waimea canyon kauai

Waimea Canyon Adventure Elopement Inspiration

Spoiler alert: your adventure elopement doesn’t have to involve miles of hiking. Yup, I said it. Today I’m going to show you Carrie & Austin’s adventure bridal session at Waimea Canyon and tell you all about how we managed to do it with zero hiking whatsoever!

bride and groom walking

Waimea Canyon State Park is one of Kauai’s most beautiful locations, in my personal opinion. We decided to go here for Carrie & Austin’s session because of how crazy-filled it is with beauty everywhere. From waterfalls to Kauai’s famous red dirt to green and pink canyons, it truly has it all. And it has it all without having to hike.

A lot of my couples do end up being hikers and big into the outdoors – I attract those kinds of people because that’s how I am, too! I always prioritize outside time with my family and kiddos, and I love doing that same thing with my couples. But the outdoors are for everyone to enjoy, not just the avid hikers or athletes. Let me say that again: the outdoors are for everyone to enjoy!

This is applicable for any type of outdoor activity, including adventure elopements + sessions. You don’t need to have the desire or ability to do a long full or half-day hike in order to enjoy beautiful locations! A lot of spots are actually fairly easy to get to & enjoy after a short walk, or even just steps from your car.

bride and groom getting into car

Carrie & Austin’s Bridal Session at Waimea Canyon

 

We actually enjoyed a lot of this beautiful day at Waimea Canyon at spots that were minutes from where we parked. Yes, minutes! It’s crazy, because the location definitely looks like you would need to go on a long hike to get there, right? But Waimea Canyon is wonderful because of how accessible its beautiful views are. We stopped at spots on the side of the road, and for others we just walked a few minutes from where we parked our cars. We still found so much beauty and even came across pretty isolated areas without any hiking at all!

All that to say, again, that the outdoors are for everyone. Adventure elopements & the outside world aren’t just for a certain “elite” type of people, or an exclusive club of members. They’re not something you need to feel intimated about enjoying!

You don’t need:

  1. to have a certain level of physical fitness
  2. the latest gear from REI, Patagonia, etc. 
  3. or to have the desire to want to hike for miles and miles

to enjoy an adventure elopement.

 

All you need is the desire to be out in nature and enjoy. And that’s exactly what I did with Carrie and Austin on this beautiful Kauai day!


Carrie’s Dress: BHLDN

Want to see more beautiful elopements + get free resources? Check out my recent blog posts below!

 

How to Plan Your Hiking Adventure Elopement

Adventurous Oahu Tidepool Elopement

A Guide to Buying Your Dream Elopement Dress

Hey friend!

Hi! I’m Emily, a couples, elopement and brand photographer based on Oahu, Hawaii.
 
You want a stress free, meaningful, and inspired approach to photography-something creative but still refined. Comfortable, but still elegant. I deeply value every couple that I get to create with, and can’t wait to hear your vision and collaborate with you!