Located on the South shore of the Island of Oahu is Waialae Beach Park. Its right next to the Kahala Hotel and Resort and Waialae Country Club. This hidden gem is one of the best places to get married in Honolulu and about 3 miles east (a 10 minute drive) of Waikiki Beach.

This romantic and charming beach has one of my highest recommendations for surprise engagement/marriage proposals, weddings, destination weddings, family portraits, and everyone that wants to avoid the crowds of Waikiki and Ala Moana Beach.

The beach park is frequented surfers, wind/kite surfers, and by picnickers. It’s not so much of a swimming beach because it is shallow and reefy, but great for those that want to enjoy and bask in the sun. Please note that there is a small parking lot that fills up quickly during the week and weekends. However, there is also street parking available near the residential area about a block from the beach.

From a photo perspective this beach has a lot of great elements for those picturesque beautiful photos. The beach scenery reminds me of those old Hawaii postcards with secluded beaches for romantic portraits and the best part…Not too many people will be in your background (this makes me very excited)! The beach is well maintained. I rarely see homeless people or trash on its shores. On the Waikiki side of the beach it features a bridge, picnic tables, benches, and a park area. On the East side closer to the Kahala Hotel and Resort there are a variety of palm trees, patches of grass which extend towards the ocean, and a sea wall and mini man-made island which offers amazing views of the coast line in either direction.

Best time to take photos at this beach are in the morning around 8-9am and in the late afternoon at 5-6pm. I will also share photos in another post so you can see what photos look like when the sun goes down, when there is a limited amount of light available, and how it will impact the look and feel of your photos.

This gallery contains photos of a recent wedding with my lovely couple, Carlos and Karla, from Peru! For reference, these photos were taken from 3pm to 4pm. Wedding coordination by Islander Weddings.