO and Marine Corps Base Kaneohe clearance9. We tell the partner your site early so the permit names the crew.

03What happens if it rains on our wedding day on Oahu?

Rain is lightest in summer: Honolulu International Airport averages 0.52 in in July, against 1.84 in in January11. In a garden, a permit may allow a tent or chairs9; on state sand there are no tents, and chairs only for guests who need them12. So we plan a garden ceremony with cover and a beach ceremony with a flexible window.

04Do you travel to Oahu, and is travel included?

Yes. Travel is built into the quote, and we introduce an independent partner photographer matched to Oahu. Access rules still shape the day: at Kualoa Beach the county does not allow parking in, or crossing, its park to reach the sand3, and Lanikai sites need public access points3. Tell us the site and the partner plans the route.

05How many photos do we receive, and when?

The number depends on the length of coverage, so the partner states it in your contract. Every photo collection includes an edited gallery with print rights and a sneak peek within days. A garden ceremony that must end by 3:30 pm9 leaves the evening for beach portraits, and the gallery is edited from both halves of the day.

Say when.

Tell us the date, whether you want a garden or a beach and who is coming. We reply within one business day with the Oahu price list and a partner's recent work.

We reply within one business day with the price list for your place. Privacy policy · Terms

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Lanikai Beach" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanikai_Beach
  2. Wikipedia, "Foster Botanical Garden" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster_Botanical_Garden
  3. 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
  4. Wikipedia, "Waimānalo, Hawaii" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waim%C4%81nalo,_Hawaii
  5. Wikipedia, "Makapuʻu Point" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makapu%CA%BBu_Point
  6. Wikipedia, "Hālona Blowhole" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81lona_Blowhole
  7. Wikipedia, "Waimea Bay" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waimea_Bay
  8. Wikipedia, "Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho%CA%BBomaluhia_Botanical_Garden
  9. City and County of Honolulu DPR — Honolulu Botanical Gardens Permit Information (Weddings and Photography) honolulu.gov/dpr/honolulu-botanical-gardens/hbg-permit-information
  10. Computed with suncalc (NOAA algorithm) for the 15th of the month at 21.4389, -158.0001, Pacific/Honolulu (HST, no DST) github.com/mourner/suncalc
  11. Wikipedia, "Template:Honolulu weatherbox" (used in the Honolulu article) — Honolulu International Airport, NOAA 1991–2020 normals en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Honolulu_weatherbox
  12. Hawaii DLNR Wiki Permits — General Terms and Conditions for Commercial Activity, Unencumbered Land, State Public Beaches wikipermits.ehawaii.gov/permits/terms.html
  13. Hawaii State Department of Health, Vital Records — Marriage and Civil Union Licenses health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/marriage-licenses
  14. 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
  15. Wikipedia, "Oʻahu" — infobox highest point Kaʻala, 4,025 ft en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%CA%BBahu
  16. Wikidata Q487704 (Honolulu County): population P1082, 2020 census (preferred) wikidata.org/wiki/Q487704
  17. 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