5 Easy Steps to Plan Your Intimate Micro-Wedding on Kaua'i

Planning an intimate, micro-wedding on Kaua'i is easy when you book with Hart Photography! We have helped over 200 couples create a beautifully unique and intimate wedding day that is true to them as a couple. We planned our own micro-wedding on Kaua'i, so we know what it's like to start the process and soon realize that even planning a small gathering can become overwhelming if no one is pointing you in the direction that aligns with your values! So, we've created an easy step-by-step process to help you plan your special day here on the Garden Isle.

Step 1 - Get inspired!

It's hard to start planning if you don't really know what you want! So, the first step is to do some research and get inspired! (Which is probably what brought you here! So you're already on the right track!)

Make that Pinterest board with all the photos of Hawaii weddings and elopements that you love, and get an idea if you're leaning more towards a wedding on the beach at sunset, a celebration on hotel grounds, an epic adventure on a catamaran, or an intimate ceremony at a waterfall in the lush jungle.

Here are some questions to ask yourself and your partner:

• Do you envision your close family and friends being there, or will it just be the two of you?

• Do you want a planner to take care of all the details of reaching out to vendors and coordinating a timeline or do you want to do it all yourself?

• Do you want photos and video to document the day?

• Do you want a Hawaiian officiant, a religious pastor, or a non-denominational officiant to marry you?

• What is the feeling you want to have when that day finally arrives? And what is the feeling you want to have when you look back at your photos in 30 years?

  
  

Getting a clear idea of these elements will help you with the rest of the process.

Step 2 - Either reach out to your preferred venue or your preferred photographer first!

You might have expected us to say, book your wedding planner first, but for most intimate weddings, it's pretty easy to plan and book your vendors yourself based on the recommendations given to you by your photographer! However, if you're more of a hands-off kind of person, who would like to have someone else reach out to vendors and coordinate the day, then we recommend reaching out to our favorite local planning teams: Kaua'i Elopements, ABC Weddings, Lotus Events & Weddings, Styled with Anna, and Legacy Events.

If you're more of a DYI kind of planner, we are more than happy to help guide you in the direction that aligns with you most! Before booking other vendors, we recommend booking your venue and photographer first. You'll want to make sure that the date you and your partner have decided on is available at your preferred venue, and you'll want to make sure that the photography style you love is also available. Some venues require a wedding coordinator, so you'll want to make sure you are clear on what the requirements of the venue are before reaching out to other vendors.

Photos are one of the only things you get to "take home" from your wedding day, and you want to make sure that the photographer you want is available! Plus, when you reach out to your photographer, they will have so much helpful information for planning your day. Not only will they be able to create a timeline for photos, they will be able to recommend certain locations for certain times of year, the best vendors for the rest of the team that makes your special day happen, and they'll answer most, if not all, of your planning questions.

Step 3 - Take a little planning break after you've booked your photographer and venue!

Take a break!? But there's so much left to do!

Yes! Take a break babe :) You only get to be engaged for so long, and this is a really special time in your and your partners lives. Remember to slow down and enjoy it!

Even planning a small wedding can get a little overwhelming at times, so make sure you and your partner stay connected and communicative throughout the process. If you're planning with less than 3 months before the big day, just take a week off talking about it. If you have 6 months or more, then take a couple weeks off and come back to it when you're ready. You'll feel refreshed and excited, rather than dreading all the emails you have yet to send.

Step 4 - Book your other vendors based on the recommendations from your planner or photographer

Other vendors you may want to hire include:

• A Hawaii licensed officiant

• A florist

• A hair and makeup artist

• A musician

• A private chef, catering company, or restaurant

• A bakery or dessert company

• A rental company for chairs, a ceremony arch, table linens, or a tent

When you reach out to Hart Photography for your special day, we'll send you our list of preferred Kauai Wedding Vendors. We have such a wonderful community of wedding vendors on Kaua'i. Everyone is absolutely amazing at what they do and you can feel confident hiring anyone on our list. Reach out today and let's get started!

Step 5 - Your wedding photographer or coordinator will send you a timeline and answer any last minute questions

Once we are about 1 month out from your special day, your photographer or coordinator will send you a tentative timeline of the day.

Here is an example of a timeline for an intimate micro wedding at the North Shore Waterfall on Kauai with 4 hours of photography:

1:00pm - Hair and makeup starts

3:00pm - Hair and makeup finishing touches, photographer arrives for getting ready photos and detail shots

3:30pm - First look at AirBnB

3:45pm - Drive to ceremony location: North Shore Waterfall near Kalihiwai Beach

4:15pm - Ceremony starts

4:45pm - Ceremony concludes, family photos begin

5:15pm - Couple only photos at ceremony location

5:45pm - Head out to another nearby location for sunset photos on the beach

6:00pm - Arrive at second location

7:00pm - Sunset and photos complete, on to "Happily Ever After!"

This is just an idea of what your day could look like! It's completely customizable, so feel free to share all of your ideas with us and we will do our very best to make it happen.

And there you have it, 5 easy steps to plan your intimate micro-wedding on Kauai. It's easy when you start with us. Reach out today and let's get started!

Annie & The Hart Photography Team would love to document your special day!