I’ve never been to Hawaii, but in this Maui elopement, I can live vicariously through photographer Mariah Milan, who endearingly starts her emails with “Aloha” and ends them with “Mahalo.”
The bride and groom, Danielle and Jimmy, wanted a small, intimate ceremony on Kukahiko Estate, for which Milan happily photographed. In addition to writing their own vows, “they were fun and willing to venture all over the private estate for the images they wanted,” says the photographer.
“We were all lucky to be serenaded by Kaniala and his beautiful voice,” writes Milan in her blog post about the wedding. “He even followed us out onto the rocks so we always had the sound of the rolling waves and his voice and ukulele.”
The ceremony was shot with a Nikon D4, 50mm 1.4 lens, as well as a Nikon D700 and a 24-70mm 2.8 lens in the mid-afternoon under cloud cover and soft light, which—says Milan “was perfect for a filmy, romantic look.”
But being in beautiful Hawaii doesn’t mean everything is perfect. Not only was rain a factor, but, “We did have to walk over pretty sharp lava rocks to get out onto the lava peninsula, and the waves were huge and very loud!” says Milan. Aside from that, the photographer says it was “the perfect day.”
To see more of Milan’s weddings, visit her website. To submit a wedding feature, email Jessica Gordon.