Winter Wonderland Yosemite Elopement
snowy adventure elopement in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Elopement Photographer | Summit and Sur Photography
As a Yosemite photographer who spends A LOT of time in the park for both elopements and surprise proposals, I am always in awe of what I get to capture for my clients in this gorgeous place. Every time I think “wow, it really can’t get cooler than that”, Yosemite finds a way to essentially reply, “wait ‘till you see this!” Chloe and Jarrod’s Yosemite elopement fit right into that narrative when they were married in the park this past March, surrounded by their closest family members…and some of the wildest weather I have seen yet.
When these two reached out about having their Yosemite wedding in March, they initially said that they wanted to have their ceremony at Glacier Point. I had to explain that Glacier Point Road closes in the winter, which makes the popular ceremony spot inaccessible until it reopens, usually around May or June. Once that was off the table, I wasn’t sure if they were still going to move forward with Yosemite, as they were considering some other location options; however, after a little bit of time to think, they ultimately landed back where they started and agreed that a ceremony in Yosemite Valley would be perfect for them. We worked together to pick an incredible spot for them to get married and an amazing day filled with lots of time exploring the park together but also plenty of time with their families, as that was a really important aspect of their day.
As the week of their wedding finally came into view and they were preparing to fly from Louisiana with their families, I began my second job: meteorologist. When Chloe and Jarrod booked their elopement for March, I had explained that aside from the normal winter road closures like Glacier Point Road and Tioga Pass, there was always a chance that we could run into inclement weather and potentially need to shift plans a bit. I had advised them to be prepared for any weather and to make sure to carry snow chains in their cars, just in case. As fate would have it, the weather forecast for their elopement day was starting to look more and more like rain or potentially even snow. We spoke about our backup plans, I came prepared with my clear umbrellas, and we hoped for the best. The evening before their elopement, as I sat in Curry Village analyzing the weather forecast for the millionth time in the last 48 hours, I decided that shifting some things around for the chance of best conditions was going to be our best bet. After some calls to Chloe and Jarrod to see if they were okay with moving their timeline up by two hours (because that is never a unilateral decision and the final call is always in the couples’ hands). I crossed my fingers that the forecast would hold and left my couple with this:
“Your day is going to be amazing no matter what and Yosemite will always give you what you need.”
The morning of their wedding, I woke up to an incredibly gorgeous sky in the valley and was thrilled to hear that C and J were experiencing the same conditions over at their hotel, Rush Creek Lodge and Spa (which I HIGHLY recommend if you are looking to splurge on accommodations while visiting Yosemite), which is just outside park boundaries. Upon arriving at their gorgeous hotel and getting everything set up, I started shooting details and then each of them getting ready in preparation for their first look. Both of them had help from their parents and siblings as they put the finishing touches on their wedding day looks. While the hotel staff brought Jarrod over to the spot we had agreed upon for their first look, Chloe had a special first look with her dad before giving them some special gifts in honor of the big day. Lots of tears were shed and, so involved in the moment, I may or may not have fallen off of a chair while trying to get a specific angle…but that is a story for another day!
Once Jarrod was all set up and waiting for Chloe, her and I took one of the golf carts the hotel provided and headed to where the spot we had picked for their first look. With the weather still holding up, Chloe walked up to Jarrod, tapped him on the shoulder and showed off her gorgeous dress for him to finally see! After soaking in the moment, the two of them exchanged private, heartfelt vows to each other while looking out towards the snowy mountains. I absolutely love when couples choose to do private vows because it is the perfect approach to keeping the intimacy of an elopement while still including friends and family in other parts of your day. After they wrapped up their vows and shared a hug and kiss, we hiked back down to where their guests were boarding the bus that was booked to bring everyone from the hotel to the valley. A few minutes later and everyone was on the bus and on their way to Chloe and Jarrod’s ceremony!
