Eloping in Yosemite, photographed and filmed
A Yosemite elopement is a permit, a site and a short ceremony, with a crew of two to photograph and film it. For a larger guest list, see our Yosemite wedding page; here we cover the paperwork, the park's rules and the half-day plan.
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- Coverage
- Photo · Video · Photo + Video
- Collections
- Half day · Full day · Two days
- Travel
- In the quote
- Booking
- Direct with your photographer
In short
A Yosemite elopement needs a Park Service special use permit and a county marriage license, and the permit limits each event to two hours with no drones or amplified sound1. We plan a half day around the permit, a small approved site and the morning light.
Eloping in Yosemite
Eloping here means keeping the group small enough for the sites. The approved locations range from 20 people at Swinging Bridge Picnic Area to 100 at Sentinel Beach, and parties of fewer than 11 are not limited to the listed sites, though open meadows and riparian areas stay off-limits1.
The half day follows the permit. We meet early, walk to the site with the officiant, record the ceremony, and spend the remaining hours on portraits while the light moves. One crew shoots photo and video, so the schedule is shared, and the film is shot from the ground, with ceremony audio from the officiant, because the park permits neither drones nor amplified sound2.
Two more park rules shape an elopement meal. No ceremonies are permitted on holidays or holiday weekends, and formal receptions are not allowed in picnic or day-use areas2, so a celebration afterwards happens outside those areas.
Getting married in Yosemite: the paperwork
The license comes from a county clerk, not the park. Mariposa County sells a public license for $60 or a confidential license for $65, in cash3. It is valid for 90 days3; appointments are required, by phone at (209) 966-2007, and both of you appear together with picture ID3.
- A public license needs at least one witness and no more than two sign; a confidential license needs none, but both of you must be 18 or over and already living together as spouses4.
- California asks for no residency and no blood test. Marriage by proxy is not allowed: both of you, the officiant and any witness must be present together5.
- The completed license goes back to the Mariposa County Recorder (public) or County Clerk (confidential) within 10 days after the ceremony3.
The park needs its own paperwork. A special use permit is required for any wedding or commitment ceremony, with a $150 non-refundable application fee2. Apply on paper by mail, paying by check or money order, with a Social Security number on the form, for a date more than 21 days out and up to one year ahead2. Where required, an event monitor is $50 per hour2. No chairs, tables, arches, balloons or amplified music, no drones, no releases or thrown rice, and no ceremonies around the base of sequoia trees2.
Marriage license
- Issued by
- Mariposa County Clerk, Hall of Records, 10th and Bullion Streets, Mariposa (a California public license can be bought in any county and used anywhere in California)
- Fee
- $60 public license / $65 confidential license (cash)3
- Valid for
- 90 days3
- Witnesses
- public license: at least 1, no more than 2 sign; confidential license: none4
The place
- Elevation (Yosemite Valley floor)
- 4,000 ft (1,219 m)6
The day
A half day in Yosemite
This sample is an October morning in the Valley: sunrise at 07:06 and sunset at 18:21 on October 158. Yosemite Falls usually has little or no water from mid-to-late July until October or November, and Bridalveil runs low over the same months1, so the water is quiet and the ceremony audio is clean.
- Getting ready near the Valley; a quiet first look.
- The crew walks the site with the officiant and places audio.
- The ceremony, inside the Park Service's morning recommendation of before 10 am1.
- Couple portraits along the beach while the light is low.
- Final frames at a viewpoint, then breakfast.
October at Yosemite Park Headquarters averages a 70.9 °F high and a 41.3 °F low, with 1.56 in of precipitation7: cool at the start, warm by lunch, so keep a layer in the bag.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 07:12 | 17:03 |
| Apr | 06:23 | 19:34 |
| Jul | 05:48 | 20:19 |
| Oct | 07:06 | 18:21 |
Sunrise and sunset computed for the 15th of each month, local time.8
Where we shoot an elopement in Yosemite
Four approved sites we plan Yosemite elopements around, each with its own limit.
