Sunrise Yosemite Valley Elopement in the Spring

Yosemite valley is an incredible place for an elopement any time of year. Some folks call the valley the center of the universe and legit, it’s easy to see why. Though I’d been to the valley several times before, I’d never been in the spring.

And let me tell you, Yosemite in the spring? Magic. The waterfalls are rushing, the rivers are full and clear and flowers are starting to spring up around the valley. It’s *incredible*. K + K were originally going to elope in Joshua Tree (a place I also love) but after their engagement photos wanted something with more color and variation. So we switched gears entirely and set our eyes on a Yosemite Valley Elopement.

The weeks leading up to K + K’s elopement were chilly, with some of the park set to receive snow the day prior (and the day after I left the park the valley got *dumped* on. Spring is a wild time in the park!). The trail we had originally planned on was looking to be a muddy mess, and feeling like the cold and the mud may be a bit more than they bargained for, we made a quick change to our timeline to one of my favorite springtime locations in the park. I’m a photographer (hi) and I pay a loooooot of attention to light, and the light in this spot at sunrise in the spring is ::chefs kiss::. This is a seasonal phenomenon- you won’t get light like this in the fall.

We started this Yosemite Valley elopement bright and early where K + K read each others vows as the sun slowly started to creep up over Half Dome and Bridalveil falls came into view. After their ceremony, K + K enjoyed some hot tea to help warm up and took in the sunrise (which was…. incredible. See for yourself). Afterwards there was a quick wardrobe change and we explored the valley, chasing pretty light, taking in the misty waterfalls, and gazing up at El Capitan. We talked about the ant-sized climbers, how badass they are, and at one point could hear one yell in frustration.

It was an amazing morning. I feel so lucky every time I get to spend any time in Yosemite, and this was no different. Thank you, K + K, for the honor of being part of your day 🙂

(Love Yosemite? Want to learn more about eloping in this awesome park? Check out How to Elope in Yosemite! Or if somewhere else in California strikes your fancy, take a peek at my blog post on Epic Places to Elope in California.)