Destination Wedding Tying the knot in Yosemite
Written by Heather Harden
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The bride and groom stand close together, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, as a waterfall thunders behind them. The sun is setting and a gentle breeze blowing as they exchange their vows in one of the most beautiful spots on earth.
A romantic wedding in Tahiti? Or Hawaii? Or Cabo? No, memorable cerŽemonies like this are becoming everyday occurrences only a few hours from the valley in one of the most breath-taking locales: Yosemite.
With its stunning waterfalls, towering mountains, giant sequoia groves and scenic lakes, it's no surprise that more and more couples are discovering Yosemite as the perfect setting for their wedding. And why not? Not only is the scenery spectacular, but Yosemite is much more affordable and accessible than most wedding destination "hot spots."
From Big Oak Flat to Tuolumne Meadows to Wawona to Yosemite Valley itself, the national park offers a variety of awe-inspiring sites for couples wanting to take their vows in a paradise close to home.
Like many couples, Samantha and MatŽthew wanted to have their wedding in the stunning Yosemite Valley, which is home to such world-class landmarks as Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, El Capitan and Half Dome. The Turlock couple recited their vows in August in Yosemite Chapel. Built in 1879, the chapel sits in a meadow with Half Dome behind it and Yosemite Falls across the valley to the front.
"We thought we would do Hawaii, but it's touristy. I wanted something different," Samantha explains. The chapel holds about 125 people, but like many brides and grooms who get married in Yosemite, Samantha and Matthew wanted a very personal and intiŽmate ceremony. "We wanted to have a small wedding," she says. "We kept the wedding to family."
While Matthew had visited Yosemite many times, for Samantha the ceremony was only the second time she had ever been to the national park. Like many Yosemite brides, Samantha did the planning from afar after an initial visit the year before to decide on a location for the ceremony. Not to say that the bride wasn't a big fan of Yosemite, "my favorite photographer is Ansel Adams," she says. So she simplified her planning by using trusted vendors. "I had to do everyŽthing over the phone. I went to the Chapel's Web site and used who they recommended."
Having a smaller wedding also affords a more flexible and private celebration afterŽwards. For Samantha and Matthew this meant celebrating in the world-renowned Ahwahnee Hotel Dining Room, an historic, one-of-a-kind restaurant with 36-foot-high ceilings, huge winŽdows with spectacular views and great cuisine from a top chef.
Another perk of a Yosemite marriage: nature has decorated wedding sites on a grander scale than human hands ever could. This saves couples spending a significant portion of their wedding budget to decorate the site of their ceremony and reception. At Yosemite mother nature has taken care of all that free of charge, providing backdrops to which little can compare.
Couples also enjoy a wide choice of romanŽtic and scenic accommodations. Samantha and Matthew stayed in the Yosemite View Lodge, featuring room balconies that look out upon the rushing Merced River and the lodge is just outside the Arch Rock park entrance. The couple honeymooned in a cozy cabin outside of Old Oak Flat Road entrance. "Everyone there was very nice," she says. "We just relaxed after the stress of the wedding."
A favorite part of the ceremony for the couple was the tranquility of a Yosemite wedding. "We just let everyone enjoy being in that spot at that time," she says. "We didn't want to draw attention to ourselves. " As with many Yosemite weddings they did get a little attention though, despite their best intentions. Samantha remembers fondly "A tram full of visitors cheered for us!"
The thing that impressed the couple most: "How simple it was and how well it all worked out. It went really smoothly," Samantha says. Another couple that enjoyed a similarly blissful experience: Donna and Benito who were married in April. "Once we decided to get married, it was planned in a week," Donna says. After being together for quite some time the couple made a spontaneous and romantic decision to get married in Yosemite just a week later. "It was a whirlwind marriage. Everything came together perfectly," Donna says.
"Yosemite is our favorite place. We have gone all different seasons and have stayed at nearly all of the different facilities: Ahwahnee, Wawona, Curry Village, Housekeeping Camp," she says. "We chose Yosemite Falls for the ceremony. They were running beautifully and it was gorgeous. It is one of our favorite views.
It also did not require a lot of hiking in dress clothes and shoes," she explains. "We wanted a natural surrounding and the beauty and grandeur of the valley was perfect. The location where we said our vows was the spot that John Muir had his cabin."
Their ceremony was an intimate one that included just themselves, the Minister and the photographer. "It's not that we didn't want our family and friends celebrating with us - we just wanted the day to ourselves," Donna says. However there were onlookers that added to the charm of the ceremony. "We gave flowers from my bouquet to little girls that were visitŽing the area and were attracted to the ceremony and the fancy clothes," she says.
Donna and Benito remember their wedding fondly. "The whole experience was beautiful," Donna says. "We plan to return every year on the anniversary of our wedding."
For couples looking to wed outside of the well-traveled valley floor there are many breath-taking locations both inside and outside the park. Terry and Jessica, a couple who opted for an alternative spot, married at Tenaya Lodge just two miles from the south park entrance.
The couple chose Tenaya Lodge for its appealing surroundings and facilities. "The inside as well as the outside was beautiful, and the price was amazingly low for everything we got," Jessica says. "The view outside, where both our wedding and reception were held, was gorgeous."
The bride and groom always knew YosemŽite would be the perfect spot for their nuptials. "Terry was actually the first person to ever take me to Yosemite. It was our first little getaway together so I always see it as a special place," she says. "Yosemite was always our number one choice for our wedding."
Terry and Jessica also chose to use the vendors which their ceremony site recomŽmended. "We had to put a lot of trust in our vendors and they all went above and beyond our expectations," she says.
The couple had sixty guests in attenŽdance, some of which chose to stay at Tenaya Lodge and enjoy Yosemite. The couple also had some special guests attend in true Yosemite style. "There was a substantial amount of dragonflies hovering just above our ceremony which I liked," Jessica says.
Tying the knot in Yosemite also gives couples a memorable place to return to for a romantic getaway. "We do plan on going back to Yosemite on our first anniversary and probably for every anniversary that we can make it up there for," she says. "Yosemite will always be a special place for us."