Getting married in Hawaii means thinking about the perfect beach wedding dress! Learn all about which style and fabric will be perfect for your day.
Getting married in Hawaii means thinking about the best beach wedding dress!
If you’re planning a tropical wedding on the sand, now it’s time to find the perfect beach wedding dress. Follow our guide and learn all about which silhouette, length, fabric and detailing will work best in the sand and sun on your big day.
Silhouette
Once you start dress shopping, the first thing you need to narrow down is which silhouette works best for your location. There’s no way you’ll enjoy your beach wedding if you’re traipsing around the sand in a ball gown. Your dress should be lightweight and be able to move in the breeze. However, be sure it’s not so loose that it gets kicked up too high if it’s windy.
Length
When you’re thinking about which length is best, remember that you will probably be wearing sandals or even no shoes at all. And although a long dress is beautiful, we don’t recommend having a train as you’ll be dragging sand around with you.
Consider tea length (about mid-calf) or even shorter. It’s a beach wedding, after all, and being a tad more casual is perfectly acceptable.
Fabric
Your beach wedding dress should be lightweight and have some movement to it. One important thing to consider is how well it will pack. You don’t want to pull a wrinkled mess out of your zippered wardrobe hanger! Here are some fabrics that work best in this scenario:
Chiffon
Organza
Georgette
Voile
Crepe
Cotton eyelet
These fabrics will keep you nice and cool, will flow beautifully in the breeze, and will pack and unpack well.
Detailing
On the beach, the main focus should be you and the scenery. Because of that, simple dress details are usually best. There is no need for heavy beading or intricate handwork. Instead, use ruffles or pleats, flowers, and your own smile as your main accessories. If you don’t want to deal with a blowing veil, you may want to consider a different type of headpiece.
It may be very bright and hot the day of your wedding so consider using a fancy parasol to block the sun. There is also a chance that you will encounter cooler weather, wind or scattered rain while on the beach. You may want to plan to have a beautiful scarf or shawl handy just in case.
If you have any questions or want a Kauai wedding photography consultation, contact us today and we’ll be thrilled to work with you.
Learn the most important factors to consider when choosing a Kauai wedding photographer. There’s more to it than just price or the number of images offered.
Choosing a great Kauai wedding photographer
is obviously important for any Kauai wedding which includes photography. However with a lot of great photographers out there, how do find the right one for you, especially if you have no experience with professional photography? Learn the most important factors to consider when choosing your Kauai wedding photographer. There’s more to it than just price or the number of images offered. We suggest checking our the various portfolios and galleries of wedding photographers, then using your intuition or going with your gut to make the final decision.
Essential Points to Keep in Mind when Choosing a Kauai Wedding Photographer
Having said that, below are some points or criteria you can use when trying to assess who would be the best Kauai wedding photographer for you:
• Detail-Oriented: Is your photographer great with details? Can he/she scan you and see if something is out of place, such as strands of hair, necklaces, bra straps, etc.?
• Quick Learner: Will your Kauai wedding photographer catch on quickly to learn what you want during the shoot?
• Natural Setting: Is your wedding photographer willing to include Kauai’s nature as backdrop and change the setting if need be, to get the best possible images?
• Flexible: Is your photographer flexible, and willing to move his/her schedule around your wedding?
• Organized: Is your wedding photographer organized? Do they operate by methodically getting through a list of wanted shots?
• Affordable: Does your Kauai wedding photographer have reasonable prices within your budget so you’re not stressed?
• Experience: Has wedding planning experience, not just wedding photography experience?
Call us at Timory McDonald Photography at 888-939-3885 for a free consultation!
One of the best Kauai Wedding Photo tips: stand in front of a jaw-dropping background – not always easy, but Kauai has many options! (The photo above was a double rainbow)
Want some Kauai wedding photo tips?
We’ve have been doing Kauai wedding photography for a long time, on this most beautiful gem of the Hawaiian islands. Based on our extensive experience, we have come up with a quick and handy list of the most important things to bear in mind when getting ready for (and during) your Kauai wedding shots. Here are our top 6 Kauai wedding photo tips, but you can get more photo tips here!
