From my very first call with Cady and Amin about their destination elopement in Kauai, I knew not only that we’d get along SO well, but that their wedding day would be absolutely incredible. They chose Kauai as their location because they wanted to travel somewhere unique and beautiful (exploring new places together is one of their favorite things) and also be in the US since international travel was still restricted due to the pandemic. This location couldn’t have been more perfect! There’s such a variety in scenery and landscapes and the island culture is so special. One of the things I loved most about these two is how they really seemed to appreciate every little detail and moment of the day. From admiring the plants and views and experiences to constantly looking over at each other and saying “IT’S HERE”, “WE’RE FINALLY GETTING MARRIED”. It’s easy to get lost in the go-go-go on a wedding day, but eloping really allows you to slow down and take things at your own pace. We hardly had to check the time and got to really soak in each of the places we visited and had SO much fun the whole day!

The Elopement Day

After Cady and Amin checked into their airbnb, we realized that my airbnb was literally just across the street from them so on the morning of their elopement day, I walked over and just hopped in their truck and we took off for our first adventure of the day — Waimea Canyon! On the west side of the island, this geographical wonder lays where it was formed by the Waimea River (plus a ton of annual rainfall) as it cut through the lava and basalt fields from the volcano that created the island. It’s honestly such an amazing thing to see! We made a quick stop at a tiny waterfall flowing through the red dirt on our way up to the trailhead of our hike and I loveee how the colors of the sky and earth contrast so beautifully.

Once we got to the trailhead we hiked through the jungle to some of the best views of the canyon and played around in one of the waterfalls before making our way back to the car and heading to get ready for the ceremony!

The airbnb they booked was SO cute - I snapped some photos of their elopement day details and they had a first look once Cady put on her beautiful dress, designed by Daci of Daci Gowns! Cady also gave Amin a lei, which is a Hawaiian tradition that represents love, respect, and the spirit of Aloha :)

Now for the ceremony! Cady and Amin picked out the beach for their ceremony ahead of time but chose not to visit it until the day of their wedding to keep it as a special surprise. I had scouted the area before so they trusted me that this was a great spot - and as you can see from the photos, it definitely was! When we got to the beach after hiking down the jungle trail, I let them pick out where they’d say their vows and they chose a beautiful spot on the black rocks right by the ocean with the waves crashing around them. It was so sweet to witness these two commit their lives to each other after building a beautiful relationship throughout the last 6 years. This day was filled with so much joy, a few (happy) tears, and lots and lots of love. I’m so thankful to have been a part of this experience! There’s a million other things I could say here, but I will let you get to the photos because I think they do a pretty great job of telling the story.

Photographer: Carrie Rogers Photography
Dress: Daci Gowns
Florals: Flowers Forever
Officiant: Julie Wirtz

Cady & Amin’s Testimonial:

“Carrie made our elopement in Kauai, Hawaii so incredibly special. Planning a destination elopement can be a little intimidating, but Carrie is so helpful throughout the planning process and will be as hands-on or as hands-off as you need! She is detail-oriented, experienced, and very well-prepared, which was apparent throughout the planning process and on our elopement day. She does extensive travel research and knows your situation down to the parking - which is so helpful when traveling somewhere new! She even completed our hike ahead of time to scope out the best places to capture our special day, I don’t think she could have done more for us! Carrie is so talented with such a kind heart and we felt so comfortable having her join us on our special day. We were completely blown away when we received our photos - she turns a casual moment into magic! She captured so many special moments and details of our day in such a beautiful way and we will treasure them forever. Her photos told the story of our day, the plants along our hike, the moon in the sky over the beach, dress details, all the small things that may fade from memory over time but now we get to keep forever. Our family and friends think our photos belong in a magazine! We feel like we truly made a friend in Carrie and we are so thankful for her. She is so incredibly talented and we 1000/10 recommend Carrie and hope to work with her again in the future!”

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