Winter Wonderland Elopement in Yosemite
A snowy Elopement Adventure in the majestic valley
When most people think of Yosemite national park they envision the valley in the middle of summer with waterfalls raging and flowers blooming. And there’s no doubt that this magical valley nestled deep in the Sierra mountains are gorgeous in summer. But if you ask me, winter is where the magic truly happens. With a fresh coat of snow the valley transforms into a winter wonderland becoming somehow even more majestic. Snow doesn’t last forever at the lower elevation of the valley so it can be hard to predict if you’ll find snow there for your wedding. But the mountains above stay capped in snow till lake spring or early summer. If you’re really lucky like Nick and Megan here you’ll get a fresh coat of snow the day before your elopement.
Nick and Megan’s elopement started bright and early with a sunrise meetup in El Capitan Meadow. We hadn’t planned on snow in fact I had photographed a wedding just a few days earlier that didn’t have an ounce of it. But we braved the frigid temps and icy roads knowing it would be made worth it in the end. As we watched the golden light of sunrise glisten on the icy peek of El Cap above we knew we made the right choice. After El Capitan meadows we continued our journey through the park and made our way to the Mirror Lake trailhead for a little hike in the snow to capture some incredible shots of Half dome on the frozen field that is normally Mirror Lake. After some incredible photos and a little more snow fall we grabbed some coffee to warm up and then made our way to meet up with their family to end the day’s shoot with a Sunset ceremony at cooks meadow.
For winter elopement shoots one of the challenges is always not to freeze, as being cold never looks good on camera. Wearing under layers and choosing warmer fabrics is a great start. But it also helps to add a little more movement, a little hiking, dancing, or a snowball fight. Have some fun with it. Don’t forget to occasionally take a break and throw on a heavier jacket to warm up. Some hot coffee does wonders too!
