Hawaii is one of the world’s most popular places on earth to get married and there are hundreds of photographers to choose from when you do. We invited Maui-based photographer Melia Sorenson to join our list of the world’s best photographers because her work encompasses a wide range of genres including photojournalism, portraiture, editorial, and location photography in one great package.

I loved catching up with her to discuss her style, her favorite places, and her love for photography. Read on to get an insider’s view of weddings in Hawaii and see her stunning photos. 

Blair: 

Hi Melia, how are you faring these days?

Melia: 

Pretty well, trying to be positive about things getting back to normal and hoping they will. I had an exciting year of work lined up throughout the islands as well as on the west coast.

Fortunately, most clients are simply postponing so I will get to work with them when things are less risky and we can all celebrate without constraint. In the meantime, I’ve gotten on the NYT cooking app and the sourdough bandwagon and am taking time to streamline the backend of my business.

Blair: 

We’ve never had a chance to spend time together and I am interested in your style and how you got started.

Melia: 

Even as a kid I spent days pouring over art history tomes and loved the Dutch masters and their treatment of light. My tastes expanded as I grew but my love of art turned into a Bachelor of Fine Arts focusing on drawing and painting in addition to art history. It wasn’t till my last year of that degree that I formally studied photography and found myself in the darkroom, but it was that year, 2001, that I shot my first wedding and never looked back. It was thrilling to be able to shoot all this film (I couldn’t otherwise afford!) and make people so happy as a result. I also learned that all of my drawing and painting studies translated nicely into photography, another two dimensional medium all about light and shadow and composition.

Blair: 

I’m sure you get people coming from everywhere to get married on Maui. What niche does your work fill when it comes to destination weddings? 

Melia:

The couples I work with are looking for something beyond tropical cliches. Their vision is romantic and they want to invite some authentic Hawaiian flavor into their celebrations through the use of local flora, musicians, dance, design etc... They are often more drawn to rugged landscapes, lush jungle, windswept cliffs, and boutique venues which you don’t generally see on brochures. I’ve recently invested in a drone to be able to show another aspect of the spectacular settings my couples choose. 

Blair:

I know you are well acquainted with the islands and Maui is one of my favorites. Can you tell us your two favorite wedding venues on Maui and why you’re drawn to them?

Melia: 

Yes, there are two that stand out for me which I adore and they are very different from each other: the Haiku Mill and Olowalu Plantation House. The Haiku Mill is an incomparable labor-of-love kind of venue that makes you feel like you’re lost in time in a perfumed jungle. Guests audibly gasp when they enter. It’s Hawai’i meets Paris of a century ago. Sylvia, the owner, has incredible vision; she and her team take impeccable care of the property which is accented by antiques from all over the world and charming cane houses for brides to get ready in. The outdoor reception site is dripping in vines and chandeliers and it couldn’t be more enchanting.

Melia: 

The Olowalu Plantation House is an oceanside plantation estate. Sugar used to be loaded onto boats here so there is a jetty in front of the property, which is a perfect setting for photos with the West Maui Mountains in the background. Ceremonies and receptions are held on the great lawn in front of the house under massive trees by the ocean. This place feels like it’s sitting right on the sweet spot of heaven meets earth meets oceans and mountains. If that’s a place, this is it.

Blair:

What are some of the photography items that you always take with you?

Melia:

Other than my Canon cameras, I love my Spider holster, my 85 and 35 mm lenses, and my 70 to 200 mm for ceremonies because I like to give a ceremony the space and respect it deserves. I also use a 16mm lens to capture spectacular venues and landscapes. 

Blair: 

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. On my next trip, which I hope will be sooner than later, I would love to meet you and learn about more beautiful places on Maui. In the meantime, we’re thrilled to promote your work on WBWP!