Why They Chose to Get Married in Yosemite:

Eva and Arturo’s story is one you might relate to: After they got engaged they started planning a big traditional wedding, but quickly got stressed and were not having a good time, thinking “this just doesn’t really feel like us.”

They love and appreciate this beautiful earth given to us and as adventurous people, they wanted their wedding to be an intimate and meaningful adventure. What better way to start this new chapter of life? They reached out to us and once we hopped on a call, we all got so excited about bringing their elopement vision to life.

They love nature, have an awesome sense of style, and wanted their wedding to be intimate and adventurous, so they eloped in nature made it their own. Eva’s fiery red hair and unique dress + Arturo’s army green suit and standout piercings made this elopement unforgettable. (Honorable mention to their adorable pug Ygritte!)

Checkout our Yosemite National Park Elopement Guide to learn how to plan your own wedding in this park!

Planning Their Adventure Together: Locations, Permits, and Timeline

During our first planning call, Eva and Arturo shared that they wanted to include their pug, have an intimate ceremony, and time alone exploring together. We loved their vision of combining family celebration with private adventure, and since we know Yosemite so well, we had some great ideas to make it truly special.

Choosing Their Wedding Locations:

We brought in our elopement planning experience to help them narrow it down to:

• Their Airbnb for getting ready with family (and their pug Ygritte, since dogs aren’t allowed outside parking lots and campgrounds in the park)
• Cathedral Beach for their intimate ceremony with family, a stunning location for them and their 16 guests beneath the majestic El Capitan cliff.
• Two different Glacier Point spots we had scouted previously that were perfect for their private vow exchange, first dance, and sunset portraits away from crowds.

Guiding Them Through The Permit Process:

Every wedding in the park requires a Special Use Permit. The application involves multiple rounds of communication with the park service, so we guided Eva and Arturo through the application process to ensure everything went smoothly. Starting the application early is important, we always recommend beginning at least 3-6 months out, or earlier if possible.

Crafting Them a Helpful Timeline:

We created a timeline that balanced their ceremony with family and their desire for private exploration time. Since they chose September, we helped them take advantage of beautiful fall weather while avoiding the peak summer crowds. We also planned around Yosemite’s geography, locations like Cathedral Beach and Glacier Point require strategic timing to maximize the experience without feeling rushed.

Following Leave No Trace:

Throughout the process we always include Leave No Trace principles. National Park’s delicate ecosystems need protection, especially in high-traffic areas.

Their Elopement Day: Ceremony in the Valley and Vows in the Peaks

Getting Ready With Their Son & Dog

Their day started at their beautiful Airbnb getting ready with family. Eva got ready with her mom and their adorable pug Ygritte while Arturo shared special moments with his son. Then they had their first look in the forest behind the backyard – when Arturo saw Eva in her glorious gown he laughed and cried and held her tight. Having two photographers is so helpful for moments like a first look, Micah photographed Eva while Sammie captured Arturo’s reaction using a fast shutter speed to catch every emotion.

Ceremony at Cathedral Beach

Their ceremony at Cathedral Beach was beautifully intimate. They started their marriage standing underneath the majestic Yosemite cliffs then toasted it with champagne. El Capitan stands so close and so massive behind this spot that we needed to use our wide angle lenses and shoot vertically to capture the scale. After saying goodbye to family, they set off to do what they love: exploring the outdoors together.

Emotional Private Vows

They wandered around the Glacier Point area, soaking in views of the incredible mountains before we led them to our secret spot to exchange private vows. Words have power, and they spoke such powerful and beautiful words of encouragement and love to each other.

Sunset Photos with Half Dome Alpenglow

After wiping away tears from their vows, they hiked through the forest toward a stunning viewpoint we’d found for them. We used the nice even lighting in the forest between locations to capture individual portraits of them, letting their unique style shine.

They took time at the viewpoint to slow down and just be with each other. They danced their private first dance as the sun set, and we underexposed our images a little while we photographed to be able to fully capture the alpenglow on Half Dome behind them when we edited, the golden light painting the granite was absolutely magical.

Finally, as the sun went down they sat together, breathed in deep and thought “Now THIS felt like us.” Their day perfectly captures what elopements are about: making it completely your own, embracing your unique style, and celebrating in nature with the people and moments that matter most.

Checkout our full Yosemite National Park Elopement Guide for more info on how to plan a wedding in this park!

Thinking about eloping? Let’s make it 100% YOU.

Photos From Their Amazing Micro-Wedding:

Want to start planning your elopement or micro-wedding?