Full Day Elopement | Sunrise and Sunset Views at Glacier Point and Taft Point | Yosemite National Park Elopement Photographer
Yosemite National Park: A Destination Full Of Endless Sceneries And Adventures For Your Elopement Day!
You may already know of Yosemite National Park as being home to the famous El Capitan and Half Dome, but did you also know that Yosemite is the 3rd oldest national park in the United States? This park is located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains and is best known for it’s abundant waterfalls. Yosemite Falls, which is actually made up of 3 falls (upper, middle, and lower) is known to be one of the tallest waterfalls in the entire world and stands at 2,425 feet!
Waterfalls aren’t the only picturesque views at Yosemite though; you can also see towering granite cliffs, vast lakes and meadows, as well as sequoia forests and glaciers. All these and more are what makes Yosemite National Park one of the most popular national parks in America and one of the best places to elope!
Explore Other Gorgeous Yosemite Elopements & Intimate Weddings I’ve Photographed
The Best Time of Year to Plan an Elopement in Yosemite
Two of my favorite viewpoints in the whole park are Glacier Point, which provides a sprawling view of the park with Half Dome located right in the center, and Taft Point which overlooks the massive granite cliff, El Capitan. These hikes offer stunning viewpoints with very little effort along the way and are perfect for summer and early fall elopements.
If a spring or winter wedding is what you’re after, the waterfalls will be in full swing and the views from the valley can’t be beat! The snow is quite magical. Nothing like crazy view of granite covered in snow 🙂
Yosemite offers endless options and activities no matter the time of year so if you’re looking to make your elopement a day full of adventure then some ideas are hiking some of the over 800 miles of park trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, rafting, camping, or skiing / snowboarding.
There is no bad time as this park offers something different for all seasons!
The Couple and Their Decision To Elope In Yosemite
From the very first email I received from Daphne and Mike, I knew the couple wanted a different experience. I knew they wanted to spend a day full of activities, full of intentional experience, full of love. It’s funny to see where we are now but in that very same email, Daphne and Mike originally thought they wanted to elope in the Pacific Northwest. The couple shared with me their adventures in Oregon and how they could see themselves getting married there.
When we spoke on the phone, I walked Mike and Daphne through beautiful places to elope in Oregon and the process of how to elope there. But when the couple learned about my Travel Schedule and my plan for Yosemite, we explored that option a bit more.
When we decided on Yosemite, it was super exciting since this would be a brand new experience for the couple. However, it was also quite nerve-racking since Mike is an amazing videographer from New York City and in order to make his own elopement happen, he would need to fly home the day after so he can work a wedding that weekend. I know the exact feeling Mike and Daphne had since I was in their shoes just a couple of years prior when I had my own vow renewal: have our own day today, photograph someone else’ the next day.
From Sunrise To Sunset, This Is How To Plan an Elopement in Yosemite Adventurously
The morning of their elopement, we woke up at 4:00am in order to start driving at 5:00am. We arrived at Glacier Point when the only light source we had was from the stars and the moon above. The sounds of sunrise and the chill air awakened us. My absolute favorite moment was before the first look, as my husband, Rain and Pines, helped Daphne with her dress, Mike (the groom) set up his own camera to film everything. This is such a videographer thing and I love it. The couple get to bring their own artistic vision to their own elopement day.
As Yosemite has gotten busier and busier due to the fact that wedding and elopement photos from here are shared across social media, I knew I needed to make sure I planned everything carefully so we can maintain the intimacy of an elopement day. From early on, I advised the couple to apply for a permit at the exact time and location I planned. On the day of, I brought the couple to my favorite spot at Glacier as Glacier Point is such an easily accessible location, I knew we needed a space that is semi private so we wouldn’t have to worry about random hikers.
After the morning ceremony, we then explored other beautiful locations in the park and returned to our campground for cake cutting and hang out time with family. Not gonna lie, some of us took a little nap in between because we needed the energy for the rest of the day.
For sunset, we drove back up to the park and started our late afternoon hike. By the time we got there, the sun was quite magical. Yosemite and NorCal just suffered one of the biggest wildfires ever just weeks before. In fact, the week prior to Daphne and Mike’s elopement, the wildfires were well controlled but part of it was still burning and the smoke created this hazy look to everything. However, on the day the couple eloped, the smoke cleared out a bit more, allowed the sun to shine, and the sunset here was just so warm and the light was gorgeous.
The groom and I share the same fear of heights. We joked about it, laughed about it, but I could tell we both were a bit shaken 🙂 But when we see Daphne, the bride, and her beautiful elopement dress flying in the wind, we were all mesmerized by how stunning and angelic she looked.
We photographed till dark. Played with the light from lantern. And just honestly had the best time creating art together.
Daphne and Mike,
Thank you for allowing me to be there to capture your day. You guys gave me so much love and trust. I truly cannot get over how gorgeous you guys looked and how amazing your elopement day went. I cannot wait for us to see each other again and I hope we get to work together to document someone’s elopement day. Until then, take care guys 🙂
Meet the couple & the best Yosemite Elopement Photographer everrrr!!! 🙂😘
Meet The Best Yosemite National Park Elopement Vendors:
Elopement Photographer: Henry Tieu Photography (aka Me)
Event Planner & Florals: Rain and Pines
Dress Designer: Jenny Yoo
Suit Designer: Suit Supply
Meet Your Intimate Wedding & Elopement Photographers
We’re Henry and Sergio, the faces behind these honest, meaningful, and artful photographs of couples eloping in the most beautiful places. Since 2018, we’ve photographed more than 200+ intimate weddings and elopements all over the world and on 6 different continents. Our work has been published on Junebug Weddings, Green Wedding Shoes, Brides, Dancing With Her, etc…We’ve won international awards for best wedding photos but what’s most important to us is actually winning our clients’ hearts with our art.
With 15 years of combined photography experience, we’ve learned that the only way to a beautiful wedding experience & photos is through intentionality.
We’re here for you and with you from “let’s do this” to “I do”, one step at a time, each step of the way. We’re in this together
