Cumulative Hawaii Wedding Photo Shoots Exceed 30,000; Annual Reservations Hit Post-COVID Record High

American Holidays Inc. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hideto Endo), which provides Hawaii-specialized wedding photo and photo wedding services, announced that the cumulative number of couples photographed through its Hawaii wedding photo service has exceeded 30,000, and that the annual number of reservations for fiscal 2025 has updated its post-COVID record high. The number of photo shoots, which temporarily dropped to near zero due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has exceeded the previous year for two consecutive years in fiscal 2024 and 2025, showing a full-scale recovery. Details are as follows.

Updating the Highest Annual Reservations Post-COVID 

In recent years, the demand for "photo weddings," where couples commemorate their marriage through photography without holding a traditional ceremony, has been expanding. According to the Recruit Bridal Research Institute's "Comprehensive Marriage Awareness Survey 2024," the implementation rate of photo shoots among wedding events triggered by marriage increased by 1.9 percentage points from the previous year, reaching a record high (Source: https://souken.zexy.net/research_news/marriage-wedding/msgi.html ). The style of commemorating marriage through photography, without being bound by the format of a ceremony or reception, is spreading, and as a receptacle for this, photo weddings in overseas locations are increasingly being added as an option. Among them, Hawaii maintains deep-rooted popularity as a travel destination for photo weddings due to its stable climate throughout the year and beautiful natural scenery.

 

At American Holidays, the annual number of reservations for fiscal 2025 reached approximately 120% compared to the previous year, updating the post-COVID record high. The company's Hawaii wedding photo service conducted shoots for about 4,500 couples annually in fiscal 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, but temporarily plummeted to almost zero due to the impact of travel restrictions. Subsequently, with the resumption of travel, it has continued to recover steadily, returning to a level about 20% higher than the previous year in fiscal 2025.

 

Regarding the background of this recovery progressing even as overseas travel costs rise due to the weak yen, the company cites three factors. First, the clear pricing design of the "All-Inclusive Plan" starting from 69,000 yen (including outfits, hair and makeup, transportation, and photo data) resolves cost anxieties under the weak yen. Second, the "revenge demand" from couples who postponed their plans during the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. Third, due to the expansion of awareness of Hawaii wedding photos through social media, inquiries are increasing from demographics that had not previously considered shooting in Hawaii.

The Trajectory to Exceeding 30,000 Cumulative Couples

Since its establishment in 2012, American Holidays has developed its business solely focusing on Hawaii-specialized wedding photo services. Surpassing 30,000 cumulative couples in the 13 years since its establishment is a major milestone for the company.

 

Users have provided feedback such as, "Because Japanese staff were stationed there, we could approach the overseas shoot with peace of mind," and "While keeping costs down, the photos turned out to be of higher quality than imagined." The company has earned a 4.8-star rating in Google reviews, indicating that the balance of price and quality is well-supported.

Recovery Trend in the Hawaii Photo Wedding Market 

According to an announcement by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the number of travelers from Japan to Hawaii in 2024 was approximately 720,000, an increase of 25.7% from the previous year, showing a recovery trend (Source: https://www.allhawaii.jp/business/report/ ). Although it is still at about 40% of the level compared to 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of travelers is steadily increasing, and the demand for wedding-related services in Hawaii is also showing renewed growth. American Holidays responds to the diversifying needs of couples by leveraging its strengths of over 40 types of plans and a support system by local Japanese staff.

 Future Outlook 

American Holidays will continue to pioneer new shooting locations and expand its plans, striving to make Hawaii wedding photos a more accessible option for a greater number of couples. The announcement of new plans is also scheduled for fiscal 2026.

 

Company Profile 

Company Name: American Holidays Inc.

 

Representative: Representative Director Hideto Endo

 

Established: 2012

 

Location: Koto-ku, Tokyo

 

Business Description: Hawaii-specialized wedding photo service

 

URL: https://american-holidays.jp/

 

Contact for Press Inquiries 

Public Relations, American Holidays Inc.

 

TEL: 03-5472-7323

 

Email: info@ameholi.co.jp