This spot at Waimenalo Beach and sunrise has always been magical, so I wanted so badly to do a big planned shoot here. When I met Arron & Brooke during a New Year’s session, they were just so organic on camera and easy to work with - plus they’re a real couple, so it felt right. When I asked if he happened to have a tux, and he said yes, it was a no-brainer. They never had wedding pictures taken, so this was a win-win for all of us.

I first reached out to Mai from Aloha Paradise Studios as she immediately came to mind - I had shot at her space before, and she passively mentioned that she did styled picnics, and her style is impeccable. I put the call out for other photographers to join us on such a special occasion. It was scary to reach out to vendors and do so much research for our first-ever styled shoot, but in the end it was more than worth it.

I was filled with nervous energy on the day of the shoot, especially about the weather, but it made it feel more authentic, like a real elopement. Getting everyone in the same location, finding a good spot to set up, and closed entry gates when we got there all heightened the stakes, but it ended up going super smoothly.

Because it was such a big group, it was amazing to bounce ideas off each other, especially right after the COVID lockdowns lifted. Collaborating with other talented photographers made it feel incredibly special after months and months of isolation. The hard part was making sure everyone got a say in the poses, while everyone had different goals and skill levels - but that’s so similar to a real wedding day that it was great practice for all of us.

This was so much work, and more went into it than I ever expected, since we only planned for a month, but it was exhilarating and made me us better, more creative photographers.