As we drove from the hotel down towards the valley, the weather began to deteriorate a bit, which was pretty much in line with what the forecast had predicted. Once we arrived at the spot for their ceremony, the wind had picked up a bit and the clouds were moving in so we knew we were going to need to move quickly to avoid everyone getting rained on. So after getting their guests set up, Jarrod waited as Chloe walked towards him with her father on her arm. It was a beautiful moment and as their ceremony began, officiated by a close friend, they had Yosemite Falls in all her glory as yet another witness to their love.
With their ceremony almost complete and their marriage almost official, the skies opened up and started to lightly sprinkle. Of course, we all came prepared for this so everyone grabbed the clear umbrellas to try to keep dry as Chloe and Jarrod said their “I do’s”, exchanged rings, and their first kiss as a married couple. By the time we wrapped up their ceremony, the rain had really start to come down hard, thwarting our original plan for a short hike in the valley and sunset photos. But, because that was a likely issue we were going to run into, we pivoted to heading back to the hotel for their dinner and family photos. The rain turned to snow as we drove higher and higher into the mountains towards the hotel and when we finally arrived, it was a full blown snow storm outside!
After everyone was settled in the private room of the restaurant, Chloe and Jarrod made their grand entrance, making their way into their first dance as a married couple. The snow fell behind them, coming down even heavier as they danced with their parents and then got all the group shots we had discussed ahead of time. Once the family-group photos were done, everyone was hungry and ready for dinner! This was the perfect time for a beautiful prayer for the newlyweds and speeches from their families before digging into their delicious meals.
Before I wrapped up for the night, Chloe, Jarrod, and I talked about our pivoted plans from earlier in the day and what our next steps were. In an effort to help them still get an amazing experience in the valley and some incredible photos of just the two of them, we decided to meet the next morning. So we said our goodbyes and held our breath for what the morning would bring. Little did we know, it would be EPIC.
The next morning, I woke up before the sun even had a chance to rise and realized that it must have been snowing for hours by that point…with no signs of stopping quite yet. After hopping in my car, I drove from Curry Village to the spot in the valley we had agreed to meet, with the snow coming down so hard in the darkness, it looked like I was flying through space at hyper speed! It was at this point that my sneaking suspicion of it having snowed all night was confirmed: the valley was blanketed in a gorgeous layer of snow. By the time we all arrived, it was still snowing but we took advantage of the gorgeous landscape and surprise storm to get creative and take some out of this world photos as I showed them around my favorite spots in the valley. When we saw the little chapel, I knew it had a chance at being a really great shot for the two of them, especially since they both place a huge importance on their faith. It turned out to be more than just a great shot and quickly became one of my favorite photos I have ever taken!
We moved on from that spot in the valley and drove to another, snow still falling around us. Chloe and Jarrod explored, cuddled, and even had a snow ball fight! After attempting to take some photos up at Tunnel View (my car was skidding on the way up there and I definitely should have put my tire chains on) only to have zero visibility because of the weather, we made our way back towards where we had started to find that the snow was starting to let up and the sky was clearing just a bit. It was like being in a snow globe that morning and then turned into a perfect winter wonderland. After galavanting through the snow for some more amazing photos, the sun had officially made its way out along with a handful of park visitors (we didn’t see another soul while we were taking photos that morning). We chatted a bit before finally saying our goodbyes and wishing the two of them a great rest of their trip. It’s always bittersweet knowing that the big event finally happened and we made it all work but also knowing I won’t get to work with my couple as much anymore. That said, this was an elopement that I could never forget and am so proud to have been part of. As I said before, Yosemite always gives us what we need and this time, she knew we needed some magic!
Vendors
Hotel and restaurant: Rush Creek Lodge and Restaurant
Chloe’s Dress: Essence of Australia
Veil: Town and Country Bridal
Jarrod’s Tux: Tuxedos to Geaux
Florals: Peregrin’s Florist
Chloe’s hiking boots: Columbia Sportswear
Hair and Make-up: Braided Blonde Locks
Vow books: Etsy-AshleyWoodCraft
Rings: Diamonds Direct
Private bus: MLA Charters
Want to get married in Yosemite National Park? Reach out today to learn more about what your day can look like!