Janessa & Tyler’s Adventurous West Shore Oahu Elopement

If and your partner are explorers at heart, then you’ll love Janessa and Tyler’s adventurous Oahu elopement along the West Shore. The couple chose to book our Wildflower Package, which offers a guided exploration with photographer Ryan Schorr around the island. If you’ve been dreaming of a total Hawaiian adventure for your day, you’ll have plenty of inspiration looking through their gallery of wedding photos! Janessa and Tyler had a Waimanalo Bay beach ceremony on February 29, 2020, and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. Check out their love story – and their experience with Simply Eloped – in their own words below.

How did you two meet? What was it like?

We met on a dating app called Bumble. We swiped right on each other and started casually talking. I can remember Tyler being able to make me laugh, not soon after we were finishing each other’s jokes. That’s when we knew there was something different between us.

When did you first fall in love? How did you know?

After a month or so of officially dating, Tyler let me borrow his brand new Toyota Tacoma for the day. It meant a lot to me that he trusted me with his pride and joy. Before I returned it, I completely detailed it inside and out. I bought his favorite candy and energy drink and put it in the cup holders, but I still wanted to do so much more for him! My love language is acts of service. I knew I loved him because I had this overwhelming desire to take care of him and do everything in my power to make him happy. Tyler said he knew he was in love with me before I did. There were some moments where he had to stop himself from almost blurting out the words “I love you”! He didn’t want to be the first one to say the words because we were still young in the relationship and he didn’t want to scare me away if I didn’t feel the same. That day I returned his truck he said “I freaking love that girl” and called his mom to tell her how happy he was. I wanted the exchange of those words to be special, so one evening we grabbed some frozen yogurt (our typical date) and drove to the Portland airport to watch the planes take off. When the moment was right, I looked into his eyes and told him I loved him. His reply was a relieved, long built up “I love you too”.

How did he propose?

For about a month we went on these elaborate dates. Trip to Seattle, the beach, he even took me on a helicopter ride! Still no ring. Something would come up every time he tried to pop the question. One of our favorite day trips is cruising to the beach and driving down the pacific coastline. He told me the day before to look cute which was strange. I could tell something was up because he wasn’t himself all day. All I could talk about was our future together and bugging him about a ring… yes, I was THAT girlfriend. Our conversation ended with me saying “Well, if you’re not going to ask anytime soon then I just might beat you to it!”. Little did I know he had the ring for weeks. We stopped at one secluded park and hiked down to the water. We found this area where the rocks created a canyon and the water crashed against the walls. We were alone and I could tell he was nervous. He was quiet. I told him this would be a perfect moment to propose… he agreed and asked, “Why don’t you ask me then?”. I found a twig and wrapped it around his finger and asked him to marry me. He replied, “But only if you marry me first”, and proceeded to pull the most gorgeous ring out of his pocket. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

What do you love about your partner?

I love how goofy Tyler is and he always knows how to make me laugh. I can be pretty serious and not take things lightly. Tyler brings me back into real time and reminds me to laugh and enjoy the moment. Tyler loves my drive to succeed in life. He loves my adventurous spirit and willingness to try new things (like riding dirt bikes). We love how we can speak each other’s minds. We know what each other are thinking or feeling without even saying a word.

What is the greatest strength of your relationship?

Tyler and I were raised very similar, in a Christian household, and the church feeling like our second home because we would go there so often. We share the same belief which was an important value we both looked for in a partner. We understand each other so well because of our upbringing and the similar morals and values we share. Everything just clicks for us. We’ve been praying for years for one another before we even knew each other.

Why did you decide to elope? 

How did you find Simply Eloped?

Pinterest! I was dreaming about destination weddings and saw Simply Eloped. I was recovering from a knee surgery so I had nothing else better to do other than daydream about our wedding! I priced out plane tickets, hotel stay, elopement packages. It was all very affordable for us so thats made the idea of an elopement more realistic.

How did you know Simply Eloped was the right fit for you?

The CEO’s name is Janessa, too! It was meant to be! Simply Eloped was very affordable. I priced out multiple packages with other wedding companies in Hawaii and it was hard to beat Simply Eloped’s prices. They were also really responsive and easy to work with.

What attracted you to have an Oahu elopement? 

Mixture of ocean, sand, trees, and mountain backgrounds. It’s more secluded than other beaches so I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about sharing the beach that early in the morning! It’s also a great beach for sunrise weddings.

What activities did you do before the wedding? How did you prepare? How did you feel leading up to the moments of your elopement? 

We flew in Thursday and spent the rest of the day relaxing and unpacking. Friday I had my makeup and hair trial in the morning, after we picked up our wedding license (we were cutting it close!). We spent the day exploring downtown Honolulu, then had a fancy dinner at Roy’s. We were mainly nervous but excited! Almost in disbelief that we were even in Hawaii. Everything we’ve been taking about over the last months is finally coming into action! There are so many built up emotions leading up to the day that we were just ready for day to finally be here!

Tell us about your experience with Simply Eloped leading up to and on your big day!

Everyone that I worked with was really friendly and informative. Haley helped me figure out the marriage license situation when I about to pull out my hair! I was in contact with Ryan and Zach about our requests for the ceremony. I had pretty good communication with this team and felt like I could reach out to them for help anytime I needed. We met our officiant, Elias, on the day of and he was so awesome! He was very friendly and got to know us before the ceremony.

How did you celebrate after?

After our personalized photography session at a couple other locations with Ryan, we grabbed some smoothies and headed home. We took a nap (I am not even sugar coating this: we literally crashed on the coach we were so exhausted from traveling, waking up at 4am, and our eventful day!). Tyler said we had special dinner plans so we thankfully woke up just in time to head over to our reservation! Tyler surprised me with a dinner cruise on the top deck of the Star Of Honolulu. This dinner was so special! We were treated like royalty! The 7 course meal was delicious and the sunset cruise was beautiful. It was the perfect way to celebrate our special day.

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

This day is meant for the two of you. Spend it however you both wish. Make it special! Some friends or family will be upset, but they won’t stay mad forever. Your happiness and the love you share is all that matters.

Coordinated by: Simply Eloped
Officiant: Rev. Elias Parker
Photographer: Ryan Schorr
Videography: Zachary Vierra
Flowers: Florist Grand

Written by Karen Norian

Karen Norian is an elopement photographer and has photographed over a hundred elopements. Karen has also worked as an elopement planner for Simply Eloped. She's been quoted in the New York Times, Brides, Hello Giggles, Bustle, Yahoo, and more.