Hawaii Based
Elopement + Branding

Chelsea + Chase’s Holualoa Inn Elopement: A Private Estate + a Sunset Cruise

Some elopements are about the epic hike or the dramatic cliff. Chelsea and Chase’s Holualoa Inn elopement was about something totally different: slowing all the way down.

They booked out the entire 30-acre estate, married each other in the gardens with the Kona coast stretched out below, and ended their day on a sunset cruise on the Pacific. No timeline stress, no crowds, no rushing. Just the two of them, soaking in every single minute.

If that sounds like your kind of wedding day, keep reading, because this one is a masterclass in how to elope in Hawaii without sacrificing an ounce of luxury or intention.

Why a Holualoa Inn Elopement Hits Different

Here’s the thing that made this day stand out, even for me, and I photograph elopements all over the islands: Chelsea and Chase had the whole place to themselves.

Holualoa Inn sits on a 30-acre working Kona coffee estate in the hills above Kailua-Kona, and it only hosts one celebration at a time. For an elopement, that means the gardens, the mosaic-tiled pool, the ocean-view hot tub, the hidden pathways, and those panoramic coastline views? All yours. It’s the privacy of a remote adventure elopement with the comfort of a boutique inn wrapped around it.

Most couples picture eloping in Hawaii as a beach at sunrise or a cliffside at golden hour (and hey, I love those days too). But there’s something really special about an estate elopement where you wake up on the property, get married steps from your room, and never once look at a clock. If you want the full rundown on this venue, I wrote a complete Holualoa Inn wedding guide covering the spaces, packages, and pricing.

I’d especially recommend this style of elopement if one of you loves the idea of adventure but the other wants comfort. It’s the compromise nobody has to feel like they made. You still get the epic Hawaii backdrop and the just-us intimacy, but with a real bed, a gourmet breakfast, a pool, and zero four a.m. trailhead alarms. It’s also perfect for couples celebrating a milestone alongside their elopement: an anniversary trip, a vow renewal energy kind of day, or simply the honeymoon and wedding rolled into one unforgettable stay.

What a Holualoa Inn Elopement Day Actually Looks Like

One of the questions I get most from eloping couples is, “So… what do we actually do all day?” Fair question! When there’s no reception or guest list, the day opens up in the best way. Here’s roughly how a day like Chelsea and Chase’s flows:

Morning: Slow breakfast at the inn with estate-grown Kona coffee. No alarms, no schedules, just easing into the biggest day of your lives.
Midday: Getting ready at your own pace, with time for a letter exchange, a swim, or just wandering the gardens together before you’re “officially” seeing each other.
Afternoon: Your ceremony, held wherever on the estate speaks to you, followed by unhurried portraits as we chase the light around all 30 acres.
Evening: Your adventure of choice. For Chelsea and Chase, that meant trading the mountainside for the open ocean and a Kona sunset cruise.

That’s it. That’s the whole timeline. No cocktail hour to orchestrate, no vendors to wrangle, no schedule anxiety. Just a full day of actually experiencing your wedding instead of managing it.

A Slow Island Morning (The Way Elopement Days Should Be)

They had breakfast at the Inn together overlooking the ocean. & they choose to get ready together 🙂 When I arrived they were still getting ready, but I always say there’s no being “behind” on your elopement day because you have no guests 🙂 So I told them to take their time and meet me by the pavilion when they were ready.

Other note: When you stay at the Inn you can also easily walk right into the town of Holualoa. Streets lined with cute shops and art galleries. I personally love grabbing a light bite and coffee at Holualoa Gardens and Kitchen (a cafe and restaurant) https://visitholualoa.com/ And then you can head back to the inn.

This is my favorite argument for eloping at a place like this: the morning actually belongs to you. No venue arrival time, no shuttling between locations, no getting ready in a hotel room across town. Just estate-grown Kona coffee, birdsong, and all the time in the world.

Their Holualoa Inn Elopement Ceremony with Kahu Tom

Here’s the thing about eloping: there’s no processional, no aisle music cue, no waiting rooms. Chelsea and Chase simply walked over to the ceremony site together, hand in hand, where Kahu Tom was waiting for them in his haku lei and traditional dress, and greeted them both with the warmest hugs. If you’re not familiar, a kahu is a Hawaiian officiant and spiritual leader, and having your ceremony led by one adds a layer of meaning and connection to place you have choosen to exchange your vows. I absolutely love that for couples marrying here in the islands.

Kahu Tom opened the ceremony by blowing the pū (the conch shell), and I’m telling you, hearing that sound roll out over the coastline below never stops giving me chills. From there, the whole ceremony was woven with Hawaiian tradition. Chelsea and Chase exchanged leis, her draping a green maile-style lei over his shoulders, him giving her a strand of white orchids. They read their vows from tiny vow books, and it was the full emotional spectrum: Chase grinning through his, Chelsea smiling through happy tears during hers. Then Kahu Tom blessed their rings with water over a carved wooden koa bowl with a ti leaf before they slid them on.

