All-day elopement in Yosemite National Park
About the couple
Their love story
The bride and groom were college sweethearts from the East coast. They had their first kiss the night before they graduated, knowing that they were moving to different cities to pursue their careers. The bride had a job in tech while the groom pursued a PHD in science. After six years of long distance and countless hours in traffic, they finally moved to the West Coast to be together.
They are both huge dog loves and adopted their Australian cattle dog, Roo. In their free time, they love adventuring outdoors and you can probably find them hiking somewhere in nature. They don’t take themselves too seriously and are super laid back and happy.
They had been planning their wedding for more than a year and a half, but due to the pandemic, they decided not to wait any longer! Being so in love, they just wanted to get married. Their dream elopement was to get married at a national park surrounded by redwoods so they chose Washburn Point in Yosemite for their beautiful ceremony.
About the elopement day at Yosemite
Starting at their Airbnb, we took some getting ready photos before heading out to the Cathedral Beach picnic area in the El Capitan meadow for their first look. After frolicking in the meadow for awhile and adventuring around Yosemite, we drove to Washburn Point for the ceremony. We ended the day hiking to Taft point to catch the epic sunset!
About Yosemite – Cathedral Beach Picnic Area, El Capitan meadow, Washburn Point, and Taft Point
Eloping at Yosemite
Yosemite is a dream elopement destination for any couple who wants stunning views. If you are looking into eloping here, there are a few things you should know. Yosemite requires a ceremony permit to elope. The permit is only $150 and you can find more information on this here, but if you book our packages – we take care of it for you!
Washburn Point was where we got the permit for the ceremony since they don’t issue permits for Glacier point in July and August because it’s way too busy.
Don’t forget to bring a change of clothes and some hiking shoes! Other things you should bring is sunscreen, bug spray, a reusable water bottle and plenty of snacks if you’re going to do any hiking.
Parking and Lighting at Yosemite
Cathedral beach area in Yosemite has a breathtaking view of the famous El Capitan. You can park on the dirt road at the picnic area.
That day, it was cloudy so it wasn’t excruciatingly hot. Towards the end of the elopement, we did get a sprinkle of rain which is supposedly good luck! At Washburn point, where the ceremony took place, there was plenty of parking. I would recommend having your ceremony here because it’s a little below the famous Glacier point and a lot less crowded.
The sunset at Taft point is always a must see! There were soft vibrant colors and an amazing orange glow that was a perfect end to their day.
There you have it!
These two were a pleasure to meet and photograph in this remarkable national park. Even though they had to cancel their wedding that they had been planning, they still had an amazing elopement and was able to share it with the people they loved.
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