Emily and Aly’s Sunrise Yosemite Elopement Adventure With a Picnic at El Cap Meadow 

Emily and Aly drove to Yosemite from the PNW to elope among the rocky giants! We started the morning at Glacier Point at sunrise before ending coverage in El Cap Meadow. Emily and Aly sipped hot chocolate in the morning as the sun rose and had a picnic in the evening, where they cut their cake and frolicked through the meadow. Get all the details below.

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Planning a Yosemite Elopement

“The permit cost for getting married in Yosemite National Park is $150. The permit application can be obtained online. The person in charge of permitting, Catherine, is a wonderful resource and answers emails super quickly!

Regarding LNT, the areas that are shown in these images are all public spots within the park. Glacier Point, for example, is a huge tourist attraction and has trails leading up to various spots on the rocks that are easily accessible for park-goers. Cathedral Beach Picnic Area is another public access spot.

Finally, the meadow where the couple shared cake and champagne together is a popular place for park-goers to set up chairs and watch as climbers climb the rocks. Of course, it’s super important to abide by LNT principles, which means staying on trail, not spraying champagne into the park, and being cognizant of any and all wildlife.” [Kylie, the photographer]

Check out our Yosemite elopement guide for more details.

Deciding to Elope

“Ultimately we chose to elope for the intimacy, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness.

We also didn’t want to wait until the wedding was over to have time to focus on each other! It was hard to picture the day being ‘about us’ when we already knew we’d spend the day worried about whether or not everyone was enjoying themselves. Our dream day would be a day without distraction, where we could share how much the other means to us with a beautiful view and peacefully start this new chapter together. And we made sure to get an awesome photographer who could capture that for us to share with those who we had there in our hearts.

We definitely knew we wanted to get married in a National Park, and although Glacier and North Cascades were considerations since we live in the PNW, we wanted a place closer to our hearts. Yosemite was the first national park we visited together, not to mention its breathtaking natural beauty and iconic landscapes. The insane waterfalls, towering granite cliffs, and lush forests provided the perfect backdrop for exchanging our vows in a place that felt truly magical and timeless.” [The couple]

Top Tips For Your Yosemite Adventure

“Pay attention to local weather, road closures, and any park maintenance happening in the area. Yosemite is a stunning place to get married, but being uninformed about road delays can greatly affect the timeline of any elopement day. Weather patterns are important to pay attention to, as well, especially during wildfire season.

Giving yourself extra time to get from Point A to Point B within the park is also vital when planning your timeline. Yosemite is vast, and it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (or more) to get from one iconic spot to another for photos. Stay mindful of timing, and always hire someone who knows the lay of the land!” [Kylie, the photographer]

About the couple:

“Emily and Aly knew exactly what they wanted, and even when their ceremony time had to be moved because there was one already booked for their original time slot, they pivoted with ease, and we developed a new game plan. Not to mention the way they were so in sync with each other throughout the entire day. They paid attention to each other’s wants and plainly stated what they wanted from me as their photographer, which made photographing them a breeze! 

Their outfits were beautiful! Emily’s train on her dress was perfect for getting action shots, and Aly’s red suit was the perfect pop of color! I also really loved how they made their elopement their own by bringing a picnic blanket, cake, and champagne to top off their day.” [Kylie, the photographer] 

Check out some of our favorite elopement dresses!

Estimated Cost of This Elopement

• $3,500 – Photography, which included 4 hours, her travel, lodging, second shooter (her husband) and her serving as our officiant (a major bonus).
• $400 – Wedding attire
• $1,200 – Hair and makeup for Emily was a splurge because of the MUA’s travel/lodging costs and a fee for “after-hours” timing (we started at 2:30 am!).
• $200 – accommodation cabin
• $90 – Cake
• $150 – Yosemite wedding permit
• $200 – Props for photos: Blanket, sign, etc.
• $100 – Dried Flowers (bouquet and boutonniere). Pro tip from the couple: When it comes to flowers, try to avoid saying it’s for a wedding! We got a larger dried bouquet from the same shop for about 1/4 of the price when we said it was just for our kitchen table. We did dried so we could pick up the week before and not have to think about them being fresh on the day. 
• Although not directly related to the day, we sent out little gift boxes with favors for our parents and siblings to open, enjoy, and celebrate “with” us on the day, Aly designed our elopement announcement “we’re eloped!” cards on Postable to send out to friends after we tied the knot and then we paid for a group of our family members to spend the following weekend with us at Lake Tahoe.

