“We lived our vows…” — Bill
Some love stories are just beginning. Others have been written across decades.
For Bill and Jane, this wasn’t about making new promises after a few years of marriage. Their Maui beach vow renewal celebrated an extraordinary 46 years together—a lifetime of shared experiences summed up beautifully in Bill’s simple words: “We lived our vows.”
It was a pleasure getting to work alongside Reverend Tino Rosete, Laurie of Makena Weddings, Patty, and the rest of the team for Bill and Jane’s vow renewal in the Kihei-Wailea area of Maui, Hawaii. Sean Michael Hower was there to preserve the celebration through both photography and aerial drone imagery.
Forty-six years. That’s something worth celebrating.
A Maui Beach Vow Renewal 46 Years in the Making
There’s something very different about photographing a vow renewal compared with photographing the beginning of a marriage. A wedding looks forward to everything that might come next. After 46 years together, Bill and Jane could also look back at everything they’d already experienced side by side.
As Reverend Tino shared in his original post:
“Weathered every storm, celebrated every sunrise.”
And then came Bill’s words:
“We lived our vows…”
You don’t need much more than that.
Those words carry the history of a marriage in a way a photographer never could. Our job was simply to preserve this chapter of their story honestly, surrounded by the beauty of Maui.
Why Renew Your Wedding Vows on Maui?
Couples come to Maui for vow renewals for many different reasons. Some return to a place that already holds meaning for them. Others choose Hawaii to celebrate a milestone anniversary, create a new memory together, or simply slow down and recognize how far they’ve come.
The Kihei and Wailea area of South Maui offers a beautiful setting for that experience, particularly for couples who envision a ceremony near the ocean.
A Maui vow renewal can also be refreshingly simple. It doesn’t have to recreate the wedding day. The meaning comes from the people, the years behind them, and the decision to stand together once again and say, in their own way, I’d still choose you.
For couples celebrating 10, 20, 25, 40, 50 years or any milestone that matters to them, a vow renewal can become part ceremony, part anniversary celebration, and part opportunity to create photographs with the person who has shared the journey.
Photographing a Vow Renewal Differently Than a Wedding
A Maui vow renewal photographer isn’t just photographing another ceremony. There’s already a story here—sometimes decades of one.
That changes how Sean approaches the photography.
There are the important portraits, of course, but there are also the quieter interactions between two people who know each other incredibly well. Expressions, laughter, glances, hands held together and the small unscripted moments often say more than an elaborate pose ever could.
With Bill and Jane, the story wasn’t about trying to make 46 years look like day one.
It was about celebrating 46.
Maui Vow Renewal Photography From the Ground and the Air
Photography tells the intimate side of a vow renewal: the people, expressions, details and connections. Drone photography can reveal something entirely different.
From above, the scale changes. The couple becomes part of Maui’s larger coastal landscape, creating images that establish a sense of place and provide another perspective on the experience.
As both a professional photographer and drone pilot, Sean Michael Hower can combine traditional photography with aerial imagery when conditions, location, safety and applicable flight requirements allow.
The drone isn’t there simply because aerial photographs look impressive. When used thoughtfully, it helps tell another part of the story: this happened here, together, on Maui.
The Team Behind Bill & Jane’s Maui Vow Renewal
Meaningful celebrations often look effortless because talented people are working behind the scenes to make them that way. It was a pleasure collaborating with this Maui team for Bill and Jane’s 46-year vow renewal:
- Ceremony: Reverend Tino Rosete — @rev_tino_rosete
- Coordination: Laurie, Makena Weddings — @makenaweddings
- Floral: Kihei Wailea Flowers — @kiheiwaileaflowers
- Photography & Drone: Sean Michael Hower — @seanmhower
- Behind the Scenes: @peas.n.roses
Working with experienced Maui wedding and vow renewal professionals allows each person to concentrate on their role while keeping the experience centered where it belongs: on the couple.
For this one, that was Bill and Jane.
What Makes the Kihei-Wailea Area Special for Vow Renewals?
For couples researching where to renew wedding vows on Maui, South Maui is naturally one of the areas they’ll encounter. Kihei and Wailea combine Maui’s coastal beauty with convenient access to resorts, restaurants and other services couples may want around an anniversary trip or vow renewal.
But the photographs aren’t created by the location alone.
Light, conditions, timing, the couple’s personalities and the way the photographer works with the environment all influence the final images. That’s why Sean approaches each Maui beach vow renewal as its own story rather than trying to reproduce the same collection for every couple.
Bill and Jane’s photographs should look and feel like Bill and Jane.
