Yosemite Elopement | A “Just Us” Day in the Valley

Johanna & Peter’s day was one of those days we won’t ever forget. This Yosemite elopement made us both tear up at one point, wondering how in the world we get to do this. We get to call this our job.

These two got engaged at Zion National Park, on the way to Angel’s Landing. They decided it only made sense to continue the “National Park theme” and elope in Yosemite.

This day was planned a couple of months in advance, and I had a feeling it was going to be an amazing one. I wasn’t wrong.

It was going to be just the two of them, which meant we had so much freedom!

We spent a couple of emails back and forth talking about the things they wanted to do during their day. I told them to think about things they love doing as a couple, and that the sky was the limit!

They brought so many little details to their day, from the fact that they painted their vow pages to the cutest cake topper I’ve ever seen. Johanna also made their cake and bubba tea. Yes, homemade cake and bubba tea!

We explored Yosemite Valley all afternoon, going from main landmarks to little hidden corners in the Park.

They exchanged their personal vows in a quiet part of the meadow and celebrated the fact that they had just eloped in Yosemite National Park!

At the end of the day, the picnic was set, bubba teas were ready, and the sun was setting in the Valley. We watched them from a distance (like any great creepy photographer, lol) while the last light of the day disappeared over Half Dome.

At that moment, I started tearing up. I looked at Stephan and I knew he was thinking the same exact thing as me. What a good day this was. I can’t believe this is our job. It’s a good life.

How to plan your Yosemite Elopement

Getting married in a National Park isn’t hard, contrary to what you might think. The permit application process is pretty straightforward, and once you have your wedding permit approved, you are good to go!

Before applying for a wedding permit, you need to decide a couple of things:

• your desired date
• how many people will be there (including you both, any wedding vendors, and guests)
• what time will your ceremony be (best estimate)

Once you know these details, you can go ahead and fill out the permit application and send it in! Don’t forget to include the permit application fee – a check in the amount of $150.

This is just a quick overlook on how to begin planning your Yosemite elopement, but if you want to read more in-depth about the subject, make sure to check out our blog post:

How to Elope in Yosemite

We are Stephan & Adriana, Yosemite elopement photographers. We live just 15 minutes from the gates of this amazing place, and we can’t believe how lucky we are to call this National Park our home. Helping out couples plan their day and their trip to the Park is one of our favorite parts of this job!

We also work often in Sequoia National Park, Big Sur, Mammoth Lakes, and other epic places in California.

Intimate weddings and elopements are what we’re all about. We love seeing our couples being able to have a stress-free day while being able to be exactly who they are.

Get in touch and let’s chat about your ideal day!