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #1
Kauai can be really hot, especially during the months leading up to summer and during summer, and especially if you come from a cold US state or foreign country. It is normal for temperatures to reach between 80-95°F (26-35°C). Stay out of the sun as much as possible to reduce sweating and squinting. Also, try to do the wedding photos at start of your trip, so you have the rest of your time to relax and play without having to schedule things around them.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #2
A good Kauai wedding photographer can help you find slimming or flattering poses to help you hide certain parts of your body if need be. Don’t hesitate to ask your photographer about it. Professional photographers are well-practiced with image composition, i.e. setting up an image in the right way, including setting up people to look their best.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #3
If you’re coming to Kauai for a destination wedding, you’ll be wearing unusual clothes (i.e. a wedding dress) that you’re not used to wearing. Ask your photographer for help in adjusting it to make it look right.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #4
If you have a Kauai destination wedding with guests, chances are that they have flown a long way from the US mainland to be here. They may be older, but regardless of their age, they may get tired. It’s important to give tired people a break in between shots.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #5
A wedding is meant to fun, light and joyous, right? Help your guests relax by talking or joking around. Happy people make better wedding shots!
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #6
Finally, here is the last Kauai wedding tip: avoid windblown hair by wearing your hair up. You would be surprised by how many people ignore this one – only to have wisps, curls and strands of hair flying in their husbands’ faces! You’ll be able to relax and be more at ease knowing that your hair is held in position when standing on Kauai’s windy beaches.
Call us at Timory McDonald Photography at 888-939-3885 for a free consultation!
A Kauai wedding beauty stylist has to work with some pretty windy conditions on Kauai!
Why should every bride see a Kauai wedding beauty stylist?
We conducted an interview with Mia Moriguchi, Kauai wedding beauty stylist and owner of Mia’s Haven in Lihue, Kauai. We asked her some questions about wedding hair and makeup, especially as it pertains to Kauai weddings. Below are the questions we asked and Mia’s replies.
Question: What is beauty styling exactly? Can you give me an idea of the scope of services you offer?
I offer makeup services as well as complimentary hairstyling.
Question: Why did you choose beauty styling as a profession?
I enjoy art and transformation. I love to help bring out a person’s natural beauty through my work and seeing the joy and self esteem it brings them afterward.
Question: What’s different about doing beauty styling on Kauai, or beauty styling on Hawaii, compared with beauty styling elsewhere? Is there anything challenging about doing beauty styling on Kauai specifically?
With beauty styling in Hawaii you have to take into consideration the humidity, wind and heat. Hair does not hold curl as well in Hawaii, so the right products and appropriate styling methods are very important to ensure the clients’ hairstyle will last throughout the day/night. The same goes for makeup. Makeup must be set properly and the right products must be used to endure the Hawaii heat and humidity.
Question: Do you use special materials, colors or beauty styling products which are more resistant to humidity and heat, since many brides who come to you are doing outdoor Kauai beach weddings? Can you tell us a bit about them?
Yes I do. I always use humidity resistant hair products and waterproof makeup.
Question: What are the things you enjoy most about doing beauty styling?
Being a part of such an important day in a person’s life! I enjoying making my bride’s feel beautiful and confident!
Question: Why do you recommend a bride always get beauty styling done professionally for their wedding day?
Having your makeup and hair done professionally on your wedding day relieves the stress of doing it yourself. A Kauai wedding beauty stylist will also know the right kinds of product to use, as well as make sure that your makeup will be enough for photos.
Question: What does a bride getting married on Kauai need to know about getting her hair and makeup done?
The Kauai wedding beauty stylist professionals here are familiar with the climate of Hawaii and know what products and methods work best for it.
Lydgate Beach is a great, private Kauai wedding location – perfect for wedding photography.
Our Kauai wedding location series
of blog articles will take a look at some of the best places on Kauai for weddings and best beaches for wedding photography. Since Kauai has a multitude of top-notch beaches and other outdoor wedding locations, we will be going through the best of them one-by-one to show you a little about each. We love performing the service of Kauai wedding photography at all of them; there’s nothing like being outside in the beauty of Nature. Today’s featured Kauai wedding location is Lydgate Beach on the East Side of Kauai.