- Sentinel Beach Picnic Area a Valley beach, closed from November through Memorial Day weekend, for up to 100 people, with parking limited to eight vehicles1.
- Glacier Point Amphitheater at 7,214 ft1, open from the Tuesday after Memorial Day through September 30, not scheduled for weddings in July and August, and limited to 50 people1.
- Tuolumne Meadows Lodge area a granite slab on the Dana Fork, about 250 yards upstream of the lodge at 8,600 ft; up to 25 people, carpooling required, nothing in the meadows1.
- Tuolumne Grove a 2.5-mile round-trip paved trail, steep, with 400 ft down and back up1; the ceremony stays on the footpath, nobody stands on sequoia roots, and the limit is 30 people1.
Collections
Every collection comes as photo, video, or both, with the same team on the day. Half day covers an elopement or a small ceremony and portraits; Full day runs from getting ready to the first hour of the reception; Two days adds a rehearsal dinner, a welcome evening or a next-morning session. Travel to Yosemite is built into the quote, not added later.
Prices depend on the date, the team and how far we travel, so we send a price list for Yosemite rather than publishing one number for every town. Ask for it below; it arrives within one business day.
Half day
Covers an elopement or a small ceremony and portraits.
- Edited gallery
- Print rights
- Sneak peek within days
- Feature film
- Teaser
- Full ceremony audio
- One crew
Full day
Runs from getting ready to the first hour of the reception.
- Edited gallery
- Print rights
- Sneak peek within days
- Feature film
- Teaser
- Full ceremony audio
- One crew
Two days
Adds a rehearsal dinner, a welcome evening or a next-morning session.
- Edited gallery
- Print rights
- Sneak peek within days
- Feature film
- Teaser
- Full ceremony audio
- One crew
How booking works
- Send the form with your date and location.
- We reply within one business day with the Yosemite price list and the partner's recent work.
- Call with the photographer; if it fits, a deposit holds the date.
- A short questionnaire about people, places and timing, two weeks before.
- The day.
- A sneak peek first, then the full gallery and the film on the dates set in your contract.
Questions about eloping in Yosemite
01Do we need witnesses to elope in Yosemite?
It depends on the license. A public California license needs at least one witness, with no more than two signing; a confidential license needs none, but both of you must be 18 or over and already living together as spouses4. Marriage by proxy is not allowed, so anyone who witnesses must be present5.
02Can you help us choose a time and a spot for the ceremony?
Yes. The Park Service recommends ceremonies before 10 am, and site use is first come, first served and limited to two hours1. We match the site to your group size and the season, then build the portrait plan around the light, with a second site held in case the first is taken.
03How long does an elopement session take?
A half day collection covers getting ready, the ceremony and portraits. The park caps each event at two hours2, which is generous for a ceremony, so the rest of the half day goes to portraits. If you add a dinner or a second morning, a full day or two days suits better.
04Can family join us for part of the day?
Say when.
Tell us the date, who is coming and which part of Yosemite you are drawn to. We reply within one business day with the Yosemite price list and a partner's recent work.
Sources
- National Park Service, Yosemite — Ceremony Locations nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wedloc.htm
- National Park Service, Yosemite — Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies (permit, fee, restrictions, unexpected events) nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/weddings.htm
- Mariposa County — Marriage Licenses and Civil Ceremonies (fees, appointments, ID, validity, return) mariposacounty.gov/253/Marriage-Licenses-and-Civil-Ceremonies
- California Department of Public Health — Types of Marriage Licenses (public vs confidential, witnesses) cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Types-of-Marriage-Licenses-.aspx
- California Department of Public Health — California Marriage License General Information cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/California-Marriage-License-General-Information.aspx
- Wikipedia, "Yosemite Valley" — infobox elevation 4,000 ft en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_Valley
- Wikipedia, "Yosemite National Park" — weather box, Yosemite Park Headquarters (Yosemite Valley), NOAA 1991–2020 normals en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_National_Park
- Computed with suncalc (NOAA algorithm) for the 15th of the month at 37.7456, -119.5936, America/Los_Angeles local time github.com/mourner/suncalc