Is Maui a Good Place for an Anniversary Vow Renewal?
Yes. Maui is a beautiful destination for couples who want to combine a wedding anniversary with an intimate vow renewal near the ocean. The Kihei-Wailea area is especially appealing for couples seeking a South Maui beach setting and access to the area’s resorts and amenities.
A vow renewal can be intimate or include family and friends. It can commemorate a traditional milestone such as a 10th, 25th, 40th or 50th anniversary—or simply celebrate a year that has special meaning to you.
There is no required anniversary for renewing your vows.
Bill and Jane chose to celebrate 46 years, which might be our favorite reminder of that.
You don’t need to wait for a round number to celebrate a life you’ve built together.
More Than an Anniversary Photograph
One reason we love photographing vow renewals is that the images don’t only belong to the couple.
They become part of a family’s visual history.
Years from now, children, grandchildren and future generations may look at these photographs and see Bill and Jane standing together on a Maui beach after 46 years of marriage. They’ll know these two people made promises to each other, built a life together, and decades later chose to celebrate those promises again.
That gives the photographs a significance beyond a beautiful Maui backdrop.
They’re part of the story that gets passed down.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maui Vow Renewals
Where can you renew your wedding vows on Maui?
Maui offers many possible settings for vow renewals, including coastal areas around Kihei and Wailea as well as other locations around the island. The right location depends on the type of ceremony, accessibility, desired scenery and any rules or permissions that apply to the location.
Can we have a vow renewal on a Maui beach?
Beach vow renewals are popular on Maui, but couples should work with experienced local professionals who understand the requirements that may apply to the chosen location. A coordinator or officiant can help couples plan the ceremony appropriately.
What anniversary is best for renewing wedding vows?
There is no required anniversary. Couples often renew their vows for milestone anniversaries such as 10, 20, 25, 40 or 50 years, but any year can be meaningful. Bill and Jane chose to celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary with their Maui vow renewal.
Do we need a photographer for a Maui vow renewal?
You don’t have to hire a photographer, but professional photography preserves the ceremony, portraits and candid moments from an anniversary that may have taken decades to reach. For many couples, the resulting photographs also become meaningful images for their children and grandchildren.
Can drone photography be included with a Maui vow renewal?
Sean Michael Hower offers professional drone photography alongside traditional photography when flight conditions, location, safety and applicable regulations allow. Aerial photography can be particularly effective for showing a couple within Maui’s coastal landscape.
Do we need to recreate our original wedding during a vow renewal?
No. A vow renewal can be completely different from your original wedding. Many couples prefer an intimate ceremony centered on who they are now and the life they’ve shared since their wedding day.
Can a Maui vow renewal include family?
Yes. A vow renewal can be an intimate experience for two people or a celebration shared with children, grandchildren, family and friends. The format can reflect what the anniversary means to the couple.
Who photographed Bill and Jane’s Maui vow renewal?
Sean Michael Hower, an award-winning Maui photographer and professional drone pilot, photographed Bill and Jane’s 46-year vow renewal in the Kihei-Wailea area of Maui, Hawaii.
Forty-Six Years—and Still Choosing Each Other
Wedding photography often begins with a promise about the future. Vow renewal photography has the rare privilege of looking at what happened after that promise was made.
Bill said it better than we ever could:
“We lived our vows.”
After 46 years together, Bill and Jane came to a Maui beach to celebrate a marriage that had already carried them through decades of life. It was an honor to photograph that chapter of their story and to work alongside Reverend Tino Rosete, Laurie of Makena Weddings, Patty and the talented Maui professionals who helped make the celebration possible.
If you’re planning a Maui vow renewal, anniversary celebration, or intimate beach ceremony in Kihei, Wailea, or elsewhere on Maui, Sean Michael Hower would love to help preserve the moments that tell your story—on the ground and, when possible, from above.
Because after all the years, places, storms and sunrises, the photographs become more than pictures. They become proof of a life lived together. Book your session here.
Reverend Tino Rosete blows a conch shell while wearing a green and white flower lei during a beach vow renewal ceremony in Maui.
Reverend Tino Rosete leads an intimate beach ceremony celebrating the couple’s 46 years of marriage in South Maui. Photography by Sean Michael Hower.
Hand in hand after 46 years of marriage, the couple walks toward the golden light of a Maui sunset. Photography by Sean Michael Hower.
A sunset kiss marks 46 years of marriage during an intimate vow renewal along the South Maui coast. Photography by Sean Michael Hower.
© Sean Michael Hower
