Elopements

Here’s How This Couple Transformed Their Taft Point Adventure Into Their Wedding Day

A lot of couples love the idea of eloping, but some do hesitate to plan one if their family can’t be there. The pandemic made this couple change their plans and opt for an intimate Taft Point adventure. We go over what you need to know planning an elopement to how you can still incorporate your loved ones on your elopement day below.

Are you thinking about eloping? Use our elopement directory to help you decide if eloping is right for you.

Picking an Elopement Location

Photography by The Hendrys

Although Amanda and Jeff mainly decided to elope due to the pandemic, these two loved how their Taft Point elopement adventure turned out. Even with their change of plans to elope, they always wanted to incorporate nature into their ceremony location.

“In our initial search, we came across images of Yosemite elopements and fell in love with their majesty and beauty. After seeing those photos, nothing else lived up to them. Originally, we passed on the idea because we didn’t want to ask our family and friends to travel; but as we were faced with the cancellation of our original wedding, we knew it was the right move for us to have the experience we had been dreaming of. We were thrilled to experience Yosemite for the first time together during our special day.” [The Couple]

Explore our list of top places to elope to help you decide where you should elope with your partner.

Planning an Elopement

Planning an elopement can be overwhelming for a couple who weren’t initially planning to elope. Even though eloping itself can be easier, it can be stressful to navigate if it’s an entirely new concept for you. This is mainly why we created our how to elope guide and provide a comprehensive elopement directory of vendors to help you build out your day.

Amanda and Jeff tell us they heavily relied on researching elopement blogs and their photographers to help them plan their Yosemite wedding adventure together.

“Together we worked together to piece together location, timeline, and specifics. There was a lot of googling, video calls, and emails to vendors and our team. We came to know a wonderful group of people across the county who brought our special day to life. It was challenging navigating the pandemic. We didn’t know if our Yosemite permit would get approved, we did know if we would get a ticket as there was a limited amount, and we didn’t know if the park would shut down again.” [The Couple]

Check out our Yosemite Elopement Guide for more tips and tricks.

Ways to Incorporate Your Family During Your Elopement

Amanda and Jeff love how their Yosemite elopement turned out, but they did tell us their day did coexist with grief from not having their family and friends be with them. This is incredibly important to talk about because even couples who initially want to elope feel this sadness.

Despite this, this couple found ways to include their loved ones during the elopement. They also encourage other couples who are eloping to find meaningful ways to incorporate family because the connection is still possible with distance.

“We were not able to have many of the milestones we’d dreamt of: being walked down the aisle with my dad, getting ready with my friends, dancing and hugging the most important people. Our officiant facilitated a zoom call with our family and best friends the night before where we shared memories and lovely words.

My friends made me a book to read as I got ready. My mom’s wedding dress was made into a bouquet wrap. Our family and friends lit candles for us during our ceremony and posted them to our elopement Facebook group. The next morning we read through all the messages and saw all the candles. It was our second favorite part.” [The Couple]

Another great idea we love is when couples plan a post elopement reception later on!

Advice From The Photographers For Your Taft Point Elopement Adventure

Taft Point is often one f the most popular elopement and wedding portrait destinations in all of Yosemite park. Despite how epic this location can be, there are actually a ton of spots you can explore.

Photographers, Sarah and Darren, explain understanding the scale of the park, setting your goals on where you want to use, and narrowing it down to a couple of spots so you’re not driving around all day is the top three tips they have for couples planning their Yosemite wedding adventure.

“There are endless photo ops in Yosemite but distance can play a massive part, especially if you want to visit both the lower and upper parts of the valley. So get a timeline drawn up and work out the travel time between each location. Have a plan B/C/D just in case time isn’t on your side, or Glacier Point Rd randomly closes (like this month because of weather conditions!).” [The Photographers]

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

Since Amanda and Jeff decided to elope on their own, they built a great friendship with their photographers and team during the planning process. We love asking what each of their favorite moments were to better help other couples envision their own elopement experience.

Photographers’ Favorite Moment:

“The hikes to and from Taft Point were some of our most favorite highlights! We had a blast talking complete nonsense and frolicking around! Their ceremony was also one for the books. It was a whole 45 minutes long and was full of tears and laughter and funny AF stories. Also, since the park had just opened and the reservation system was brand new, we had the spot all to ourselves, which was a totally unique and rare situation. Taft Point is usually a bustling spot with several shoots happening there at once.” [The Photographers]

Couple’s Favorite Moment:

“The best part of eloping is that you are free to be fully present with your partner and truly enjoy the day. No venue set up, no managing relational dynamics, no worrying about logistics. We got to experience Yosemite in real-time together and celebrate our love with no distraction. Because the parks were ticketed and limited entry at the time, the usual crowds of Yosemite in the summer disappeared, and it felt like we had the park to ourselves. 3,500 ft up on the edge of a granite cliff at sunset we were in the most beautiful place we’d ever been, fully embodied and joyfully uniting in marriage.

It was an incredibly special day in our lives. At the end of the night, we drove down the mountain and parked at Tunnel View. Just us two and the valley, we looked at the incredible view, stars above us, and shared a kiss to seal it all in, magic.” [ The Couple]

Deciding to Elope or Have a Traditional Wedding

So are you considering eloping? Sarah and Darren, the photographers, tell us how much more intimate elopements can be versus traditional weddings. Even though you may not have all your relatives there, you can still opt for a smaller wedding experience.

“There is a different energy when it comes to elopements. It gives the couple a chance to really take in the day and enjoy the experience without 101 different things happening. We always find that couples are much happier/stressfree/carefree which really shows in the photos. It also gives us the chance to spend more time being creative because we’re not bound to a formal timeline. It’s a case of capturing them all day in different situations/locations, which is amazing!” [The Photographers]

Start planning your micro wedding today!

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