Brittany & Robert came all the way from their home in the Midwest across the country for their hiking elopement in Yosemite National Park. They wanted to elope in someplace epic, beautiful, and new to the both of them, and Yosemite is where they landed! Coincidentally, it was also our first time visiting this park, so we got to share the first-hand experience of the huge cliffs and stunning valleys with them. Since wildfire season in California was in full swing, we kept a super watchful eye on the fire and smoke forecasts, and we went back and forth all the way up to the day of this Yosemite hiking elopement to make sure we'd be able to have their ceremony safely. And luckily for us, the smoke cleared that very morning, and there were great views of the whole Yosemite valley for them to enjoy on their wedding day!
These two wanted to keep their day simple, beautiful, enjoyable, and above all: private! Their biggest request was a totally just-them wilderness experience, with no crowds or onlookers for their elopement day. Those who have visited Yosemite before know that it's a pretty tall order for one of the busiest parks in the country! Yosemite is arguably the epicenter of elopements (Devon and I saw ELEVEN couples one evening, all getting married at the same overlook!!!), so we leaned hard into research and did quite a bit of scouting ahead of time for this Yosemite hiking elopement, and it paid off in spades!
We met up with these two in the morning for their ceremony: we hiked down a quiet trail, found a gorgeous overlook with stunning views of Half Dome and they changed into their wedding outfits & said their vows in complete solitude, with no onlookers or fellow hikers around. Devon actually performed the ceremony (his first time officiating!) and after Brittany and Robert were officially married, we hiked back up the trail, stopping to admire the old growth trees and incredible views of Yosemite valley. We took a quick jaunt down into the valley for some views of the huge towering cliffs above, and strolled through some of the famous meadows before taking a good afternoon nap break.
In the evening, we decided to avoid the popular overlooks, and found another spot with just a little more hiking effort with way less people and just as gorgeous views. Brittany and Robert had their first dance, popped some champagne, and watched the absolutely incredible sunset in total solitude. We fully admit, creating a solitude-filled, wilderness experience for Yosemite hiking elopement is pretty tough. I think it's probably easier if you're willing to commit to more difficult and longer hikes, but for most eloping couples, it's considerably more crowded than any of the national parks here in Washington (except maybe Rainier in wildflower season?), but I was so happy we were able to find pockets of peace and quiet for these two lovely people on their wedding day.
After just a few hours with them, we felt like we'd just met up with old friends for the day. They are truly the kind of couple that just fits so well together, and they make perfect sense for each other. They have a wonderful ability to be both serious, sweet, and incredibly goofy with each other, and they trusted us so completely with their wedding day and we're incredibly grateful.
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