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Henry Tieu Photography

Kauai

Brides hold hands while walking across Tunnels Beach at sunrise during their Kauai micro wedding.
Wedding

A Kauai Micro Wedding with the Most Beautiful Sunrise and Reception Dinner

ByHenry Tieu July 14, 2025August 28, 2025

Planning a Kauai micro wedding? See how these two brides celebrated with a sunrise adventure, a cliffside ceremony, and an intimate dinner with loved ones. Explore ideas and tips for your own destination wedding in Kauai, Hawaii.

Read More A Kauai Micro Wedding with the Most Beautiful Sunrise and Reception DinnerContinue

34 Best Micro Wedding Venues in the U.S. 
Planning Resources

34 Best Micro Wedding Venues in the U.S. 

ByHenry Tieu December 30, 2024August 28, 2025

Planning a small, intimate wedding? Read this article for a list of the top 34 micro wedding venues in the U.S.

Read More 34 Best Micro Wedding Venues in the U.S. Continue

Bride and groom stand side by side looking out over Waimea Canyon during their elopement in Kauai
Elopement

Waimea Canyon Elopement

ByHenry Tieu October 14, 2024August 28, 2025

This Waimea Canyon elopement had waterfall, mountain, and beach views all in one! Visit the blog to see more from this epic elopement in Kauai.

Read More Waimea Canyon ElopementContinue

bride and groom eloped in the lush green Kauai
Planning Resources

How to Elope in Hawaii [Updated for 2026]

ByHenry Tieu October 19, 2023November 17, 2025

Planning a Hawaii elopement? Learn everything you need to know about how to elope in Hawaii including planning steps, legal requirements, tips, and advice for your elopement on these tropical islands.

Read More How to Elope in Hawaii [Updated for 2026]Continue

Couple sitting on the beach in Kauai during engagement photoshoot
Couples

Surprise Hawaii Proposal Turned Engagement Photoshoot | Alexis & Brad

Bykiersten July 29, 2022February 25, 2025

Planning a surprise proposal is not easy, but this Hawaii proposal with Alexis and Brad was so fun and worth it! See more from this engagement photoshoot on the blog!

Read More Surprise Hawaii Proposal Turned Engagement Photoshoot | Alexis & BradContinue

Bride kissing groom at mountain overlook in Kauai
Elopement

Epic Kauai Elopement | Ashley & Jeff

Bykiersten March 11, 2022May 29, 2024

There are so many beautiful locations to choose from when planning your Kauai Hawaii elopement. See where Ashley & Jeff chose to elope in Kauai on the blog!

Read More Epic Kauai Elopement | Ashley & JeffContinue

Kauai Engagement Photo Adventure | Emily & Kiersten
Couples

Kauai Engagement Photo Adventure | Emily & Kiersten

ByHenry Tieu May 8, 2020May 24, 2024

Emily and Kiersten woke up early to for a small hiking adventure with me for their gorgeous engagement photos in the island of Kauai. We explored a beautiful cliff that looks over the ocean and enjoyed the most gorgeous sunrise ever

Read More Kauai Engagement Photo Adventure | Emily & KierstenContinue

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About Henry Tieu Photography: We are a Seattle-based team of destination elopement & intimate wedding photographers who specialize in honest storytelling, candid moments, and soulful portraits in breathtaking landscapes whether that's the mountains of Washington State or the wild beauty of faraway places across the world. Published in The New York Times, named Best Wedding Photography (2019 - 2025) and a Rangefinder Magazine Rising Star, we're honored to capture the kind of love that's deeply felt, artfully preserved and intentionally celebrated. As an Asian and LGBTQ-owned business, we believe your love deserves to be seen, respected, and remembered exactly as it is. Inclusivity, trust, and connection guide everything we do.

LGBTQ-friendly

BIPOC Inclusive

All skin colors & body sizes are welcomed

Let's tell your story. Together. All of it.

CONTACT US

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@henrysdiary

I’m incredibly humbled to share that 2 of my image I’m incredibly humbled to share that 2 of my images were selected as Finalists in the Epic Location category of the 2025 International Wedding Photographer of the Year Awards

This is my first time submitting my work to this contest, and I so grateful for my incredible clients

If I could be completely transparent: for the longest time (and still), I’ve tried to not use the word “epic” when I write my website or talk to clients.
Because while “epic” is meant to compliment, it can also create a kind of hype that makes us chase something isn’t always real, tangle, or purposeful.

