5 Factors to Consider When Picking your Yosemite National Park Ceremony Location

Planning a Yosemite National Park elopement or destination wedding? Outside of picking a ceremony location based on it’s natural beauty and surroundings, you should also consider factors like weather, time of day, and tourism to ensure that you are truly picking the right spot for you and your fiancé.

As Yosemite elopement videographers, we are experts in factoring in all the little details that could affect your ceremony and your film. Keep reading for our favorite insider tips for picking the right location in the park to not only say your vows:

1. Time of Day & Lighting

As film makers, the time of day and lighting are always top of mind for us. In the valley for instance, you lose sunlight much faster because it hides behind the peaks. At locations with higher elevations, like Tenaya Lake Beach, the sunsets are absolutely unreal, giving your Yosemite elopement photographer and videographer much more time with the natural lighting! 

2. Location Popularity

When planning your wedding at Yosemite National Park, it is important to remember that while your wedding location will be reserved for your ceremony only, the park will still be open to regular visitors.

Ceremony spots like Glacial Point and Yosemite Falls are known for their breathtaking views which draw-in larger crowds throughout the year. If you are looking for somewhere a bit more quiet, consider an elopement with less than 11 people. This opens your ceremony possibilities to any intimate location in the park, like the infamous Taft Point or Olmsted Point!

3. Accessibility

As you probably know by now, the amount of locations for photo and video opportunities in the park are endless. This is why we can’t stress enough that you strategically plan your wedding day timeline with an experienced Yosemite elopement photographer and videographer. They will understand the time it takes to go from one location to another, especially if you have your heart set on certain spots.

Also, think about the ease or difficulty for your guests to access the area, if parking is available, restrooms and facilities, etc. Locations like Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove require quite a bit of hiking and might not be the best location if you plan on having eldery or disabled guests. 

4. Locations with High Elevations

Couples who wish to wed at locations with higher elevations like Tenaya Lake Beach or the Tuolumne Meadow Lodge Area should be aware that they are both at elevations of over 8,000 feet. If you have any medical conditions that could be affected by this, please speak to your doctor or a medical professional prior to booking these locations.

Also, due to high elevation storms, these locations can possibly be shut down for safety reasons. They also have limited booking availability beginning the Tuesday after Memorial Day through September 30th due to the annual Tioga road closure.

5. Don’t Forget About Mother Nature

All ceremony sites in Yosemite Valley located near rivers and waterfalls have high flows from March to June. While this makes for amazing footage and photos, it may be harder to hear people speak if the water is in high flow. These locations may be best suited for a very small elopement.

If you are still set on wedding in one of these areas and plan on having a higher guest count, consider the times where there is little to no flow. Yosemite Falls has nearly no water flow at all from mid-July to November. Bridalveil Fall flows all year, but low flow is also expected between July through November. These conditions may vary based on weather or snowpack!

If you’re looking for a Yosemite National Park elopement or destination wedding videographer who can help you plan and capture your vows, we’d love to meet you! Check out our available packages here, then contact us here to schedule a chat!