Wedding and Elopement Guide
Plan your Dream Wedding or Elopement in Hawaii & Europe!
Getting Married or Eloping? Then this guide is for YOU!
Whether you’re dreaming of a grand wedding celebration in Hawaii or an intimate elopement in Europe, these honest, in-depth guides were created to help you plan your perfect day—without the stress and overwhelm. From choosing the ideal location and venue to finding your trusted vendors, we’ve got you covered with firsthand insights and practical tips.
Giving you resources that include real-life wedding and elopement advice on everything from timelines and vendors to local customs and hidden gems, so you can feel confident every step of the way. We know planning a wedding can feel like a lot, which is why we focus on what matters most: making your experience enjoyable, exciting, and uniquely yours.
Browse through our guides, explore venue recommendations, and get inspired by Real Stories from couples who’ve been there. By the end, you’ll be so ready for your special day that the countdown will feel impossible to wait for. Let’s get started on creating the celebration of your dreams!
Choose your Wedding or Elopement Destination Guide
Location, Location, Location
The following guides are tailored to each location so that you can truly immerse yourself in the pros and cons of decision making and deciding where you want to celebrate. Planning from afar isn’t easy, and knowing local tips and with a little guidance, you can feel confident that you’ve found the perfect place to say, “I do!”
PLANNING A WEDDING OR ELOPEMENT IN HAWAII
Hawaii Wedding & Elopement Guide
For the romantics and adventurers
seeking unforgettable memories, Hawaii is truly one of the most breathtaking places on earth. Imagine saying “I do” on a white sand beach, in an exotic jungle, or on a dramatic cliff with the waves crashing nearby. Whether you dream of a classic wedding at a luxury resort, a picturesque beachfront celebration, or a private elopement where it’s just you, your partner, and a hidden waterfall, Hawaii has a location to make every vision a reality.
Each island has its own soul: Maui’s lush jungles and cascading waterfalls, Oahu’s golden sunsets and iconic beaches, the Big Island’s dramatic volcanic landscapes, and Kauai’s untouched, secret corners that feel like your own private paradise. Every moment—whether exploring hidden trails, sharing vows as the sun dips below the horizon, or simply celebrating together in paradise—becomes a memory you’ll cherish forever.
No matter your style — romantic, adventurous, or somewhere in between—Hawaii creates the perfect backdrop for memories that will last you a lifetime. Start planning your dream wedding or elopement and let the islands inspire every moment of your special day.
Planning a wedding or elopement in Europe
Europe Wedding and Elopement Guide
For couples wanting to capture their timeless moments in a timeless place. European weddings and elopements offer you classic, but ethereal locations that leave you feeling as if you’ve stepped into a fairytale. From beautiful stone castles in Germany, and emerald lakeside hotels in Como, Italy, to the epic mountain landscapes of the Swiss and Italian Alps, the quiet and hidden beauty of Europe offers it’s own magical world for your special day.
And while choosing Europe may seem like a journey in itself, with careful planning and guidance and by turning your destination wedding and elopement into a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you can create memories that you will remember for a lifetime as touching, heartfelt, and some of the best moments with those you hold nearest and dearest to your heart. Whether it’s an intimate elopement with your special person, or an intimate destination wedding with friends and family – don’t wait to plan your day, because it only happens once. Let’s start planning your dream day together.
Wedding vs Elopement
What’s Right for You?
What is a Wedding?
Two Main differences in 2026 between differentiating a wedding and an elopement are Guest Count and Traditional Events.
Weddings can range anywhere from 20 – 100+ guests. Whether it’s a destination wedding, an intimate wedding, or a micro wedding – often confused with elopements – it is widely considered to be a wedding depending on if you have a large guest count.
The second differentiator, Traditional Events, help distinguish a wedding from an elopement by it’s traditional customs of ceremony, followed by cocktail hour, into reception which would include speeches, dances, and partying with friends and loved ones.
What is an Elopement?
While elopements are highly considered to be the more affordable option for couples wanting to get married, it can be just as intimate or elaborate as you want it to be. From cutting costs, to making it all about your experience together, elopements have now taken on a life of their own. Just you, the landscape, your experience, and the memories.
From a quick and simple Vegas elopement at the White Chapel to an adventurous three-day journey through the Italian Dolomites—where you can exchange vows at the foot of the iconic Seceda Peaks—elopements offer the adventure of a lifetime. Whether you choose to celebrate with a small group of your closest family members or keep it intimate with just the two of you, a destination elopement creates an unforgettable and meaningful experience.
With a more experience-focused agenda, elopements are in no way less than a wedding, in fact, it can be so much more.
How to Choose?
But how do we choose if a wedding or an elopement is right us? By taking into account these 3 Important Factors:
1. your Cost
2. your Guest Count
3. your Experience
Knowing your Cost or how much you are wanting to spend can immensely help when you’re choosing between having a wedding or an elopement, in that with a larger budget, you can have a larger guest count. You can also have a more diverse range of wedding venues or elopement locations to choose from.
Knowing your Guest Count is also a huge factor in helping you decide on whether you will have a wedding or an elopement. If you have more than 20+ guests, you know you’ll be having a wedding. If you’re having an intimate number of people, say 5, attending your celebration, then it can be considered an elopement. Even better, if it’s just the two of you, then it’s hands down that you’re eloping.
