This tropical bohemian Kualoa Ranch wedding at Secret Island is a stunner, with Hawaiian rain & rainbows for a beautiful ceremony on the beach. We seriously got so lucky for Lucas + Leilani’s gorgeous day with a lovely range of weather. Light sprinkles kissed their cheeks during the ceremony while rainbows showed up for their walk together on the beach as newlyweds. Later on, the moodiest clouds gathered over the proud mountains of the Ko’olau range and a clear evening made for perfect dancing weather!

Getting Ready at the Surfjack Hotel

The day started at a place that I will always hold dear to my heart: The Surfjack. This adorable boutique hotel in the heart of Waikiki is where we spent our first few weeks living on island! It was so fun to be back to capture the magic as Leilani prepared for her wedding. We even ventured downstairs for some photos with her bridal party at the pool! Knowing that the Surfjack pool features rad writing on the bottom, we just had to capture that “Wish You Were Here” spirit with a group shot by poolside.

After wrapping up at the Surfjack, it was time to head over the mountains to Kualoa Ranch where Lucas and his guys were getting ready.

This place will forever be my favorite. It is hands down one of the best wedding venues on Oahu. There is nothing more stunning than the Ka’a’awa Valley and a Kualoa Ranch wedding is the only way to really capture that beauty on your day. I often suggest the Low Camp as either a spot for portraits or for the ceremony itself, but I honestly love all of the ceremony + reception spots here. Lucas + Leilani opted for Secret Island because they love the beach.

Secret Island Ceremony

I know the beach was so meaningful to them because Leilani grew up on Oahu and loves to body surf at Makapu’u. Her family even owns one of my most beloved breakfast spots on the island, Moke’s Bread & Breakfast! All of this made Secret Beach the best spot to get married for them.

One of the funnest parts of that is the catamaran ride over! To get to Secret Island, you have to take a boat across the pond and it made for some really fun photos of Leilani with her family and bridal party. The anticipation was getting SO high as we made our way over and through the pretty forest between the docks and the beach. Their ceremony looked so colorful thanks to the beautiful work Plant Hawaii did!

The two chose to spend a private moment behind the altar exchanging handwritten vows, which was the highlight of the day. The sun and rain both showed up for the moment, making it stunning.

Fun Group Wedding Photos

Something that is always a priority for me is to make group photos really easy, fairly quick, and very fun! This time of the day can be a little chaotic with wrangling everyone together, but it can be a blast if you plan well! I send out questionnaires the month of the wedding to check in and get the information for any group shots we will be doing. I always ask for a detailed list and someone to call those in the list forward to make this all seamless!

A Hawaii Wedding Photographer Favorite? Rainbows Showing Up!

Just a short while later, this beautiful rainbow came out as they walked down the beach together. We could not have asked for a more perfect day!

And as promised, here are those moody clouds chilling on the mountains.

Mokoli’i Garden Reception

That evening, some of the most heartfelt moments happened and everyone had an amazing time. See? Ya can’t beat this venue (and it doesn’t hurt that everyone knows it as Jurassic Park haha). If you are looking for more from Kualoa, check out this wedding featuring Low Camp and Paliku Garden.

Curious about or having a Kualoa Ranch wedding? I would love to document it for you and have worked at the ranch many times. Just scroll down for a contact form to get in touch today!