cart-icon
Toggle Navigation
Toggle Navigation
Toggle Navigation
Elopements

Hawaiian Sunrise Elopement at Haleakala National Park, Maui | Lauren & Ryan

haleakala national park hawaii sunrise volcano elopement weddingWe were ten thousand feet high, the only people around, and it was so silent you could hear a pin drop… the sun was rising, and it honestly felt like my husband and I were the only two people left in the world. It was the best feeling I have ever felt in my life.”

When Lauren and Ryan chose Maui for their destination wedding, they knew a beach setting would be the obvious choice for their ceremony – so they went against the grain. “They wanted something different, something [that] captured their adventurous hearts,” photographer Lindsay Malkovich shares. “After researching some options, they were determined Haleakala Crater was the place where they would exchange vows.” The couple awoke shortly after midnight to prepare for their sunrise nuptials and stood amongst the clouds as they said “I do.”

“After shooting this elopement, I really began to see… the benefits of straying from traditional wedding elements,” Lindsay says. “This day was so intimate and personal…” Love radiates from every image of Lauren and Ryan’s elopement and perfectly illustrates how Haleakala’s stunning volcanic landscape provides a gorgeous alternative to Hawaii’s iconic beaches!

Photography by Lindsay Blair Photography

CHOOSING AN ELOPEMENT:

“My husband and I had always had the thought that weddings became more about the guests than about the two people who were getting married. It almost was like a huge show that the bride and groom were putting on, and while it works for most couples, this wasn’t the way that we wanted to say ‘I do’. We liked the idea of an intimate wedding and knew that if we invited even one person, other people would have their feelings hurt and we would probably end up faltering and putting on a traditional formal wedding. Because of this, we knew that we had to elope!”

[Lauren, the bride]

“My focus with any session I photograph is capturing the couple as they are together. If they are funny, serious, etc. I want that to come through in the photos.”

[Lindsay Malkovich, Photographer]

CHOOSING A LOCATION:

We had already been to Oahu and the Big Island, so we knew we wanted to visit somewhere different, and that’s how Maui came about… We didn’t want to get married on the beach like everyone else, and we had heard that the sunrise at Haleakala was life changing. We figured that we were about to change our lives forever, so there was no better place than on top of a volcano… We were ten thousand feet high, the only people around, and it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. The weather was chilly but not overly cold and everything was still. Its energy was amazing, and the view was spectacular. We shot our photos while the sun was rising, and it honestly felt like my husband and I were the only two people left in the world. It was the best feeling I have ever felt in my life. It was intimate, almost spiritual, and was by far the best part of the entire experience.”

[Lauren]

“This entire experience in and of itself was huge to me… Being on top of Haleakala Crater was an amazing experience, one I will never forget… Watching two best friends recite their vows to one another in such a beautiful, intimate setting wasn’t just a highlight of this wedding, but of my life!”

[Lindsay Malkovich]

PLANNING AN ELOPEMENT:

“Trying to plan our elopement on an island that we had never visited, on top of a volcano we had never seen, especially when only a handful of couples have tied the knot there would seem like a difficult challenge, but thanks to Google, everything just kind of came together! We found an awesome officiant, Chrissy Kapoor… [who] helped us with the permit process and even scouted our location prior to us arriving. The most difficult part was actually booking a wedding photographer. We had looked at so many portfolios from Hawaiian photographers but not only were they super expensive, we didn’t find anyone who had the style of photography we wanted. That’s when my husband brought up the idea of flying Lindsey Malkovich out… Overall, the process was incredibly easy and stress free. It was how I envisioned wedding planning should be. If I could do it all over again, I don’t think that I would change a thing.”

[Lauren]

Florals | Haku Maui
Bridal Boutique | Blue Sky Bridal 
Suit | Collier
Officiant | Chrissy Kapoor of Maui Ceremonies
Bride’s Ring | Shane Company
Groom’s Ring | Celebrations Jewelers

Thinking about eloping in Hawaii? Check out our Hawaii Elopement Packages

Thank you to Lindsay Blair Photography for sharing this session, and congratulations to Lauren + Ryan!

Looking for the perfect vendors for your wedding?

Search our Wandering Weddings members HERE!