Hawaii Wedding & Photography Podcast

Steven Hill

Looking for the best information about weddings and photography in Hawaii? You have come to the right place. Join the team behind Maui Wedding Group for helpful advice and friendly conversations about getting married and photographed across Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. Drawing on more than 3,500 weddings planned and over 5,000 wedding and portrait sessions photographed, we share what we have learned so you feel prepared and actually enjoy the process. Just real answers from people who do this every day. We are the planners, coordinators, photographers, and in house editors behind Simple Maui Wedding, Simple Oahu Wedding, Simple Hawaii Wedding, and Karma Hill Photography. From choosing your island and ceremony location to helping your family feel comfortable in front of the camera, these are the things we work through with couples and families all the time. Every photographer trains under professional photographer Karma Hill's signature style, so your photos look incredible no matter which talented team member shoots them. Each episode brings you practical tips and answers to the questions we hear most, covering weddings, elopements, vow renewals, proposals, and portrait sessions, from the best locations and timing to the lighting and what to expect along the way. Whether you are starting your wedding plans or booking photos for your next Hawaii vacation, pull up a chair. We are here to help you plan less and celebrate more. Find us at simplemauiwedding.net, simpleoahuwedding.com, simplehawaiiwedding.com, and karmahill.com. Have a question you would love us to answer? Send it our way for a future episode. We would love to hear from you.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Maui Elopement Packages: No Planning, No Stress, No Joke

    Simple Maui Wedding makes eloping on Maui simple: one local team handles the officiant, beach, permits, photography, florals, and timeline, so you plan almost nothing and just show up to get married. This episode breaks down how a Simple Maui Wedding elopement really works, what it costs, and the questions couples ask most. You can also browse 400+  Maui elopements to picture your own Maui wedding day. Simple Maui Wedding handles everything. The officiant, beach location, permits, photography, florals, and timeline come bundled into one price, planned by a team that has run more than 2,000 Maui weddings since 2009 (more than 3,700 across Hawaii with its sister brands).Clear, tiered pricing. From $1,850 plus tax for the two of you, $3,100 plus tax for up to 10 guests, and up to $5,500 plus tax for larger packages with more photography.Easy to plan from far away. Simple Maui Wedding runs the whole process by email and phone, so everything is ready before you land. Couples book from across the mainland and overseas, sight unseen.The license is your one task. Apply online ($65), then meet a license agent in person on Maui. No residency requirement, no waiting period, valid for 30 days.Permits and guest limits, handled. Every beach ceremony needs a state permit, which Simple Maui Wedding secures. The state caps headcount at 30, including vendors, so packages keep guests to 25, with no chairs or arches on the sand. Pick from the Maui beach wedding locations Simple Maui Wedding uses, from Polo and Southside to Maluaka and Ironwoods. Photos are by Karma Hill Photography, with a team of Maui photographers with over 5,000 sessions completed across Hawaii. Florals are premium quality, prioritizing local flowers whenever possible. Contact Simple Maui Wedding for more information about planning your venue wedding in Maui. https://simplemauiwedding.net or Karma Hill Photography for the best portrait photography in Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. https://karmahill.com

    Maui Elopement Packages: No Planning, No Stress, No Joke
  2. 4d ago

    Maui Vow Renewals: Your Second "I Do," the Easy Way

    A Maui vow renewal is a chance to say it all again, 10, 25, 40 years in, minus the part nobody misses: the paperwork. No marriage license, no legal to-do list, just the two of you back on the sand recommitting to the life you have built. That is the whole secret, and this episode is about making it the easiest beautiful day of your trip. No license, no stress. A vow renewal is symbolic, so there is no marriage license and none of the legal steps a wedding needs. Most ceremonies run a sweet 10 to 30 minutes. You are not planning a wedding; you are celebrating the marriage you already have.Somebody else handles everything. Simple Maui Wedding bundles the officiant, beach, permit, photography, and florals into one planned ceremony starting around $1,850 plus tax. Your only real job is to show up and mean it.The number makes sense. From $1,850 plus tax for just the two of you, $3,100 for up to 10 guests, and a premier flower-circle-in-the-sand experience at $5,500. It scales to your people, not to a hidden wedding markup.Maui earns its place in the frame. Picture Po’olenalena at sunset or Polo Beach in soft morning light, shot by the Karma Hill Photography team that knows exactly when the island looks its best. Sunset slots book up fast, so the early birds get the good light.It is yours to personalize. Write your own vows (couples always have more to say than they expect after years together), add a lei exchange or a Hawaiian blessing, and pull the kids or grandkids right into the ceremony.When you are ready to say it again, the packages, real pricing, beaches, and traditions all live on the Maui vow renewal page. Simple Maui Wedding has planned more than 2,000 Maui weddings since 2009, so the hard part is already handled. Contact Simple Maui Wedding for more information about planning your venue wedding in Maui. https://simplemauiwedding.net or Karma Hill Photography for the best portrait photography in Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. https://karmahill.com

