Julie and I have spent many days in Yosemite together. We visit the park at least once a year, and looking back those trips have been milestones in our relationship. We frequently recall events in our relationship as “right before” or “right after” a specific Yosemite trip. As soon as we started discussing wedding locations Julie said “Well, obviously we are getting married in Yosemite.” I think Yosemite is the most beautiful place in the world, and so we’d like to share that with you during our wedding.

Ceremony

Sunday, 27 August 2023
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
9000 Southside Dr, Yosemite Valley, CA 95389

Parking:

The chapel has 15 parking spaces which should be enough, but if the lot is full, you can park at Sentinel Bridge (1/4 mile walk) .

Remember that the road in front of the chapel is one-way. If you are driving from the Yosemite Village area, give yourself plenty of time to drive to the El Capitan crossover and then to the chapel.

Reception

Sunday, 27 August 2023

4:30 PM – 9:00 PM

617 Larke Street

Wawona, CA 95389

Parking:

There is parking at Chilnualna Falls Trailhead on Chilnualna Falls Road 1/8 miles past Larke Street.

Dress Code

The dress code for the wedding is loosely semiformal. We essentially would just like everyone to look nice; please no jeans, shorts, or casual clothing. For our dress code, we ask that all men wear jackets (ties optional). However, free to bring casual clothing to change into at the reception!

Where To Stay

Urgency on Booking Early: While Yosemite tends to start to slow down in August, most lodgings will be books within a few months before the wedding. We recommend booking lodging as soon as possible.

The red numbers on the above map match the numbers on the lodgings below.

If you’re interested in spending time in Yosemite Valley:

1. Yosemite Valley Lodge – Walking distance from ceremony, 1 hour drive from the reception.

2. Curry Village – 10 minutes from ceremony, 1 hour from reception. (Cabins with bathrooms are comfortable, the tents are adventurous and cheap!)

3. Campgrounds – 10 minutes from ceremony, 1 hour from reception. (Allows dogs!)

4. Wawona Hotel – 1 hour from ceremony, 10 minutes from reception. Reasonable rates, and very convenient to the reception.

5. Redwoods – 1 hour driving to ceremony, and this is where the reception is. This is a map of the cabins and we are in 15B. (Some cabins allow dogs! 3 night minimum.)

6. Yosemite West – 40 minutes from ceremony, and 30 minutes from reception.

If you’re only coming up for the wedding and you aren’t planning spending much time in Yosemite Valley:

7. Yosemite View Lodge – 25 minutes from the ceremony, and 1 hour from the reception.

8. Hotels in Oakhurst – 1.5 hours from the ceremony, and 40 minutes from the reception.

9. Hotels in Mariposa – 1.5 hours from the ceremony, and 1.5 hours from the reception.

4. Wawona Hotel – 1 hour from ceremony, 10 minutes from reception. Reasonable rates, and very convenient to the reception.

10. Teneya Lodge – 1.5 hours from the ceremony, and 30 minutes from the reception. (Allows dogs!)

10. Hotels in Fish Camp – 1.5 hours from the ceremony, and 30 minutes from the reception.

Some Logistical Tips About Yosemite

Yosemite is big and Yosemite Valley is deep inside the park. When you enter Yosemite National Park, the Valley is about 40-90 minutes away depending on where you enter.

Yosemite is also relatively remote. There’s only two small grocery stores (one in the valley, and one in Wawona), very few restaurants and no pharmacies. You also need to pay an entrance fee of $35 that covers re-entry for a week.

Yosemite has very poor cell reception. Verizon gets the best, and AT&T is ok. Expect to be able to make calls, but have very limited data. Some lodgings have WiFi.

Yosemite allows dogs in the “front country”, and dogs are not allowed in the “back country”. Front country is generally described as areas near roads and paved trails. The back country are areas far from roads and paved trails that are only accessible by hiking.

Distance Times:

Highway 41 Park Entrance – 25 minutes from ceremony. 1 hour to the reception

Highway 140 Park Entrance – 25 minutes from ceremony. 1 hour to the reception.

Highway 120 Park Entrance – 45 minutes from ceremony. 1.5 hours to the reception.

Weather

Yosemite in late August has comfortable sunny days, but potentially cold nights.
If you are staying in the valley expect days in the low to mid 80’s and nights in the 40’s. If you are staying outside of the valley and at elevation, expect highs of the 70’s, and lows in the high 30’s.
The sun is different in the mountains and at elevation. Sunburns happen faster than at sea level in a city. Also, bring sunglasses.
Bugs are minimal and rain is unlikely.

Our Registry

We have been together for many years and already have everything we need for our house. Our cabinets can only hold so much! If you do want to give us a wedding gift, you can contribute any amount to our honeymoon. We are going on a 10-day Alaska “cruisetour” – a 7-day cruise followed by 3 days in Denali. We have some amazing excursions planned (kayaks, dog sleds, and helicopters may be involved!!). Please do not feel like you need to give us anything! But if you still want to give us a gift, then you can click here to donate any amount to our “honeyfund”.

Note: Honeyfund by default adds a portion of the gift to charity. You can zero that out by clicking on “Honeyfund Gives”, selecting $0, and then clicking “Done”.