Total ~ $5,840

Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the photographer:

“Their wonderment and awe as they saw Glacier Point together for the first time was so amazing to witness. The two of them danced, twirled, and explored Glacier Point together at sunrise, taking moments to pause and watch as the sun rose over the mountains. Another one of my favorite moments was their ceremony at Cathedral Beach Picnic Area. Their vows to each other were beautiful!”

From Aly:

“As we stood together hand in hand to say our vows, surrounded by the peaceful serenity of nature, we felt an overwhelming sense of love and connection. The beauty of the moment was truly surreal, and it felt like time stood still as we made promises to each other amidst the grandeur of the wilderness. It was a deeply emotional and unforgettable experience that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.”

From Emily:

“There’s a spot on the drive to Glacier Point where we were doing our sunrise photos where you turn a bend and Half Dome is straight in front of you. After a sleepless night, getting up early for hair and makeup, a long drive the day before, etc, and waking up thinking, ‘Maybe we should skip the sunrise photos and get some more sleep’, we rounded that bend and thought, ‘holy smokes this is worth it’ and I just remember spending that whole morning just beaming at Aly as the sun came up. I figured standing on that cliff that morning was the happiest I could ever be, and then that feeling never faded for the rest of the day.”

 

Final Words of Advice From the Photographer

“I definitely think it’s important to note that any time you choose to elope, the weather is always a factor. In this case, we ended up with the most amazing sunrise and cloudless sunset, which provided the perfect lighting at both times of the day. However, it doesn’t always end up that way for couples, so it’s super important to keep an open mind and trust your photographer to still get amazing shots regardless of weather conditions!

Emily and Aly were concerned with potential bad weather (as most elopement couples are regardless of the location), but they trusted our game plan wholeheartedly, which made all the difference!” [Kylie, the photographer]

Final Words From The Couple

From Aly:

“Our elopement photographers were nothing short of amazing. They not only captured the beauty of Yosemite but also the essence of our love story with artistry and skill. From the tender moments shared between us to the grandeur of the landscape, every shot was thoughtfully composed and expertly executed. Their ability to blend seamlessly into the background allowed us to be ourselves, resulting in photographs that felt authentic and heartfelt. Even amidst the challenges of shooting in a remote wilderness setting, our photographer remained calm, professional, and incredibly creative, ensuring that every moment was beautifully preserved for us to treasure forever. Their talent and passion truly elevated our elopement experience, and we are forever grateful for the stunning memories they captured.”

From Emily:

“Anyone who elopes has the opportunity to legitimately make the day about them. We catered it to us, but still felt some of the traditional pressures to look/dress a certain way and have certain props or ceremonial aspects. Our photographer even said she’s taken photos of elopements where the couple are in regular clothes and we thought ‘gosh that feels more authentic to us! To be in jeans and t-shirts,’ but looking back, we are glad we got all dressed up for the best day of our lives.

We probably could have done more to make the day about us and not about ‘us that also transfers well in photographs’, but we did find time to chow down on elotes in town between photo sessions. So advice would be to make it authentic to you, in and out of photos. Love rock climbing? Stage a photo of you two feet off the ground in your climbing harness but also find time to actually go climbing that day or spend some extra time the next day. You should actually enjoy your wedding day and without guests to entertain, might as well do it exactly how you want it.”

Ready to take the leap and elope? Learn to elope here.

Photos From This Elopement Adventure