LGBTQ Elopement in Yosemite
Lysandra and Melissa reached out to me with an idea to get married in Yosemite with their closest friends and family! They were not quite sure what their day would look like or what they would do, but they knew they loved Yosemite and that’s the backdrop they wanted for their day! We were here to help them build the perfect elopement and here’s how their elopement day went.
The day started at the famous Wawona hotel which sits just inside Yosemite’s south gate. Melissa and Lysandra had rented a couple rooms to get ready in for the day. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful big trees and mountain landscapes and the rooms nice bright and with a big porch surrounding it. Melissa did some getting ready photos with her family and little niece and Lysandra did her getting ready photos with her sisters.
Getting Ready at the Hotel Wawona
Once they were done getting ready, they wanted to exchange some personal gifts and well as letters they had written to each other. We took them aside individually and documented both openings and readings privately so that they could have the reactions as a surprise for the video/photos later after the elopement! What a cute idea!
Gift Exchange / Private Letters
Once we were done exchanging gifts it was time for first looks!! We did this out in the lawn with the big trees and hotel as the backdrop. We first did a first look with the brides and then the brides with their fathers. There was some very beautiful moments at this time and I’m glad we were able to capture them!
First Look with Brides
First Look with Dads
After the first looks were done it was time to head the ceremony. Melissa and Lysandra had chosen Cathedral beach in Yosemite Valley to say their vows. Their guest count was 25 and this was a perfect space to do it. We were a little worried if there was going to be too many people around, but a friend went early to reserve the best spot for the ceremony and tourist were respectful and made sure to give us space. It was an absolutely beautiful backdrop with iconic El Cap as center frame!
After the ceremony and taking pictures with friends and family at this beautiful Yosemite Valley beach it was time for a mini adventure with the couple and a few of their friends. Most of the family that did not want to hike went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. The plan was to find a beautiful spot and have a picnic so we could be replenished and ready for the big hike. There is a beautiful pull of spot called Yosemite Valley View and we thought that would be the perfect place for small picnic and some quick photos!
THE PICNIC AND VALLEY VIEW
Once we were done with the picnic it was time to head over to Tunnel View for the hike!! Most people do not know this, but there is a beautiful hike that starts right in the tunnel view parking lot that gives your private unobstructed views of the valley all the way up. The plan was to hike all the way up to Artist Point, but we had ran out of daylight and only made it half the way up. It was no problem, as there were many places to stop along the way with views. At one of the beautiful lookouts we decided to do a champagne toast with all the friends that came along!
When we got back down the bottom of the hike, it was the perfect blue hour setting at Tunnel view with amazing sunset alpenglow over the Yosemite Valley, so we decided to take a few more pics!
The plan was then to end the elopement with the infamous tunnel pics!! We had one of the friends stay on the road before the tunnel to watch for cars, so we could jump in and take a few shots!
What an epic ender to the perfect Yosemite elopement for these two!! I love how they personalized the day to themselves with the little touches like the exchange of gifts, and personal letters and banner on where they met. I also love how they included their friends and family throughout the day but still made it theirs!
We also made a video for these two!! You will be able to hear those special words and see the raw emotion that was felt! Check it out! I absolutely love elopement videos!
If you are thinking about a Yosemite Elopement and would like to chat with us, please feel free to reach out! We would love to help make your dream wedding happen!
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If you're thinking about eloping or getting married in NorCal, our blog is an excellent resource for inspiration. We've got sneak peeks of recent weddings, tips for eloping in Northern California, and more. Let The Adventure Begin is the perfect place to start planning.
