Nicole & Ethan's Sunrise Elopement at Paliku Gardens and Jumanji

weddingelopement

Oct 21

Nicole in a white dress and veil looks back over her shoulder while holding Ethan's hand as they walk through grass toward the green Ko'olau mountains at Paliku Gardens, Kualoa Ranch, during their sunrise elopement on Oahu, Hawaii.

Nicole and Ethan got married in the morning at Paliku Gardens, just their closest family and friends there. No big production, no ballroom, just a small ceremony at Kualoa Ranch to start the day. That is very much their speed, and it fit them perfectly.

Shelby coordinated the morning with Tone Studio while I photographed it, so there was nothing for them to figure out as the day went. They showed up, said their vows in front of the Ko'olau Mountains, and got to actually be there for all of it instead of running a timeline in their heads.

A wide view of Nicole and Ethan's small morning ceremony under palm trees at Paliku Gardens, Kualoa Ranch, with their closest family and friends seated on the lawn and the ocean glowing behind them on Oahu, Hawaii.

Nicole places a lei over Ethan's bowed head during their sunrise ceremony at Paliku Gardens, Kualoa Ranch, while their officiant watches from the side in warm morning light on Oahu, Hawaii.

Then we went to Jumanji

After the ceremony we headed over to their Jumanji location for portraits, and that part still gets me. One minute we were at the ceremony site, the next we were standing in the middle of the jungle and it felt like we stepped right into a movie. Nicole and Ethan were laughing and taking it all in the whole time, which is really all you can ask for in front of a camera.

It is also just a fun way to do a wedding day. Two completely different sides of Kualoa Ranch in one morning, and they were married before most people were even thinking about lunch. Small wedding, portraits that look like a film set, done by midday, and the whole rest of the day still ahead of them. Hard to argue with that plan.

Nicole and Ethan stand tiny in the distance on a broad green lawn beneath the dramatic ridged Ko'olau mountains and palm trees at Kualoa Ranch on Oahu, Hawaii, in a cinematic wide elopement portrait.

A small wedding still gets the full day

Keeping it small did not mean keeping it plain. They had florals, an officiant, hair and makeup, and their favorite people standing right there with them. It felt like a complete wedding day, just simpler and more relaxed, which is exactly what a morning elopement at Paliku Gardens does well.

If you are the kind of couple who would rather be outside than in a ballroom, and you like the idea of getting married somewhere that looks like a movie, this is a pretty good blueprint.

Congratulations, Nicole and Ethan. This was a fun one, and we were glad to be there for it.

Planning something similar at Kualoa Ranch? Tone Studio offers photography and day-of coordination together for Paliku Gardens elopements, so the morning runs itself and you can just enjoy it. Send us a message and tell us what you are thinking.