Lydgate Beach, Superb Kauai Wedding Location
Lydgate is located in Kapaa near the Wailua river, which used to be sacred to the Hawaiian royalty. Lydgate is mostly known as a park, not a beach. It hosts the largest and best park for kids on Kauai, along with several pavilions, barbecues and a camping area. Strangely, not so many people know about Lydgate Beach, which is a great beach to swim at, and which extends along the coastline for miles. Because it is so long, expansive and relatively unvisited, along with having great mountain backdrops, Lydgate Beach is a hidden gem. It is our personal favorite when it comes to Kauai wedding locations!
Lydgate Beach: Privacy Supreme
It is uncommon to see weddings taking place at Lydgate (unlike the crowd of weddings at Shipwrecks Beach on the South Shore). Also, there are many sections where rocks jut out into the ocean, which creates little private areas along the beach. Every single beach on Kauai is public, so you can never get a complete guarantee of having a beach to yourself, but at Lydgate you are very likely to have a private ceremony. If someone else is there, they will likely be off in the distance, fishing or taking a walk.
Lydgate Beach Has Rainy Day Options
The East Side of Kauai can be both sunny and rainy – sometimes on the same day or in the same hour! Overall the East Side is not that wet, especially compared to Kauai’s North Shore. However, the great thing about Lydgate Beach as a Kauai wedding location is that it comes with rainy day options, in the form of various pavilions that provide a covered area to perform a wedding. They are free of charge too.
Having done Kauai wedding photography and planning for many years now, we know the best hidden and secluded Kauai wedding locations to make a perfect backdrop for your wedding photos. Call us at 888-939-3885 today for a free consultation!
Many Kauai beach wedding locations offer stunning backdrops such as this cloud reflection.
Kauai beach wedding locations
are numerous throughout the Garden Island. Kauai has been blessed with extraordinary natural beauty, from lush green jungles to towering cliffs to botanical gardens to majestic mountains. Of course, the beaches are wonderful too, and quite varied. Some are crowded, some are deserted; some are rocky, some are sandy; some are super dry and sunny, while others are prone to having overcast weather. Here’s an overview of the main Kauai beach wedding locations, sorted by which side of the island they are on.
North Shore Kauai Beach Wedding Locations
The North Shore of Kauai is truly spectacular. It is the wettest and most lush part of the island, home to scenic views, thick vegetation and the charming crescent-shaped Hanalei Bay. There are several outstanding beach wedding locations on this part of Kauai, including Ke’e Beach (at the very end of the road near the start of the Kalalau trail), Tunnels Beach (a little further along from Ke’e, with a gorgeous backdrop of the Bali Hai mountains) and Hanalei Beach itself.
Pros: Great backdrops for photos, expansive scenery
Cons: Generally wet, high chance of rain in the “winter” months (September to March)
East Side Kauai Beach Wedding Locations
The East Side of Kauai is the most populated, yet strangely, the beaches themselves are less crowded and more private than elsewhere. This is because Kauai’s more famous beaches are either on the North or South Shore. The East Side offers some mostly unknown yet lovely beaches such as Lydgate Beach and Nukolii Beach.
Pros: Private beaches, central location near hotels, restaurants and entertainment
Cons: Beaches sometimes have a lot of driftwood
South Shore Kauai Beach Wedding Locations
One great thing about the South Shore of Kauai is that it is consistently dry and sunny, making it a good Kauai beach wedding location if you are worried about rain on your special day. The South Shore includes Poipu Beach and Shipwrecks Beach – the latter being the most famous and popular beach on the island. While Shipwrecks is certainly picturesque, it is often crowded and home to many beach weddings occurring simultaneously.
Pros: Almost always sunny, located near many hotels
Cons: Beaches are popular and crowded, some such as Shipwrecks often has multiple weddings occurring at same time
West Side Kauai Beach Wedding Locations
The West Side of Kauai is very dry, dusty and desert-like. It is sparsely populated with very few hotels or restaurants. Not many people choose to get married on a West Side Beach, but there are some options, the main one being Polihale, a remote and rugged expanse of beach far away from the main highway.
Pros: Almost always dry and sunny
Cons: Very remote, not close to hotels and restaurants, beaches such as Polihale difficult to access
Having done Kauai wedding photography and planning for many years now, we know the best hidden and secluded Kauai beach wedding locations to make a perfect backdrop for your wedding photos. Call us at 888-939-3885 today for a free consultation!
