For the couple looking to elope here on the island of Kauai, the most common question I hear is “what beach is best for an elopement?” With so much untouched beauty here on Kauai, you’ll find some of the best places in the world to celebrate your special day. Sometimes for the traveling couple, it may seem that there are too many options, and it becomes overwhelming to go through and google every single beach, so hopefully in this article I can help with the decision making process.

Each beach in this list has its own energy, its own look that is different from the rest. From the rugged cliffs of Hanalei and Tunnels Beach, to the sandy beaches of Waimea, there really is something for everyone here on the Garden Isle.

For some background, these are some of the criteria I used to pick these five locations:

• Natural beauty

• Unobstructed views

• Legally allowed

• Easy accessibility

• Minimal crowds

• Within 15 minutes of a town to celebrate in after

BTW If you are reading this article and still deciding whether to elope or have a more traditional wedding, you might want to also check out my blog post on How To Elope On Kauai and How to Get Married On Kauai. For further assistance on planning, I recommend this great elopement planning team and this amazing wedding planner depending on size of event.

Pros of a beach elopement

It may be surprising, but here on Kauai there are only two or three wedding venues on the beach, so if you are looking for a beach wedding with more than 20 people the options are very limited. Doing a small beach elopement, however, provides much more options as the County of Kauai issues small event permits for a majority of beaches on Kauai. Many of the permitted beaches also have easy access from the parking lot if that is a concern for your party.

Also, there is very likely a permitted beach close to wherever you are staying, making travel and logistics easy for you on elopement day.

Finally, the officiant or myself will take care of permits for you, so essentially there is no venue cost for a romantic elopement of your dreams.

Cons of a beach elopement

As of the time of this writing, the County of Kauai small event permits limits the amount of attendees to 30 people on most beaches. There are also stipulations as to what you can and can’t have on the beach. For instance, arranged chairs and elaborate alters are not permitted. Obviously if Grandpa needs a chair to sit that’s totally fine, but I’m talking over a dozen chairs situated in a formation for every atendee. So if your group is larger or you would like to have more rather than less, then a more traditional wedding venue would be better for your big day.

In addition, large tents are also not permitted on the beach. This may not seem like a big deal, but having a tent can be a crucial back up plan in the event it rains. But as long as you are open to whatever Mother Nature brings (like this fabulous couple) then this isn’t as much of an issue.

#1: Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay is an amazing place for a Kauai elopement or small event. In comparison to every other beach on this list, Hanalei has the largest beach, has the most parking lots and access points, and has the most dining options for after the event. The east side of the bay by the pier has a wide stretch of beach with no slope all year, and has beautiful scenes of the Hanalei and Ha’ena mountains looking out to the west. The beaches at the center of the bay changes through the seasons (bigger beach during summer, smaller during winter) and is more acceptable to winter swells, but has gorgeous views in every direction, giving it a lot of variety in the photos. Hanalei Bay is one of the biggest beaches on Kauai, so there is always space to spread out and get away from the crowds as well, so having an intimate ceremony isn’t hard to do. Hanalei Bay has the most parking lots out of any beach on Kauai, making accessibility very easy. Also by Pine Trees Beach there is a grass area so if your group needs wheelchair accessibility we could have the ceremony up there.

#2: Tunnels Beach

Tunnels Beach has some of the most iconic views in Hawaii, and is a very popular option for the romantic and adventurous couples. With the steep mountain cliffs dropping straight into the Pacific Ocean, beauty is abundant at the end of the road. This is a great option for elopements with just the couple or with a couple friends. One of the main restrictions here is accessibility. Parking is extremely limited towards the point, so groups with more than two cars may have a hard time. Also, the closest you can park to where we usually hold the ceremony is about 200 yards in deep sand so elderly or those with mobility issues may have a hard time getting down to the ceremony area. If those aren’t problems for your group, however, then there’s no better place on earth to elope :)

#3 Shipwreck Beach

Located in Poipu by the Hyatt, Shipwreck Beach is a popular choice for those staying on the South Side of Kauai. From a photography perspective, Shipwreck Beach is great because in this small area there are a lot of different scenes we can shoot at: sandy beach, rocky cove, rugged bluff, and lava rock point. Also because it is on the South Side, there is generally less chance of rain (read more about weather in this blog post). In general, the couples I shoot often hold their ceremony along the beach, then we take pictures on the bluff afterwards. Although it can be pretty crowded, there are spots along the beach where the crowd thins out and you can enjoy an intimate ceremony to yourself.

#4 Secret Beach

This location is for the adventurous couple looking for something unique, powerful, and untouched. While it is legal to have a ceremony down here and you can get a permit, it is hard to find officiants or other vendors to come down to Secret Beach as it is a 10 minute hike down an often muddy trail. I usually recommend brides walk down in regular clothes and carry their dress in a bag just to keep the trail dirt off of it.

In addition, the beach here is very exposed to the North swells that come through the winter and spring months, making the beach dangerous to be on for many days during those seasons. My personal rule is I don’t bring anybody down there if the waves are bigger than 10 feet, and between Thanksgiving and March the odds of that are 50/50.

But if you are in the mood for something more adventurous and original then this a must-see. The beach changes dramatically between seasons as the big surf moves thousands of pounds of sand from one side to the other, so even the look of the photos is an unknown. The pictures above of the couple on the cliff were taken during a ceremony in April. I shot there last week (November) and that cliff was completely gone, buried under months of sand accumulation!

#5 Waimea Pier

The home of red sand beaches and sunsets, Waimea is located away from the business of Poipu, in a sleepy town about a half hour away. Although the water out here doesn’t get as blue as other beaches due to the runoff from Waimea Canyon, it makes up for it ten-fold for the incredible sunsets over Ni’ihau daily. Also, being on the West Side, it is always hot and dry, so rain cancellations are extremely unlikely. In addition, there are a lot more budget-friendly places to stay on the West Side of Kauai, making it a popular spot for small groups to stay and get married :)

You really can’t go wrong eloping on Kauai

The island really is a dream location for the romantic and adventurous couple looking for a unique and intimate wedding. If you would like to learn more about eloping here on Kauai, check out my in-depth blog post about how to elope on Kauai. Also, if you have any other questions or would like to inquire about my services, please reach out!