Ryan & Clare’s Glacier Point Elopement at Yosemite

Ryan and Clare’s Glacier Point elopement was an amazing wedding day that will stick with us for many years to come. Almost exactly one year earlier, we hid in the grass to capture Ryan’s proposal to Clare closer to home, at the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. To come full circle and be there as they promised forever to each other in one of the most breathtaking places on earth was truly an honor!

Their day began with an intimate elopement ceremony at the Glacier Point Amphitheater, with only their immediate family plus a close friend officiating. The morning light was already pouring across Half Dome and the valley below, making an incredible backdrop for such a heartfelt ceremony. Afterward, we wandered around Glacier Point together, taking our time with portraits while the overlook was still quiet and the light was at its best.

Rather than trying to squeeze every portrait into a single part of the day, Ryan and Clare chose to embrace everything Yosemite has to offer. After a break in the afternoon, we met up again in Yosemite Valley for portraits around one of our favorite spots, Cook’s Meadow. The contrast between the wide open meadows, towering granite cliffs, and peaceful boardwalks made for an entirely different feel from the morning.

To finish the day, we laced up our hiking shoes and headed for Taft Point. The golden light at the overlook was nothing short of spectacular, and we were able to create some of our favorite images of the entire day as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Watching these two laugh together in their wedding attire as the evening turned to dusk felt like such a fitting ending for a couple who genuinely loves spending time outdoors.

Ryan and Clare’s wedding day somehow felt less like work to us and more like spending a day with friends. We feel incredibly privileged to have documented both the beginning of their engagement and the start of their marriage, and we couldn’t be happier for the two of them!