Why They Chose to Elope in a National Park and Jump in a River:

Amanda and Victor started to plan a traditional wedding and quickly grew tired of it. Every time wedding planning came up they’d both get stressed and want to talk about something else, not exactly the joyful experience they’d hoped for!

Amanda and Victor ran across one of our videos on social media and decided to elope in Yosemite National Park instead. They reached out to us and once we hopped on a call, the rest was history. Their love of nature and desire for an intimate wedding experience made eloping the perfect fit!

What made this location even more special? The first time Amanda ever went for a long hike was backpacking in this park with Victor, so it already held a special place in their relationship. Amanda loves the water and Victor loves the mountains – this park had it all.

Checkout our full Yosemite National Park Elopement Guide to learn how to plan your own elopement!

We’re happy to say that Amanda & Victors elopement is now featured in Wandering Weddings!

How We Helped Bring Their Vision to Life: Choosing a Location, Getting a Permit, Creating a Timeline

From our very first planning call, Amanda and Victor mentioned they wanted to get into the water at some point during their elopement. We absolutely loved their adventurous spirit and immediately started elopement planning with them to make that dream a reality!

Finding Their Perfect Locations in Yosemite:

Using our years of experience helping couples plan elopements, we helped them choose:

• A secret spot near Tunnel View for their private vow exchange before the ceremony.
• Bridalveil Fall Trail for the classic waterfall views that make this park famous, their elopement was the best time of year for this when the waterfalls are the most full.
• Cascades Picnic Area for their ceremony with guests. They needed to hold the ceremony at one of this park’s 12 designated ceremony locations since their guest count was more than 10 total people. This was the perfect combination of Victor’s love of mountains and Amanda’s love of water.
• The ideal river location near Swinging Bridge for their river jump, which we personally scouted to find the best spot with Yosemite Falls visible in the background.

Helping Them Navigate the Permit Process:

Getting married in a National Park requires a Special Use Permit, and the process involves mailing documents back and forth with the park service. We guided them through every step and connected them with Cat at the permit office (she’s awesome!). The key? Starting as early as possible to avoid delays.

Creating Them a Stress-Free Timeline:

We built them a comprehensive timeline that accounted for Yosemite’s unique challenges. Since it’s such a popular park, we helped them avoid the massive summer crowds by choosing the right time of year. We also made sure they understood drive times within the park, from the most popular entrances like the South Entrance and Big Oak Flat Entrance, it’s another full hour of driving to reach the valley or Glacier Point. This is why we always recommend staying as close to the park as you’re able to.

Following Leave No Trace:

Throughout planning, we always included Leave No Trace principles. As one of the most popular National Parks in the country, preserving Yosemite’s beauty for future generations is something we take seriously!

Their Elopement Day: Family Ceremony, Tunnel View Vows, & an Epic River Jump

First Look in Front of Their Hotel

Their elopement day unfolded beautifully thanks to all the planning. They started with a first look outside their hotel, one of us photographing a close-up of Victor’s reaction, the other capturing a full-body shot of the moment. Then of course some pictures with their beloved dogs. While stopping in town for a quick lunch they played some spontaneous pool at California’s oldest operating saloon, totally unplanned and so awesome! One of those go-with-the-flow moments that can only happen when you’re eloping.

Private Vows at Tunnel View & Exploring Bridalveil Fall

They drove to the quiet spot we chose for them near Tunnel View to exchange emotional private vows. With nothing written down, they just poured out their hearts on the spot. Getting to witness their heartfelt vows with Tunnel View laid out behind them was truly beautiful. We gave them privacy while using our longer lenses to capture their emotion, and our wide angle lenses to frame them within the gorgeous landscape. Then they stopped by Bridalveil Fall to get some of those iconic waterfall views. The waterfall is so tall we have to shoot mostly vertical photos just to fit it in the shot!

Ceremony with Loved Ones at Cascades Picnic Area

They headed to Cascades Picnic Area where they changed into a different dress and suit as their guests arrived. (Having two outfits for your elopement is the coolest!! Especially if you’re having a two-day elopement.) Micah photographed Amanda’s mother walking her down the aisle, and Sammie captured Victor’s emotional reaction during their second first look, just as beautiful as the first one. Victor’s friend performed a beautiful ceremony, and they said goodbye to their guests, but their guests had no idea what was about to happen next!

The Epic Merced River Jump

Amanda and Victor had told us from our first planning call they wanted to get in the water, so we’d scouted the perfect spot. They took the leap not just into marriage, but into the freezing cold Merced River with gorgeous Yosemite Falls in the background!

We’ll never forget watching them grab hands with nervous excitement and whoop for joy as they took the plunge into the water and into the rest of their lives together. Sammie got up to her waist in the freezing water to get close enough for the with her 70-200mm lens, while Micah stood on a bridge to capture photo and video with the waterfall in the background as they jumped.

After drying off, they went back to their Airbnb to shock their guests with the video of them jumping in the river and celebrate the night away. This epic moment perfectly captures what makes elopements so special: the freedom to create an adventure that’s authentically you!

Checkout our full Yosemite National Park Elopement Guide for more info on how to plan!

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

Photos From Their Amazing Elopement:

Yosemite Vendors for Your Elopement:

• Photographers: The Chaffins
• Dress: David’s Bridal
• Suit: Macy’s

Want to start planning your elopement or intimate wedding?