What if you show up to your wedding day, the fog rolls in and hides everything, and all you’re left with is the sound of your vows echoing into the quiet?
What if the wind is so strong that nothing looks “instagram perfect”, but the way your partner looks at you becomes the most beautiful thing in the world?
What if story you remember most isn’t the landscape at all, but the way you held each other when everything went differently than you imagined?

This happened on J and P’s elopement at Mt. Rainier where we hiked without seeing the mountain until she surprised us at the very end with the sunset you see here

This happened to E and R in The Dolomites where thunderstorms surrounded us. And although the final image looks “epic”, you didn’t see the part where we had to pivot, where we took shelters and held on to each other because of wind and rain, where I shared my last hand warmer because the bride needed it more than I did.

This happens more than you’d think, and I truly wish every couple knows this when planning their wedding
I know it sounds strange coming from a photographer, but: Experience first, photos will always follow

Epic is never in the location itself
It’s in the way you choose each other again and again no matter what
It’s in the tenderness, the resilience, the quiet courage it takes to be fully present in a moment that refuses to be controlled. 

Thank you to J & P, E & R, and so many of my couples for allowing me to capture images like these

Special thanks to @iwpotyawards and judges for celebrating us photographers and elevating our art 

#iwpotyawards
Roots don’t always grow where tradition tells them Roots don’t always grow where tradition tells them to.
Sometimes, they find home in wild soil…in black lace…in ocean air…in the way two souls choose each other without fears and hesitations

You don’t have to wear white.
You don’t have to follow rules written by someone who’s never known your love
You just have to follow your heart because that’s where truth takes root and where love becomes art

This year is a the year of reflection for me.
Maybe it’s because this is what being in your 30s is all about…identifying what I truly believe in and unearthing my own roots so everyone around me are free to share theirs
…without fears
…without judgements
…without needing to fit into boxes that were never made for us
…without shrinking to make others comfortable
And most importantly, without apologizing for taking up space in a world that taught us to stay small

Maybe that’s what it means to grow roots…not into the ground, but into ourselves 

Thank you L and D for allowing me to capture your hearts and for sharing your love story. 
Congratulations again friends 

Captured on @sonyalpha and edited with @hdpresets

Photography @henrysdiary
Floral: The bride’s dad
Cake: @_darkharvest
Dress: @blushbridal_ne
Suit: @shannonformalwear
Something about getting older makes me really cher Something about getting older makes me really cherish the time I have left with the people in my life. 

Every gathering we have, no matter how big or small, I look at all the faces in the room and remind myself that each no matter how busy life is (and it always is), we’ve all made a decision to be here, to be together, to share the magic of living this life by being in each other’s company.

That’s the power of community

And I really want to bring that power into what I do with adventure weddings

Fthe longest time, my couples (and honestly, myself too) struggled to create a timeline that allowed them to be fully present, not only with each other but also with the loved ones they brought along.

Because truthfully, sometimes couples have had to sacrifice time with their guests to chase those quiet, mountain-top moments (the kind they’ve seen in my portfolio)

So for K and M, everything changed. They chose a two-day wedding experience:
One day for connection, laughter, and community.
Another for adventure, intimacy, and reflection.

No rushing. No splitting attention. Just time….To feel it all.

On the first day, I didn’t take wedding portraits of the couple like how I normally do. Instead, I captured honest moments of how the day unfolded…the first looks with loved ones…the laughters….the happy tears.

On the second day, we ventured into the wild. No schedule. No waiting guests.
Only stillness, intention, and the reason they flew all the way to Washington State to experience the beauty of North Cascades in person

Because at the core, a two-day wedding isn’t about adding more.
It’s about creating space…
…space to breathe,
…space to be present, 
…space to let the moments unfold without rush or expectation.

And that is when the magic happens, where candids and personalities shine. 

K and M, thanks for trusting in me with all your hearts

Thank you for welcoming me in and for climbing the mountains even when the weather forecasted clouds and we didn’t know if we could see anything at the top.

You just went

Climbed even when you couldn’t see ahead. And somehow we still got these incredible views

Congratulations again friends
This is Part 2 of Caitlin and Peyton’s wedding sto This is Part 2 of Caitlin and Peyton’s wedding story in Lake Como (You can find Part 1 on my feed)

The day after their wedding, we traded in the celebration for something quieter: wandering through town, hiking up the mountain together, and seeing Lake Como from above.

