Kona Elopement Packages: Planning an Intimate Wedding on the Big Island

When I started Kona Wedding Officiant in 2017, it was just me, a ceremony, and a camera. A lot has changed since then. Today, we have an in-house team of officiants, photographers, videographers, and musicians.

The most important part hasn’t changed at all: I still want the process to feel easy and personal for every couple who comes to Hawaii to get married.

That is what our Kona elopement packages are about. You can book everything through one local team instead of trying to coordinate a photographer, officiant, permits, musicians, flowers, and other vendors from different companies.

If you’re thinking about eloping in Kona or somewhere else on the Big Island, I’m going to walk you through what you can expect, what our packages include, and some of the things I think are important to consider before choosing your ceremony.

Why Kona Is Such a Great Place to Elope

One of the reasons I love the Kona coast for weddings and elopements is that you have so many beautiful settings without having to spend hours driving around the island on your wedding day.

We perform ceremonies at a variety of locations throughout West Hawaii, including Kuki’o Beach, Kikaua Point Park, Honl’s Beach, Old Kona Airport Beach, Kua Bay, La’aloa Beach, and Holualoa Beach.

Each location has a completely different feel. Some couples want a quiet beach where it’s just the two of them. Others want something a little more accessible for family members. Some want lava rock and dramatic ocean views, while others want a softer beach setting.

That’s one of the things I help couples figure out during the planning process.

If you’re looking to elope on the Big Island of Hawaii, you don’t have to know which beach you want before you contact us. Tell me what you’re looking for, and we’ll help you find a location that makes sense for your wedding.

What’s Included in Our Kona Elopement Packages

Our elopement packages are designed to give you the important pieces of your wedding day without making you coordinate everything yourself.

Every elopement package includes a licensed Kona Wedding Officiant, a personalized ceremony, a beach permit, and Hawaiian leis. From there, you can choose the package that best fits what you actually want.

Standard Elopement — from $1,395 + tax

This is our most popular elopement package.

It includes extended photography coverage and more retouched images, along with fresh flower leis. It gives your photographer enough time to photograph the ceremony, portraits of the two of you, and all of those little moments afterward.

For many couples, this is the package that gives them the right balance without adding things they don’t really need.

Mele — from $1,895 + tax

The Mele Package includes everything in the Standard Elopement Package, plus one hour of live ukulele music.

Live music can completely change the feeling of a ceremony. It adds something special without making the wedding feel overly formal.

Lehua — from $2,049 + tax

The Lehua Package includes everything in the Standard Elopement Package, plus a bridal bouquet, boutonniere, premium leis, and a haku head crown.

It’s a great option if you want some beautiful Hawaiian floral details included without having to arrange flowers separately.

Nani — from $3,195 + tax

The Nani Package includes everything in the Standard Elopement Package plus 4K videography and a highlight film.

Photography gives you beautiful images to look back on, but there’s something different about being able to hear your vows, see the ceremony again, and relive the day through video.

Just The Basics — from $995 + tax

If you really want to keep things simple, Just The Basics is a great starting point.

It includes in-house photography, retouched images, and accommodates 2 to 6 guests.

I always tell couples that you should choose the things that actually matter to you. You don’t need to buy every possible add-on just because you’re getting married.

And if there’s something specific you want, you can always add individual items through our Wedding Shop.

Choosing Your Kona Wedding Officiant

Your officiant is one of the most important parts of your ceremony because this is the person who is going to be standing with you during one of the most meaningful moments of your life.

I want couples to feel comfortable with their officiant, which is why we have a team with different personalities, backgrounds, and ceremony styles.

I am Deanna DiMichele, the writer of this post, and the owner and lead officiant of Kona Wedding Officiant. I perform non-denominational, spiritual, Hawaiian, Christian, and non-religious ceremonies.

Kona Joe brings faith, warmth, and a very natural presence to ceremonies. He specializes in Christian ceremonies and also performs non-denominational and Hawaiian-style weddings.

Kahu Tom Fernandez has lived on the Big Island since 1988. He incorporates English and Hawaiian vows and brings the values of aloha and `ohana into his ceremonies.