    Maui Vow Renewals: Your Second "I Do," the Easy Way
  3. Oct 12

    Maui Family Portraits: The Gift Your Future Self Will Thank You For

    Here is the thing nobody tells you about family photos: the best ones almost never happen at home. At home, you are tired, the dog needs to go out, and somebody has a soccer game in 40 minutes. With Maui family portraits, you're relaxed, you are together, and for once nobody is checking the time. That is the whole secret, and this episode is about using it before the week slips by. Relaxed you takes a better photo. No time crunch, no rushing back to anything. The camera catches that ease, and so will you, every time you look back.Everyone is this age exactly once. Kids change fast, and a trip is often the rare week 3 generations stand on the same beach. You are not being sentimental; you are being smart.It quietly becomes a tradition. Some families come back every year just to watch everyone grow on the same shoreline, and the galleries become a timeline you will not want to stop scrolling through.Maui earns its place in the frame. Bright, clean morning light or warm golden sunset, the island carries the whole trip inside the photo.They are weirdly great with reluctant teenagers. Karma Hill Photography has shot Maui families since 2007, holds a 4.96-star rating across 220+ reviews, grabs the beach permit, and sends a sneak peek in about 1 week. Showing up and smiling is the only thing left on your list.When you are ready (ideally before you are standing on the sand realizing you booked the rental car, the luau, and the snorkel trip but not this), the packages, real pricing, galleries, and the beaches we love all live on the Maui Family Photographers page. Book online before you even land. Photography by Karma Hill Photography. Contact Simple Maui Wedding for more information about planning your venue wedding in Maui. https://simplemauiwedding.net or Karma Hill Photography for the best portrait photography in Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. https://karmahill.com

    Maui Family Portraits: The Gift Your Future Self Will Thank You For
  4. Oct 1

    The Real Math of Maui Wedding Venues

    Maui wedding venues range from about $4,300 to $15,000, and this episode breaks down what that price actually buys so you can choose with confidence instead of guessing. In this episode: You are renting a ceremony window, not a whole day. 2 to 3 hours of exclusive use, timed for morning or sunset, never the harsh midday sun.Price follows the view. Ocean views at a friendly price, true oceanfront in the middle, iconic resorts at the top.Weekdays often cost less than weekends. Moving your date or time can save real money.The reception is separate. Resorts carry food and beverage minimums, and most will not book you without a licensed local wedding planner.Guest count decides your options. Beach ceremonies are capped by permit with no chairs or arches on the sand, so larger or seated groups need a venue.We walk through where three favorites fall on the ladder: Gather on Maui for panoramic ocean views, Wailea Beach Resort for oceanfront at a reasonable cost, and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea at the iconic end. Pricing shifts from year to year, so treat these as general ranges rather than quotes. The details in this episode come from the planning team at Simple Maui Wedding, who work these venues every week. For the current numbers, see all 14 Maui wedding venues with real pricing. Photography by Karma Hill Photography. Contact Simple Maui Wedding for more information about planning your venue wedding in Maui. https://simplemauiwedding.net or Karma Hill Photography for the best portrait photography in Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. https://karmahill.com

    The Real Math of Maui Wedding Venues

About

Looking for the best information about weddings and photography in Hawaii? You have come to the right place. Join the team behind Maui Wedding Group for helpful advice and friendly conversations about getting married and photographed across Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. Drawing on more than 3,500 weddings planned and over 5,000 wedding and portrait sessions photographed, we share what we have learned so you feel prepared and actually enjoy the process. Just real answers from people who do this every day. We are the planners, coordinators, photographers, and in house editors behind Simple Maui Wedding, Simple Oahu Wedding, Simple Hawaii Wedding, and Karma Hill Photography. From choosing your island and ceremony location to helping your family feel comfortable in front of the camera, these are the things we work through with couples and families all the time. Every photographer trains under professional photographer Karma Hill's signature style, so your photos look incredible no matter which talented team member shoots them. Each episode brings you practical tips and answers to the questions we hear most, covering weddings, elopements, vow renewals, proposals, and portrait sessions, from the best locations and timing to the lighting and what to expect along the way. Whether you are starting your wedding plans or booking photos for your next Hawaii vacation, pull up a chair. We are here to help you plan less and celebrate more. Find us at simplemauiwedding.net, simpleoahuwedding.com, simplehawaiiwedding.com, and karmahill.com. Have a question you would love us to answer? Send it our way for a future episode. We would love to hear from you.