Our Yosemite Elopement

This post was written for my other blog, but I thought I would share it here too in case anyone out there was considering eloping in a national park like Yosemite. I would highly recommend it! 

On April 21st I woke up in a beautiful hotel room at the Ahwahnee hotel in Yosemite California. It was the day I have been waiting over seven years for- the day I would marry the love of my life!

 That morning I was too excited to sleep in, so I decided to take some photos for you all! I know weddings are really popular right now, so I will try and add some info for people who are also planning a vintage outdoor elopement wedding. I am proud that we did a lot of the wedding on a modest cash-only budget, so I will include prices when I remember them. Doing some things affordable, like dressing, allowed us to spend extravagantly where we wanted, like on the hotel and food. And even with a modest budget I feel that it is exactly what we wanted and would have done even with an unlimited budget. That makes me feel good and lets me know that we had the right wedding for us. It was actually the wedding we always dreamed of. 

These where my undergarments: What Katie Did merry widow in peach, What Katie Did stockings, and garter. The lingerie was a bridal gift and the garter was just a few bucks from Michael's.   

My shoes- vintage carved lucite springolators with clear beaded detail at the toe. I have had these shoes for years. I originally bought them on ebay for $60.

My wedding dress was a vintage prom/graduation dress from Boss Vintage in Denver that I got a few years back at Viva Las Vegas.It cost me $90 and didn't need alterations, just a $14 dry cleaning. I did all of the mending myself. It is all white tulle with a rouched sweetheart neckline with a satin petal bust over it. The skirt is a full circle with a scalloped ruffle detail. 

I tried to take some "artsy" photos with my cheap point and shoot camera. I had fun with it at least!

I made us a little wedding cake for two. It cost $30 all together and only took a few hours. The cake stand was a gift from my shower. 

It was a mocha almond fudge cake covered in pink diamond quilt fondant with sugar dogwood flowers (from etsy) and sugar pearls. 

Our rings- My engagement ring is from 1935 and an art deco style. My wedding band is from 1925 and has fillagree detail. Zacks band is from 4/15/1954 from his great-grandparents 25th wedding anniversary. We like that the engraving is a few days prior to our wedding date and our favorite year. I won't say what my engagement ring cost but it was from an estate auction on ebay. My wedding band was only $75 from Rambling Rose in Orange Circle. Zack's ring was free and cost only $30 to size. 

Our vintage cake toppers were from ebay for $15.

My bouquet and the champagne were splurges that I enjoyed very very much. 

I loved the bouquet I custom designed with my local florist. I think it was about $75-$90.

Before getting ready we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing room service breakfast. 

With memosas! Yes, I really sleep like this. 

Then we exchanged cards and I gave Zack his wedding gift- 

a vintage atomic tie clip and cuff link set. 

Zachary getting ready. 

Putting on the finishing touches before heading to the chapel....uh, I mean...river!

We chose our ceremony location very carefully. We loved the look of the Yosemite chapel, but only on the outside. The inside of chapel is actually really boring looking. And really, when you are in a beautiful setting like Yosemite, why would you choose to have the ceremony indoors? So we chose The Superintendents Bridge for location where we would exchange vows. It has everything we wanted- the chapel in the background, the Merced river, the Superintendents bridge, Half Dome, and Yosemite falls. The best location ever, especially for only a $150 permit fee!

We met our minster and photographer there at 1pm.We exchanged our own private vows intertwined with the ministers nature-based ceremony. We chose to include quotes from John Muir, and it turns out that we were marrying on his birthday and didn't know it until that morning.

 I got really emotional when Zack read his vows. They were so perfect and special. I cried like a baby! Good thing we had a vintage hankie handy! Here is Zack wiping my tears away! 

Then we exchanged our rings. 

And sealed our vows with a kiss!

Zack also found that hankie came in handy for wiping off red lipstick! 

Then we posed for some traditional wedding portraits around our ceremony location. 

This is one of my favorites. 

That is Half Dome in the background. 

I thought I would like these walking photos, but I don't actually. 

The Yosemite chapel. 

The Superintendents Bridge

This is my favorite photo of them all. I really like it!

Yosemite is very limited as far as vendors go, but we really liked the ones we picked and felt the price was right. The minister was $250 I think, and the photographer was $499. 

The professional photographer didn't take any candid, individual, or fun posed shots, so we took a few with our camera. 

Ringing the chapel bell 

Inside the chapel. 

We also got a big congratulations from the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour bus. We were local celebrities for the weekend. 

I kept getting my lucite heel stuck in the wood slats in the bridge and losing it like in Cinderella. 

We didn't have any fancy vintage car to carry us into the sunset- just my VW Rabbit that we decorated with a vintage deadstock care decorating kit. Thanks to Leslie for getting it for us! 

Our wedding date: 4/21!

After freshening up a bit we headed to the Ahwahnee bar for our first drink as husband and wife.

We both got the "El Capatini" at about $20 a piece after tip. 

They were very yummy, but a one time thing I think. 

My garter. 

Two other weddings were happening on the same day as our wedding. This one was on the Ahwahnee's Wedding Lawn. 

After a little stroll outside we headed inside to our dinner reservation at the Grand Dining Room. 

This is the most beautiful restaurant ever! 

We reserved the coveted "Honeymoon Table".

Look out- it's a bread shark! 

Wine Spodeeodee, drinkin' wine! 

yummy crab cakes

The best french onion soup ever!

Zack got the Prime Rib

and I got the lamb. 

This meal was a major splurge for us, about $160-$200. It was worth every penny and really made the evening something to remember. 

I love these chandeliers. 

Our rings.

After eating the most delicious and filling meal ever we decided to hit the pool. Yes, we went swimming on our wedding night. Who else can say that? It was amazing, more people should try it!

We even met another cool vintage looking couple there! They were also from Southern California and we had a lot in common! 

Isn't she cute! I love meeting new people! 

After digesting a little we headed back to our room to cut the cake! 

And pop a new bottle of champagne! 

This was the best cake cutting photo we could get. 

Our yummy homemade mocha almond fudge cake! 

There were also rose petals on the bed- how romantic! Instead of paying $20 for them at the florist I brought them from my own rose bushes- free! 

A perfect ending to a perfect day- Good Night Yosemite!