Reverend Libby has been performing weddings since the late 1980s and previously owned her own wedding company. She brings a warm, personal approach to spiritual and Hawaiian ceremonies.

No matter which Kona Wedding Officiant, you work with, the goal is the same: your ceremony should feel like your ceremony.

Finding the Right Location and Time of Day

We perform ceremonies at more than 20 locations across the Big Island, with many of our most popular ceremony locations in West Hawaii.

Some of the locations we offer in our all inclusive (no travel fee packages) include Kuki’o Beach, Kikaua Point Park, Honl’s Beach, Old Kona Airport Beach, Kua Bay, La’aloa Beach, and Holualoa Beach.

We also offer black sand locations and other unique settings around the island, as well as waterfall ceremonies at the private 120-foot Kulaniapia Falls on the Hilo side.

The right location really depends on what you want your wedding to feel like.

Late afternoon is popular because the Kona coast faces west and the light can be absolutely beautiful around sunset. Morning ceremonies can be wonderful too, especially if you prefer cooler temperatures, brighter light, and a quieter beach.

You don’t have to figure all of this out on your own. During your consultation, I will talk about what you’re envisioning and help you choose a location and time that make sense.

Making Your Ceremony Personal

During your consultation, I want to hear about you – your wedding vision, what’s important to you, and what you want the ceremony to feel like.

You can choose a ceremony style that feels right for you, whether that’s non-denominational, Hawaiian, Christian, spiritual, or non-religious.

We can also incorporate Hawaiian traditions such as the blowing of the pu, lei exchanges, sand blending, ring blessings, and hand binding at no additional charge. If you want to incorporate English and Hawaiian vows, our officiants can help with that too.

You can write your own vows, use traditional vows, or work with your officiant to personalize the wording.

And sometimes the smallest details end up meaning the most.

Some people like to include little things like a grandmother’s ring, or the reading of a letter or an acknowledgement from a loved one using a lei or a flower. Those are the kinds of details that make a ceremony feel like it belongs to you.

Many people choose to read vows from cards, phones, or even paper. Most couples are nervous about this part beforehand, and then once they’re standing there together, everything usually falls into place.

Photography

Our photography team is in-house, which is something I’m really proud of.

Our photographers work alongside our officiants at every ceremony, so they understand the flow of the day. They know when to step back during the ceremony and when to be ready for the moments happening around you.

Photography coverage and the number of retouched images vary depending on the package you choose.

The Standard Elopement gives your photographer more time for the ceremony, portraits, and those candid moments after the vows. These are often some of my favorite images because they’re not posed—they’re just the two of you enjoying the fact that you’re finally married.

Permits

If you’re getting married on a public beach in Hawaii, you’ll need a permit.

Our team obtains the majority of permits on behalf of our couples. There are some state-managed locations where couples have to handle the application themselves, and we’ll let you know if that applies to your ceremony location.

 

Hawaii Marriage License

Hawaii does not have a residency requirement for your marriage license, and there is no waiting period. You’ll apply for your license, schedule an appointment with a marriage agent here on the island, and bring your license with you for the ceremony.

After the ceremony, your officiant signs and files the paperwork with the state.

We walk you through the process so you know what needs to happen before you arrive in Hawaii.

Ready to Elope on the Big Island of Hawaii?

If you’re searching for Kona elopement packages because you want a beautiful Hawaii wedding without all the stress and planning that can come with a traditional wedding, that’s exactly what we do.

Kona Wedding Officiant has been performing ceremonies on the Big Island since 2017. We’ve grown from a one-person business into an in-house team of officiants, photographers, videographers, and musicians, but we’ve never lost the personal side of what we do.

You don’t have to know exactly what package you want or which beach you want before you reach out.

Tell us what you’re thinking, what matters to you, and what you want your wedding day to feel like. We’ll help you figure out the rest.

If you’re ready to start planning, call us at (808) 209-6275 or email konaweddingofficiant@gmail.com.

We’d love to help you plan your Big Island wedding.