Eloping on Maui? Well, you’re coming to the right place! Statistics from the State of Hawaii indicated that Maui is the 2nd most popular island to get married on, just behind Oahu. And keep in mind Maui’s population stands at ~165,000, whereas Oahu is just north of 1 million.

But a quick Google search for “Eloping on Maui” brings up 1000’s of different companies and packages and you just don’t know where to begin! 

Don’t worry. I gotchu. I’m here to break it all down for you… step-by-step.

But let’s be honest, if you’ve looked at packages online – you know that $1000 packages are hard to find, especially if you want a photographer to capture the memories. But it can be done, you’ll just most likely have to scout the vendors yourself and complete some of the forms yourself to cut out the middlemen.

Here’s are some general requirements, and an idea of what we’ll cover in-depth below:

• Getting a Hawaii Marriage License
• Finding a wedding officiant/minister, more commonly referred to as wedding performers in Hawaii.
• Finding a wedding or elopement photographer to capture the memories.
• The best places to elope in Maui
• Getting a permit for your elopement location(s)

Getting a Hawaii Marriage License

It’s simple enough, it’s just $65 for the marriage license and can be done directly on the Hawaii.gov website… best of all? It’s just a single page that you have to fill out.

Quick facts: Hawaii is a relatively easy state to elope in, you don’t even need a witness. You don’t have to be a resident of Hawaii, or even a US citizen, making it and attractive destination for couples around the world to get married. You do have be at least 18 years old, any younger and they have special requirements (details listed on the above website). You must have the ceremony within 30 days of getting your marriage license.

Once you complete that, they’ll send instructions and direct you to a marriage license agent on Maui where you can bring your application, and they can verify documentation.

You can get your marriage license, and get married on the same day.

Finding a Maui wedding officiant/minister, more commonly referred to as wedding performers in Hawaii.

You can use the Hawaii.gov website to find a “performer”, but being that it’s just a directory with no additional information about the person, I prefer good ol’ Google or Yelp.

When you find one, I would, however double check that list if said person is on there – you don’t want to find out years later that there was an error so you’re technically not married at all!

How much is a Wedding Performer (ie. officiant/minister) in Maui?

Rates start at around $100 and can go up to $500 for the ceremony. Native Hawaiian Wedding Performers are a popular request… I mean, it makes sense – you’re in Hawaii, get married by a Hawaiian!

Can you have a friend marry you in Maui, Hawaii? 

Contrary to popular opinion and many sources online, you can have a friend marry you. The easiest way to do this is to become ordained online at Universal Life Church, it’s completely free. Here’s a guide on How to Get Ordained in Maui.

How Much Does It Cost to Become Ordained in Maui? 

Universal Life Church is free, and the State of Hawaii will charge you just $10 for a “portal administration fee.”

A vacation in Maui can cost $10,000+, an elopement photographer to capture the memories is priceless.

Art is very personal. I’d start your search by looking through portfolios that you resonate with. All photographers are certainly not created equal and you definitely should not skimp on a photographer.

You can also find some portrait photographers are also ordained, which could save you some more money.

Where’s the best place to elope in Maui, and how much is the permit?

Maui is one of the best islands to elope on, with so many things to do, new hotels and some of the best snorkeling spots in all of Hawaii.

There are many beaches, checkout are list on some of the Best Beaches in Maui. My personal favorite is called, Secret Cove Beach (though it’s not so much a secret anymore).

There are a few more that require some hiking, such as Waihe’e Ridge Trail. The famous Road to Hana and the peak at Haleakalā are great spots, but expect to pay extra to vendors for travel.

How much is a wedding permit? 

It’s just 0.10 per square foot, with a minimum fee of $20. So basically, 200sf is $20. A vendor can, and usually does provide this, but you can do it as well as it’s the cheapest way. You got to do it at least 2 weeks in advance, and the permit is good for 2-hours of event coverage. For more details, please see Permits page on Hawaii.gov.  

There’s a good chance you proposed in Hawaii as Brides.com has Hawaii as #3 for Best Places to Propose, so it just makes sense to get married there!