Many times couples will ask what I recommend when it comes to the time of the day of their wedding. A wedding earlier in the day can be nice, especially if you want nice blues and vibrant colors in your photography or video. But there is something remarkable about the changes that the sky and the landscape goes through when we reach the end of the day here on Maui. Almost always, I recommend to couples that they choose the sunset time of day. About 90 percent of the Maui weddings we perform do take place at sunset.
One exception for this for many couples is if they want to attend a luau. All of the luaus on the island start early so that you would not be able to have a sunset wedding if you are attending a luau. Another exception is if you want an early morning wedding. We've never actually performed a sunrise wedding, as most of our vendors do not want to get up in the morning when it is still dark. We also live on the wrong side of the island to see a truly good sunrise. We have a 10,000 foot high volcano sitting between us and that sun, and it usually doesn't clear the mountain until after 9 a.m.
Also, couples you want to get married in a garden or at a waterfall, usually don't have sunset weddings because you usually can't see the sunset from those locations. And most Maui garden wedding sites are only open up until 5 p.m. Also, couples who want a wedding chapel often get married earlier in the day.
The ultimate wedding in paradise should be a Maui sunset wedding. On Maui I would say that about 90 to 95 percent of the time, we have awesome sunsets. There so great, I often tell our couples: "I want you to know that we ordered this sunset just for you."
There is nothing like seeing that golden globe reaching the horizon as you walk hand-in-hand on the beach while the sun is setting towards the ocean. Each Maui sunset is different. Each has its own particular characteristics. There are almost always clouds in the sky, and that's what makes a sunset so striking as the clouds change colors while the sun is moving slowly towards the horizon.
As a company, we pride ourselves on making certain that we allow the right amount of time on a Maui sunset beach wedding so that our couples can enjoy the golden glow on the horizon and also so that they are not rushed as the sun disappears. Some couples think that a sunset wedding takes place exactly as the sun sets. Actually, we want to finish your Maui wedding 45 minutes to a hour before the sun sets so that we have adequate time to get all of those great sunset photos that we specialize in.
But recording those beautiful memories in your photography or wedding video is important. You will want to remember that moment for a lifetime. It is so important that you make certain you have a photographer who knows how to shoot the Maui sunset. Although we usually prefer a wedding beach this is secluded and private, we have sometimes found ourselves on beaches that were crowded with other newly married couples and their photographers.
We find it interesting to occasionally glance over at other photographers and see what they're doing, if for no other reason than to get some new ideas. Usually, however, we're surprised by how often I'll see a photographer stop shooting just as the sun is reaching its most dramatic moments. Or worse, they are shooting parallel to the sun so that the colorful sky will not appear in their photographs.
As amazing as it might seem, not all Hawaii wedding photographers know how to shoot the sunset. If you don't flash it just right, it is easy to lose the color in the sky by making it go too light or too dark. We like to shoot our couples with a large telephoto lens right as the sun reaches the horizon (usually right over their shoulders), so that we can have the largest size orange in the picture as possible.
If you want good sunset photography at your Hawaii wedding, by all means look at the photographer's website to be certain that he knows how to shoot it. Several years ago one of our couples hired their own photographer and brought her to our wedding sight. The wedding took below the resort hotel, but the photographer took at least half of her pictures in the lobby! Why, I wondered would you do that when you can get a lobby anywhere in the world, especially when Hawaii provides such a beautiful background for our couples. When the photographer did shoot the couple overlooking the ocean, the sun and clouds created one of the most beautiful skies I've ever seen. John remarked to the groom how gorgeous the sunset was and he asked the photographer, "could we get some shots of the sunset too?"Her response was: "The light is not right." Woe. That photographer apparently had no idea how to shoot that sunset, and not wanting to embarrass herself when the pictures came back, she just talked her way out of avoiding the task altogether. So, be certain that you have a photographer who knows how to shoot a Hawaii sunset wedding so that you won't end up disappointed.
To make certain you get a sunset slot on our calendar be sure and book early enough to get your own Maui sunset wedding. If you have a memorable day on which you want to be married, that's all the more reason to book early so that you won't be disappointed because someone else already has "your sunset" slot booked.