I had never seen this perspective in any other Como wedding or elopement, and it felt like we had discovered a secret space just for them

But what made this day truly special wasn’t just the adventure or the views, it was being invited into their everyday love:

…It was seeing the joy on their faces when they spend quality time over a cup of coffee…just like how they do it at home…everyday…every morning

…It was noticing how Peyton taking photos of Caitlin whenever he got a chance and I got to see her beauty through his eyes.

…It was sharing space, snacks and hand warmers with them so we all could see the beauty of Lake Como at night…when the lake is quiet of boats but full of light…

For me, my priority of 2-day wedding experiences isn’t about “more photos”. It’s about slowing down, savoring love in its simplest forms, and truly immerse in the beauty of who you are together…beyond the wedding day…beyond the timeline…beyond the expectations

All we have is Right Here, Right Now

For a full story of these 2 days and more photos, visit the blog on my website :)

Thank you Caitlin and Peyton for making my Lake Como dream come true. Your trust allowed me to capture some of the most real, honest, and artful photographs

Captured with @sonyalpha and edited with @hdpresets 

Photography: @henrysdiary
Videography: @thekitcheners
HUMA: @blbsmanagement
Dress: @jennyyoonyc
Suit: @jwbellbrand
Venue: @villadelbalbianello
Accommodation: @villaissima
Trigger warning: Child loss / Cancer Earlier las Trigger warning: Child loss / Cancer 

Earlier last year, I photographed a child whose photo was later used for his funeral. 

For his privacy, I won’t include his image here.

He was diagnosed with cancer. I heard his story from his dad. He was in and out of the hospital. The pain of cancer awoke him at night, and his cries often broke the silence of those sleepless nights

It was more than a photoshoot. We scheduled a day for his family to be together, where he could run freely with his sisters, where his diagnosis didn’t have to be a part of his identity.

I still remember the weight of that moment, how a simple click of the shutter transformed into the last tangible memory his family would hold on to.

It reminded me that photography is never just about pretty pictures

It’s about the people in them. 
It’s about their lives,
Their love,
Their legacy,
And the fragile truth that tomorrow is never promised.

Every time I pick up my camera, I carry this with me: these moments matter!

Your love, your laughter, your presence…
One day, they will be someone’s treasure

And that is what photography is all about

Today is world photography day 
It’s a day to recognize the impact of photography on our lives, whether you’re behind or in front of the lens

On the other side of this,
…when time moves fast,
…when life slows down,
…when memories fade,
All we have left is photographs as evidence of our intentional existence, our intentional love, our intentional life story.

Go and take photos of anything and everything…but most important, of the ones you love most.
You planned and dreamed of your wedding for days, You planned and dreamed of your wedding for days, months, maybe even years…and then it rain. Now what?

I got the spend two days with E &  R in the Dolomites.

We had been dreaming of this for so long. 
We flews thousands of miles to stand on top of these mountains.

Just days before, the Dolomites were hit with heavy rain. Mudslides covered roads. Plans had to change. We pivoted.

Day one gifted us with a bit of sun, enough for them to row across still waters, holding flowers and each other. 

By that afternoon, the wind picked up, and we hiked all the way to the top of Seceda where found ourselves completely alone among the peaks 

Day two was a dance of flexibility.
Plan A, then Plan B, and finally Plan C
But no matter which plan we chose, one thing stayed the same: their commitment to each other and their choice to get married, no matter what.

Because the weather didn’t just happen to them. It became part of their story
And sometimes, just like weather, no one can really plan for everything in this life or in marriage. 
But how we carry on, together, is how we make every moment matter

I didn’t just see how E & R carry on together, I saw how they love one another, through actions, through small glances, through the way they held each other closer when the wind grew colder, and through every choice they made to turn uncertainty into something beautiful .

Thank you E and R for such an amazing time and congratulations to you both again

Ventor team:

Florals @daisystudio.it
HMUA: @viki_hairandmakeup
DRESS:@aandbe_bridalshop
SUIT: @jackvictorofficial

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  • Home
  • Elopement
    • Elopement Experience
    • Planning Resources
    • The Best Places To Elope
    • Washington Elopement Guide
    • Oregon Elopement Guide
    • California Elopement Guide
  • Info
    • About Us
    • Travel Schedule
  • Blog
  • Pricing
  • For Photographers
    • Education / Mentorships
    • HD Presets
    • Online Store
CONTACT US