Jessie & Trent planned this day way in advance. A Tenaya Lodge wedding reception was booked, and a permit for a Glacier Point wedding ceremony was approved!

Fast forward to October of 2021 and the wind was not in our favor. Let me explain. Sequoia NP (which is about 4 hours away from Yosemite National Park) was suffering from an ongoing wildfire.

We woke up on Jessie & Trent’s wedding day and the sky was covered in smoke. The fire was nowhere near Yosemite, but the wind was strong enough to kick it our way!

I’m sharing this wedding day with you guys because I don’t think anyone could’ve handled something like that better than these two. Jessie & Trent woke up and decided, “this will be the best day, no matter what”. And it was. Their joy was absolutely contagious, and it’s one of those days we won’t ever forget.

Jessie, Trent, and 50 of their closest friends and family members all laughed, cried, celebrated, and even made the most appropriate joke during their ceremony (scroll through the gallery to see what I’m talking about, it’s pretty epic).

What happens when life throws curveballs at you? How do you react? Do you get so frustrated that it has the power to ruin your day/week, or do you choose to face it in the best way possible?

Nobody plans to have a wedding surrounded by wildfire smoke. But it happens. It certainly wasn’t in their plans to not be able to see the one view they signed up for. But if you can’t tell by looking at these pictures, let me tell you then… they did not let this take away the joy of their day. AT ALL.

Photo & Video: Stephan & Adriana

Makeup: Mason Makeup

Wedding Venue: Tenaya Lodge

Flowers: Sweet Dreams Weddings

Tenaya Lodge Wedding – Yosemite Venue

Tenaya Lodge is one of the most beautiful hotels around Yosemite National Park, located just 5 minutes from the South Gate Entrance. It’s only a 35 to 40 min drive to Yosemite Valley locations like Tunnel View, Lower Yosemite Falls, and more!

It’s the perfect place to stay and to get ready before your wedding, but they also offer ceremony and reception locations!

We always recommend Tenaya Lodge to our clients, amongst other places around the Park. Tenaya Lodge and other hotels and Airbnbs are included in our Elopement Guide, which we deliver to our couples shortly after they book us. It’s where you’ll find recommendations for local vendors, helpful information about Yosemite, and more!

We still have some available dates in 2022, and we’re now booking 2023!

Contact us!