And their attire? A masterclass in relaxed elopement style. Chase wore a cream knit camp-collar shirt with linen pants, Chelsea wore a strapless gown with a delicate lace corset bodice and an orchid tucked in her hair. Comfortable, breezy, completely them, and exactly right for a garden ceremony above the Kona coast.

They said their vows on the lawn near the sprawling monkeypod tree with Kailua Bay hazy and blue in the distance, and because the estate was theirs alone, the whole thing felt unhurried in a way big wedding days rarely do. No guests to seat, no mic checks, no timeline pressure. Just two people, their kahu, and the Kona coastline holding the moment.

Portraits with the Whole Estate to Ourselves

After the ceremony, we wandered. That’s the luxury of a full buyout: every corner of the property was open to us, and we could chase the light wherever it went. We started in the golden bamboo grove (yes, Holualoa Inn has a literal grove of yellow bamboo, and yes, it photographs like a dream), where the two of them strolled hand in hand while a little rainbow lens flare showed up like it was invited. Then it was twirls in the gardens between the monstera and palms, and a quiet moment by the mosaic-tiled pool with the coffee farm rolling downhill to Kailua Bay below, a ship drifting across the water like a little preview of how their evening would end.

This is also where the relaxed vibe of their day really showed up in the photos. When couples aren’t watching a timeline, they stop posing and start just being together. Those are always, always the best frames. Even the tiny details told the story: Chelsea’s gold ring next to the little bow tattooed on her finger, her hand resting on Chase’s chest like they had all the time in the world. Because they did.

An Impromptu Piano Session at the Inn

And then, my favorite moment of the whole day. We wandered barefoot into the Main Inn (koa-toned wood walls, stained glass, all that old Hawaii charm), and Chase sat down at the piano and just… started playing for her. Chelsea leaned against it and watched him, and I quietly documented one of the most intimate little scenes I’ve photographed all year.

THIS is what I mean when I say the buyout changes everything. You cannot commandeer the piano in a resort lobby on your wedding day. But when the entire inn is yours? Your wedding day gets to include the moments no timeline could ever schedule. We finished with a few editorial, flash-style portraits around the inn’s gorgeous interiors, and honestly, they look like they belong in a magazine spread.

Ending the Day on a Kona Sunset Cruise

Now for my favorite plot twist: instead of a reception, Chelsea and Chase closed their elopement with a sunset cruise off the Kona coast. I cannot recommend this move enough. You’ve already got the mountain views all day at Holualoa Inn, so ending on the water gives your gallery a completely different world of imagery, and Kona sunsets from a boat are genuinely unreal. It’s also the perfect built-in transition from wedding day to honeymoon: you step off the boat already in vacation mode.

A few practical notes if you’re stealing this idea (please steal this idea): the Kona side of the Big Island is the leeward, calm-water side, which means evening cruises here are smooth sailing far more often than not. Book a departure about an hour and a half before sunset so you catch the golden light on the water and the sunset itself. And if you want to level it up even further, Kona is world-famous for its night manta ray snorkels, which make an unforgettable day-after adventure while you’re still glowing.

Chelsea + Chase’s Vendor Team

Venue + Planning: Holualoa Inn
Officiant: Kahu Tom
Photography: Aly Dove Photography

Planning Your Own Holualoa Inn Elopement

If this day has you rethinking the big-wedding route, here’s what to know:

The venue offers dedicated elopement packages for just the two of you, or up to four guests. Full details and pricing are in my Holualoa Inn wedding guide.
Stay on the property. Waking up at the estate is half the magic, and it turns your elopement into a mini honeymoon before the honeymoon.
Add an adventure to bookend your day. A sunset cruise, a manta ray snorkel, a coffee farm tour. Kona makes it easy, and it doubles your photo variety.
Any time of year works. Kona weather is famously consistent, and because Holualoa Inn hosts one celebration at a time, you’re not fighting for peak-season Saturdays the way you would at a resort. That said, book early if your heart is set on a specific date.
Plan your ceremony for mid-morning if you want to do an afternoon adventure That leaves the morning slow, gives us nice light for portraits. still gets you to the harbor in time for a sunset departure if you’re adding a cruise.
Handle the legal side early. My guide on making your marriage legal in Hawaii walks you through the license process step by step.
Start with the big picture. If you’re still deciding between islands or venues, my how to elope in Hawaii guide is the place to begin.

Your Holualoa Inn Elopement Photographer

Hi, I’m Aly! I’m a Hawaii-based elopement and wedding photographer (and former adventure guide) with 100+ celebrations across the islands under my belt. Whether your dream day looks like a private estate, a hidden beach, or a boat at sunset, I’m here to help you plan it, photograph it, and actually enjoy it. Check out my elopement experience and then reach out here. Let’s start dreaming up your day!