Knowing what you want to Experience will also be a major factor when deciding if having a wedding or eloping is right for you. If you want to celebrate with friends and family and you have large families, then a wedding will suit you best. If you want to say “I do” with your 5 closest friends or family members by your side, or just the two of you, then eloping is the way to go.
How to Use These Guides
Once you’ve chosen your destination, the next step is deciding what kind of celebration feels right for you—whether that’s a full wedding surrounded by your guests, or an intimate elopement with just the two of you (or a very small group of your dearest friends and family).
You’ve now made your two biggest decisions—location and celebration style. From here, it’s time to dive into our detailed guides, where we’ll walk you through everything you need to plan your day, from finding the perfect venue to understanding how to legally get married and bringing your vision to life.
How to Start Planning your Dream Wedding or Elopement
the perfect guides for you!
Choose between the exotic vibes of Hawaii or a magical time in Europe. Just know that whatever you decide, your special day will be amazing!
EUROPE WEDDING AND ELOPEMENT GUIDE
COMING SOON!
Common
FAQs
How do I choose the best location for my destination wedding or elopement?
When choosing the best location for your wedding or elopement, the most helpful place to start is your own preferences. Think about what feels right for you—do you picture your ceremony and reception indoors or outdoors? Do you want to travel somewhere far and adventurous, or stay closer to home?
If you’re drawn to the outdoors, it’s also important to consider the elements—are you okay with wind, rain, snow, or a hot sunny day as part of your experience? If you prefer being indoors, would you love something like an elegant, air-conditioned ballroom, a light-filled greenhouse, or a traditional church setting?
Or maybe you’re dreaming of something in between—like a clear tent where you can dance under the stars on your wedding night.
All of these preferences will help you narrow things down and find the location that truly feels like you.
Is it cheaper to elope or have a wedding?
While many people assume that eloping is always the more affordable option, the truth is it can sometimes be just as much as a traditional wedding—depending on the experience you’re creating.
For weddings, in 2026, costs can range widely. A lower-budget wedding might fall around $10K–$15K, mid-range weddings are typically $30K–$50K, and luxury celebrations can easily reach $70K–$100K or more. The biggest portions of the budget usually go toward your venue and catering (especially food and drink for guests), followed by florals and planning services. Photography and videography, along with other details like attire, décor, and entertainment, round out the rest.
Elopements, on the other hand, can be as simple as a few meaningful hours on a beach saying “I do,” or as intentional and immersive as a multi-day adventure experience. A more all-inclusive elopement might range from $5K–$7K (covering things like flights for two, accommodations, an officiant, hair and makeup, florals, attire, rings, and photo/video coverage), while more elaborate experiences can go upwards of $15K–$30K or more.
How do you plan a wedding abroad?
The best way to start planning a wedding abroad is to first choose your general location, and then decide whether you’ll work with a planner or secure your venue. In some cases, finding your planner first can actually make things easier—they often already know the best venues and trusted vendors in your chosen destination, which can save you a lot of time, research, and stress.
As a destination wedding photographer, I highly recommend hiring a planner for weddings abroad. With so many moving parts involved, the last thing you want is to feel overwhelmed or stretched thin. Having someone you trust to handle the logistics allows you to stay present, enjoy the experience, and truly focus on each other and your guests on the day itself.
How can I decide how much to save for the cost of my wedding or elopement?
One thing we all want is to have an incredible wedding or elopement—one that feels meaningful, beautiful, and truly us. And that dream is absolutely possible on any budget, but it does require setting realistic priorities from the start.
As a destination wedding and elopement photographer—and someone who has also planned their own destination wedding abroad for their family—I can tell you that the first step is simply knowing what you can comfortably afford to spend. If your budget is around $10K, that might look like an intimate wedding of 20 guests close to home, or an adventure elopement that doubles as your honeymoon for just the two of you.
From there, figure out the two things that matter most to you on your wedding day. For me, it was photos and food, and for my husband it was the flowers—so that’s where we chose to focus the majority of our budget.
Whatever those priorities are for you, getting clear on them early is what allows you to create a day that truly feels like you—and one you’ll look back on and remember as genuinely perfect for the both of you.
Helping you Plan a Wedding
that Feels like You
Hi there, my name is Mai,
Not just your typical wedding and elopement photographer, but once-upon-a time a DIY-destination-post-Covid-bride who went from planning a huge wedding of 200 guests to an intimate wedding of 50.
And after five years of experience working in the wedding industry and from personal experiences of hearing what other couples planning their day struggled with, I want to let you know, that you are not alone.
I created these guides not just as a wedding and elopement photographer, but as someone who knows how overwhelming planning from afar can feel. My goal is to make this process simpler, more intentional, and actually fun!
let’s create
something
beautiful
together
Guides Based on REAL WEDDINGS & ELOPEMENTS
View my Portfolio of actual weddings and elopements in Hawaii, Switzerland, and Europe and get a glimpse into some of the prettiest venues, locations, and the amazing vendors that helped make it happen.
Looking for a Photographer?
Let’s plan your story
Contact me!
I hope these guides have helped you in your planning process. And if you are looking for a wedding or elopement photographer to help you capture your day, then I’m here for you! Book a Discovery Call with me today and let’s not only plan, but Capture your day!