Planning your elopement is all about creating an unforgettable experience that you and your partner will cherish for a lifetime. Whether it’s in Yosemite or any other location, your elopement day deserves as much hype as a wedding day, if not even more! If you’ve been wondering about how to plan an elopement timeline, how to fill your day with activities and adventure, and even include a few loved ones, I’ve got plenty of ideas here to share with you!

Crafting Your Perfect Elopement Day

There are so many things to do during your elopement , which are not specific only to Yosemite. Even though you are planning a non-traditional wedding day, you can still include some of the more traditional aspects if that’s what you’d like! The day is truly about the two of you and how you want it to be. There are no rules! 

So, what can you do on an elopement day? Traditional and non-traditional, you get to choose the moments you want to create. Here are some ideas:

• Enjoy a slow morning with coffee, yoga or a sound bath
• Make breakfast together
• Getting ready (together or separately)
• Write your vows
• Exchange letters/gifts
• Share a first look if you got ready separately
• Have your ceremony
• Do an activity (hiking, picnic, cake cutting, horseback riding, brewery, pizza, champaign toasts)
• Sunset photos
• First dance
• Intimate dinner in a restaurant or have it cooked for you in your airbnb
• Star photos

Plan for Freedom in Your Timeline

I can’t emphasize enough that an elopement is not just a photo session. There’s travel time, downtime, snack time, and plenty of private moments! I’m there for the special moments, but also know when to step back. Having the freedom in your elopement timeline allows for magical moments to happen naturally.

This is your wedding day. Even though it may be non-traditional, it deserves the same amount of experience and coverage. We’re creating and documenting your experience to cherish for years to come. Imagine thumbing through your wedding album and sharing your joy with the next generations, showing them just how incredible your day was!

Sample Elopement Timelines

These timelines are designed for a fall elopement and are just to show how your day can be designed. Remember, weather and road closures should always be considered, and I recommend staying in or near the park, like in Yosemite West. Always have a backup plan, as service can be limited.

I also recommend factoring in travel time between locations. Yosemite is vast, and driving or hiking can take longer than expected.

Everything here is completely customizable to you and your wishes, so reach out for a custom Yosemite elopement package and planning!

Sample Full-Day Yosemite Elopement Timeline (8 Hours)

11:00 AM: Finish getting ready at your Airbnb. Capture those sweet details.

12:00 PM: First Look – the moment you see each other for the first time is always magical!

12:30 PM: Travel to your ceremony location.

1:00 PM: Ceremony at Cathedral Beach 

1:30 PM: Cake Cutting/Champagne Toast

2:00 PM: Travel to Bridalveil Falls.

2:30 PM: Explore Bridalveil Falls – take in the mist and enjoy the beauty.

4:00 PM: Travel to Taft Point.

4:30 PM: Begin the hike to Taft Point.

5:30 PM: Explore Taft Point and take sunset photos – this place is absolutely stunning at golden hour.

7:00 PM: Head back to the trailhead and wrap up your incredible day.

How This Can Look With Family & Friends

You head back to your place of stay where your family awaits a delicious meal, smores, and music and is ready to spill over all the fun stories of YOU! Family and friends can be with you as you get ready, participate in the ceremony, and have a delicious, intimate dinner ready for you after your final sunset adventure.

Sample Split Day Yosemite Elopement Timeline (10 Hours)

4:00-5:00 AM: Get ready together, warm up with coffee and treats, and capture the personal details.

5:45-9:00 AM: Sunrise Hike at Glacier Point. Start your day with a short hike and exchange private vows as the sun rises over Half Dome and the valley below. Adventure around the area and capture more moments.

9:00-2:45 PM: Downtime. Explore Yosemite on your own, take a nap, have a delicious lunch, and freshen up.

3:30-5:30 PM: Ceremony and Golden Hour Adventure Portraits. Enjoy an intimate ceremony at the El Capitan meadow. Pop the champagne, share a toast, and have fun exploring and capturing your love during sunset.

6:15-7:45 PM: Intimate Private Chef Dinner at your Airbnb. Share stories of your love over a candlelit dinner.

Stargazing + Twilight Photos (weather permitting): Jump into the hot tub, take in the stars, and soak up all the memories from your incredible day.

How This Can Look With Family & Friends

You share in your private morning hike and vows. You meet your family back at your place of stay to hang out, share lunch, and freshen up, or perhaps they see you for the first time at the ceremony location. After the Ceremony, there are toasts, charcuterie, and even a first dance! You then finish with sunset photos and meet back up with your family after for dinner and star photos!

Sample Multi-Day Yosemite Elopement Timeline (12 Hours Split Between 2 Days)

Catch the sunrise one day and the sunset the next! Share an intimate day with family or friends and a private adventure the next! There are many ways to go about it! 

Whether it’s just the two of you or a few of your closest friends and family, I absolutely recommend planning for more than eight hours. There’s so much to experience, and running out of time is the last thing I want you to worry about. You’ve already traveled so far to be here, and you only get married once, so shouldn’t your celebration knock your socks off?! 

List of Fun Activities:

• Horseback riding
• Visit Tuolumne Meadows
• Rent a boat on Bass Lake
• Bike ride
• Axe throwing
• Visit a brewery

Must-Visit Locations:

• Tenaya Lake
• Tuolumne Meadows
• Valley View
• El Capitan Meadow
• Bridal Veil Falls – the mist is incredible!
• Taft Point
• Glacier Point

These are only some of the things to do and places to visit for your Yosemite elopement. With multiple days, you don’t have to worry about fitting it all in!

Christina Perhac Photography | Yosemite Elopement Photographer

Hi! I’m Christina, your Yosemite elopement and intimate wedding photographer. Planning, traveling, and finding beautiful locations and experiences are my jam. Helping you create and document the celebration of a lifetime brings me the utmost joy! I want you to make the most amazing memories and have stunning photos that you can share with all of your loved ones. This is a day where you get to look back and say, “Wow, we did that!”

My Yosemite elopement packages offer a half-, full–, or multi-day experience! I offer a ton of flexibility in designing our time together and would love to get to know you more to help you plan! To learn more, head over to my contact form, and we can get together on a call!

If you’d like to learn more about eloping in Yosemite, check out my Yosemite elopement guide here!

Offered throughout every elopement package:

• Help you hand pick a location
• Provide resources and custom location guides on lodging, activities and the best places to indulge in delicious foods
• Scout locations with boots on the ground to find the best places and lighting for your ceremony and photos
• Secure the right location permits to make sure your wedding is legal!
• Recommend vetted vendors to help make your dream of a day come true. 
• Create your custom timeline (2-3 options to choose from!) with room to breathe and enjoy your day.
• Deliver a joyful experience along with swoon worthy photos in your own online gallery!
• Have a backup plan for it all!
• Deliver sneak peaks within 72 hours and a full wedding gallery within 6 weeks! 
• Provide a Fine Art Wedding Album design for you to print and hold onto your photos to thumb through for years to come.