Eloping with Kids in Yosemite National Park, CA

Eloping with kids may sound like the craziest idea to some. But to others, it’s the perfect way to celebrate marriage, family, and the outdoors. On this blog, I wanted to share some galleries from couples that brought their kiddos along for their elopement adventure!

Anikka and Ashlin reached out to us wanting to elope in one of the only mountain ranges they hadn’t seen in the US. Visiting Yosemite was a dream, and why not make that dream come true on their wedding day?

They brought their daughter along for the adventure and let me tell you, this kid loves the outdoors. It was cold, much colder than normal for this time of the year, and this little one didn’t complain once!

In fact, she kept saying she was so excited “for her wedding day”!

Having their kid there was a no-brainer, and she definitely had us laughing hard at several parts of the day!

An Adventure in Yosemite Valley

A Sunrise Hiking Elopement

T+D reached out to us very excited about their elopement plans. They wanted an early morning start in order to have the Park to themselves, which I always support.

We met up at the Park for their first look and then just the 4 of us went off adventuring and exploring the Yosemite Valley floor.

Later in the morning, we met with their family for the ceremony! It was such a great plan, because nobody else, including their sweet kid, had to wake up at the crack of dawn. Just the two of them, and us!

Everyone hiked together to get to the ceremony location (a favorite of ours). It was a pretty hot morning but somehow the Sierras were still covered in snow. It was such a beautiful landscape!

Check out some highlights from their day and stick until the end for some tips on eloping with kids!

Helpful Tips for Eloping with Kids

• You know your kid better than anyone. I think it’s important that that’s been said. Nobody else knows your child as you do. So trust your gut! You know what they can or cannot handle, the things they like to do, what keeps them happy, etc.

• Consider their needs while planning your timeline. Maybe your kid will not have a great day if they wake up at 3 or 4 AM. Maybe they also don’t want to stay up past their bedtime. You’ll be the one to make that call! Remember an elopement timeline is made to fit your needs, to make sure everyone involved is having an amazing day!

• Things won’t be perfect. Adults know how to deal with uncomfortable elements (well, sometimes). Kids might not. It’s important to prepare for things we can’t control, like the weather. It might be too hot, too cold, too rainy, etc. Your kid might cry about it. It’s ok. Kids are perfectly imperfect, just like we all are.

Over the years, as California elopement photographers, we’ve had the pleasure of documenting many parents eloping with their kids, and I’ll tell you what, the kids are always so thrilled to be part of this moment!

You can have a chill wedding on the Valley floor, your can hike to amazing views, you can do whatever you want, and do whatever fits your vibe as a family.

I wanted to show you another adventurous family! These lovely people below are a hiking family. So they knew their little one would be so pumped to do this hike with them! Check out some more photos below of families eloping with kids and get inspired!