Taft Point Elopement | Yosemite National Park
the hearnes » adventure elopement photographers
Kaitlyn + Jimmy’s Intimate Adventurous Wedding in Yosemite National Park
Kaitlyn and Jimmy’s intimate adventure wedding in Yosemite was seriously such a dream! We started their day with a first look at Glacier Point and then shared some cake with their guests to get everyone ready for the hike out to their ceremony location on the edge of a cliff! I’m going to be honest, at first I was pretty hesitant about the idea of hiking out here with guests since we’d all be hiking back in the dark after sunset, and when we saw the condition of the trail after such a heavy snow year we knew it was going to be a bit more adventurous than everyone bargained for. We kept Kaitlyn and Jimmy up to date on the trail conditions, and gave them the option to keep their ceremony a bit closer or in a more easy to access location, but they knew their guests could handle it and decided to stick to the plan! It was so badass seeing their families (including grandparents!!) hike through snow, balance on logs over rushing creeks, step on fallen branches, and navigate the slippery granite out to the overlook. Everyone did an amazing job and kept spirits high, and we were rewarded with the most incredible views (with way less people than usual because the trail was so hard to follow this year!) for their ceremony and sunset portraits.
Our buddy Jordan Cannon performed the ceremony on the edge of a cliff 3,000 feet above Yosemite Valley while their guests sat on rocks (safely far back from the cliff!) to watch. Kaitlyn’s father walked her down the “aisle” and they incorporated their guests in the ceremony with some really meaningful and sweet readings. Then everyone hung out and explored the gorgeous cliffs while we took sunset portraits! It was such a blast — I loved playing with Kaitlyn’s gorgeous veil, and her blush colored dress matched the way the sunset reflected on the granite rocks around her. It was such an amazing wedding day!!
via Instagram August 7, 2019
Somebody asked me recently if I ever get tired of taking photos in the same place. The thing is, we’ve hiked out to this point over 50 times in the past few years, and a majority of those has been with couples for their elopements, engagements, anniversaries, weddings, and so on. Sometimes we’ll hike here 4-5 times in one week during our busy season! It’s become a pretty popular spot, so these days there are often other photographers and hikers there with us.
Do I get tired of it? Absolutely not. Do I miss the days of hiking out here and having it to ourselves? Sure, but honestly in my experience 99% of the people we meet out here are kind and respectful, and it’s a great experience (as long as they leave the drone at home...). Seeing this place over + over through the eyes of our couples is such a refreshing and wonderful experience. Seeing it so often myself never ever ever gets old. I never get tired of the gorgeous hike through giant trees dripping with green lichen, or the fern-covered forest floor, or that “reveal” moment when we emerge from the woods and glimpse the summit of El Cap across the 3,000 foot gorge of Yosemite Valley. I never get tired of showing this place to people for the first time. People who have often traveled the world and seen the most amazing sights, yet this one consistently takes their breath away. Watching as they creep up to the edge to peer over. Seeing the birds swooping by, pointing out routes on El Cap and telling stories of climbing feats and days spent in the meadows below.
I could go on. And on and on and on. I could hike out here daily for a long time and never wish I didn’t. I have a lot of reasons for that, so my answer is almost always a bit different when people ask how I do it so often...as if this isn’t the most ideal commute to a job in the history of the world. - The other day I reminded someone, that most people drive the same road to the same office to sit 9-5 Monday-Friday for an average of 281 days of the year. So no, I surely don’t mind hiking the same trail to the same point for about 20 days of my year. I don’t mind it one bit.
via Instagram December 19, 2019
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about elopements is the idea that you have to leave your family (or close friends) out of it. At least half of the adventure weddings we shoot include guests — they just invite way fewer than a traditional wedding! This more intentional guest list actually means more time with their loved ones than a bigger wedding, and it makes for some amazing memories. You’d be surprised what our couples have been able to convince their families to do...like when Kaitlyn and Jimmy’s family hiked through mud and snow, even across a creek on a narrow long, to sit on the edge of a cliff with them for their ceremony! And in formal clothes!
They certainly had some pushback when they first presented the idea to everyone (I don’t know if any of our couples haven’t), but once we were all out there, and everyone saw the spot that meant so much to these two, and saw the sunset that followed...they got it. They always do 🖤
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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. Unless stated otherwise, all blog and social media posts are written from the perspective of Abbi! Our photography style is adventurous, full of stoke, and centered around telling a true story. We are nomadic wedding photographers living on the road, which allows us to photograph your adventures anywhere in the world. We especially love the sierra mountains in California, southwestern desert in Utah, and the glacial landscape of Alaska. We have updated passports and are willing to travel anywhere in the world.
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