  
YOSEMITE ELOPEMENT DETAILS
    
JOEY & EMELIA

 
  We just wanted to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS on this huge milestone for the both of you two! You guys have came such a long way and we're finally here. Choosing Yosemite as a destination elopement location I'm sure was probably never something you two would have imagined doing, but look at where we are! Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places that exists out there. It's definitely one of our favorites as well! We're so excited to be able to capture your love  here and cannot wait to create some memories to come! 
  

  
     LOCATION INFO
  
Being in Yosemite, you can't really go wrong with any of the locations here. You could practically drive and park on the side of the road and it will be an amazing view. The park in itself is MASSIVE and there's so much to cover. That being said, planning where to go could sometimes be overwhelming, but we're here to help you plan that! Some locations we recommend that are practical and does not take too much time getting to and from are: 
      
      -  Glacier Point 

      -  Taft Point (Moderate Hike) 

      -  Cook's / Sentinel Meadow Loop

      -  Merced River 
 
      -  Tunnel View 

      -  Yosemite Valley Chapel 

      -  Bridal Veil Falls (Short Hike) 

      -  Lower Yosemite Falls (Short Hike)

  
         DATE + TIME 
  
     Session Date: Friday - October 16th
    
      Session Time: Early morning (TBD) - Sunset

  
    TIMELINE NOTES
  
  These notes for the timeline will be based on our experiences at Yosemite. It's always usually recommended to catch sunset either at Glacier Point or Taft Point because those are the highest elevation gains that we are able to access which means the most amount of sunlight available before and after sunset. If we are in the valley for sunset, the sun will be gone 30 minutes before sunset because it is covered by the mountain / trees. Because sunset falls around 6:30 PM, it's preferred to do the valley shots first and work our way up towards the top. This is perfect also because we are driving in from the valley anyway so it's super convenient.

  
    TIPS
  
  - Make sure to fuel up with snacks / water throughout the day.

  - Bring bug repellent if you plan on hiking to Taft Point! 
 
  - Download Yosemite's offline maps on Google Maps before going 

  - Bring comfortable shoes to change into every now and then. We'll be walking a lot! 

  - Get ready for crowds of tourists! Since a lot of the places we'll be going to are "Park & Go" stops, they will also be the most populated. 

  - Bring some champagne (at least 2!) Always makes for a great shot! 

  - Have fun!

PROPOSED TIMELINE

- 5:30 AM - Wake up
     - Make sure we're all good to go for Glacier Point. Have a small meal / snack to fuel to keep our energy going for the beginning of the day.
- 6:00 AM - Leave lodge to Glacier Point
     - The drive is about 37 minutes from the lodge so the latest we recommend leaving by is 6:15 AM. Once we get up there, it should still be blue hour so we'll have time to set up and get the location we need.
- 7:08 AM - SUNRISE
     - We will be shooting at 3 primary locations at Glacier Point: In front of Half Dome by the amphitheater, standing on the edge of the rock, and Glacier Point Road.
- 8:15 AM - Finish Glacier Point Session
     - We shouldn't be out there for more than past 8:15 AM assuming everything goes as planned.
- 8:20 AM - Head back to lodge for BREAKFAST
     - We should be back to the lodge by no later than 9:00 AM. There, we'll have breakfast, rest up a bit, and move onto the "Getting Ready"
- 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Getting Ready Session
     - This may be a longer allocated time for this session, but it is meant to give us a cushion incase Emelia needs any retouching done for hair / makeup.
- 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM - Tunnel View / Tunnel
     - Park and Go spot so it should be relatively fast and easy! Tourists will definitely be here.
- 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM - Valley Shoot
     - We'll be shooting at Cooks Meadow only here unless we find another location.
- 3:00 PM - Head back to lodge for LUNCH
     - Relax a bit before Taft Point and have lunch together.
- 4:00 PM - Leave to Taft Point
     - It takes 31 minutes from our lodge to Taft Point so we should arrive at 4:30 PM if we leave on time.
- 4:35 PM - 5:25 PM - Couple Session in Taft Point Trailhead / Forest
     - We'll be walking and taking photos / videos as we're making our way to Taft Point. Weather should be a breeze here!
- 5:25 PM - Taft Point Session
     - There's about 2 spots here where we can take photos so it shouldn't require too much time. We just want to make sure we get there while there's still adequate light. SUNSET is at 6:18 PM
- 6:35 PM - Wrap up session at Taft Point and call it a day!
     - It's going to be a dark hike back so feel free to bring flashlights or headlights. Other than that, congratulations guys! You did it!