Katherine & Chris’s Adventurous Yosemite Elopement

Shooting a wedding at Yosemite has been on our bucket list for a while now, and Katherine & Chris gave us our wish earlier this month — and in the process, we got to spend a day with the coolest couple. Our day was packed with fun and adventure: after an early morning drive into the park, we met up with them at Tunnel View for a cute little first look, then headed to Cathedral Beach where about a dozen of their closest friends & family gathered for the wedding ceremony. Afterwards, we regrouped at Glacier Point and then made the hike over to Taft Point where we all braved the cold for the sunset to peek out for a brief minute — which is all we needed for some epic sunset photos.

Chris and Katherine originally had planned on having a wedding closer to home, in Half Moon Bay. But as they got further into planning, they realized an elopement made more sense for them and changed up plans. (We’re glad they did!) But even with the relatively simpler logistics, it wasn’t all smooth sailing… in a unique display seen only in the American form of government, during the final weeks leading up to this day, our fearless leaders again threatened a federal government shutdown, which would have closed national parks (including Yosemite) one day before their elopement. Luckily, an interim agreement was reached the day before shutdown, kicking the can down the road just far enough for K&C to have their day as planned. I think any other couple (including us) would have lost half a head of hair going through the stress and uncertainty, but these two remained cool as a cucumber through it all, and I think it shows in the photos.

We thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with Katherine & Chris (and their family and friends who were so very warm and welcoming!), and it’ll for sure remain one of our most memorable weddings. Obviously we love all of their photos, but the little in-between moments, the smiles and laughter between them, it all makes our hearts warm. We’re super excited to share just a few highlights of their adventurous Yosemite elopement photos below!