FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope these frequently asked questions and the helpful wedding & elopement planning guide below can assist you to plan and prepare for your trip to the Sierra. The National Park Service website for Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies is very helpful. And please Contact Us if you have any questions or if we can be of any service at all.

You can also check out Shawn & Brittany’s landscape photography and films at ShawnReeder.com and BrittanyColt.com. As well as their Private workshop offerings at Outdoor Photo Experience.

Where is the best location for our Yosemite or Eastern Sierra elopement, adventure session, or wedding Ceremony?

Well that is the big question, isn’t it? And it’s my favorite one to help you with as you weigh all the options for wedding venues & elopement locations that Yosemite & The Eastern Sierra has to offer.

In Yosemite, if you have 10 people or less, you can go basically anywhere that the public is allowed in the park. There’s even more leeway in the National Forest of the Eastern Sierra. I’ve created a page with some of my favorite wedding & elopement locations in Yosemite that you can see here. The options are limitless for the Eastern & High Sierra, but I've also created a page with some of my favorite elopement and wedding locations around Mammoth Lakes and the Eastern Sierra. In Yosemite, please know that all weddings require a special use permit t hat is $150 and you can find out more about it here.

If you have more than 10 people the locations become limited, but the great news is that basically all of the locations in Yosemite & the Eastern Sierra are absolutely stunning. You can see here the locations approved in Yosemite and what size groups they accommodate. You can find out more information about the special use permit process in Yosemite here, which is required for all weddings.

The neighboring communities of the park also provide some great wedding venues for larger groups. Mammoth Lakes & the Eastern Sierra have some of the most picturesque wedding venues outside of Yosemite. You can find a list of Eastern Sierra wedding venues here. The west side of the Sierra outside of Yosemite also has some stunning locations such as Tenaya Lodge, Rush Creek Lodge, & Evergreen Lodge. For more info about other wedding venue options in Mariposa county, see here.

ARE there any times we should try to avoid?

Actually, yes, there are. Yosemite National Park has become so popular that overcrowding and even hours-long waits in lines and traffic has become common during holidays and summer weekends. Weekends are always going to be much busier, but during the summer expect hours-long lines to get into the park, severe congestion in the Valley, and limited parking.

So what's the solution? If you can, come during the week. It makes a big difference most of the year, but in the summer it's almost necessary to have an enjoyable experience. Also, consider a dawn ceremony or shoot. Being up before dawn is the quietest & easiest to move around time of day, year-round. Not only is the light gorgeous and the energy calm, but even at the most popular locations we can often find some privacy for a more personal experience.

While summer can be hot and crowded in Yosemite Valley, the Tioga Road is the gateway to some of the park's most beautiful and easily accessible high country. Olmsted Point, Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Meadows, Cathedral Lakes, & Tioga Pass are just some of the gorgeous locations available to us. With cooler temps, way fewer crowds, and craggy mountain landscapes with huge open skies perfect for shooting under the stars, the Tuolumne region is special. With road construction on the Glacier Point & Taft Point road during 2023, the Tioga Road is going to be the place to be.

What time of day & year is best?

I always suggest that planning the timing around the best light is absolutely worth it. While different locations will have different exact timing on the best light, it's almost always either early morning light around dawn or the last couple of hours leading up to sunset, not to mention staying out past dark to shoot under the stars. And it greatly depends on which location as to whether it's better to choose morning or evening. For example, Glacier Point is best at sunrise while Taft Point is best at sunset. Many people are also choosing both to be able to maximize different locations and get the most out of their wedding day by splitting their coverage between morning and evening. I love doing this!

As far as what is the best time of year, Yosemite is magical any time of year, but different times of year are better for different reasons. Spring is my favorite time in Yosemite Valley with April & May being two of my favorite months in the Valley. The waterfalls are booming and everything is coming to life, and the summer crowds haven't arrived quite yet.

Summer & early autumn is the time for the high country in my opinion, with the Tioga Road & Glacier Point Road (Glacier Point Road has road construction with delays in 2023) giving access to some of my favorite areas of the park. Fall & winter are both stunning in Yosemite Valley. While it doesn't always snow down to the Valley floor every winter, Yosemite is still a winter wonderland with snow lining the rim most winters.

Forest fire and smoke at night under the stars.

What happens if there are fires or Smoky Conditions?

While smoky conditions are possible any time of year from wildfire or prescribed burns, smoky conditions are most common in August and September, when one to three weeks of unhealthy or worse air quality occurs most years. After witnessing such a dramatic increase in the regularity of smoky conditions over the last 5-10 years, I now consider mid-July through mid-October to be “Smoke Season”. It’s not always smoky, and sometimes it can be atmospheric, but this window has the greatest likelihood for there to be smoky conditions and it’s smart to set your expectations accordingly. If the smoke is unbearable to where you want to reschedule, I always try my best to reschedule free of charge based on availability.

Do you shoot outside of YOsemite & The Sierra?

To see "new to me" lands, experience other cultures, meet new people, and capture visions of beauty, travel has long called to my soul. I love to shoot outside of Yosemite and The Eastern Sierra. As grateful as I am to live among some of the most beautiful mountains, stars, sunrises, and sunsets on earth, travel will always call to me. Adventure and photography have always been my primary motivators for travel, and after 25 years of exploring the American West, a few places really stick out as perfect locations for your adventure session, elopement, or intimate wedding.

First has to be the Eastern Sierra, which I consider every bit as magical as Yosemite itself. Locations like Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, Convict Lake, Rock Creek, and the High Sierra out of Bishop are stunning and can offer more freedom and flexibility than in the national park. I also love the northern Sierra around Lake Tahoe, Nevada City, & Grass Valley, which have many options from beautiful nature for something small to great venues for weddings.

If the ocean calls to you, my favorite meetings of land & ocean have to be the fairytale forests and endless sea stacks on the southern Oregon coast and the dramatic mountains and redwoods of the Big Sur coast. The area around Brookings has towering bluffs over the ocean, intimate beaches, and gorgeous coastal rainforests, with many locations in close proximity for a stunning photo shoot.

If the vastness and huge open skies of the desert call to you, there's nowhere on earth like the American Southwest. From the ever-changing dunes of Death Valley to the canyons and red rock desert of southern Utah and northern Arizona, the southwest delivers stunning vistas and an otherworldly vibe perfect for your adventure session, elopement, or intimate wedding.

And traveling abroad is calling! Who wants to go elope in New Zealand, Italy, Patagonia or the rest of Europe?

Wedding couple under stars at Geologic hut in Yosemite.

How does the Booking Process work and When & what do we receive?

Once you decide to book, I'll send you an online proposal that will list the services requested, an electronic contract, and a payment plan. While the standard payment plan is 50% to book and 50% due two weeks before the shoot date, I can be flexible here if it can help you.

After the wedding, I will send some digital teasers within just a couple of days. The final deliverables will consist of a beautiful highlights gallery of my favorite images from the day designed to tell the story of the day and a digital download with all the edited high res files. I also send a recommendation for a professional lab that works with consumers so you can have a solid idea of where to get prints, wall art, and other products made if you don't already have a lab that you work with and trust.

In the digital download, I also include a separate folder with the same favorite images from the highlights gallery, that are easy for you to share with friends and family. They are sized for the web and ready to easily share through email and on social media.

Please allow for up to 6-8 weeks to receive all of your deliverables.

HELPFUL Yosemite & SIERRA WEDDING & ELOPEMENT PLANNING GUIDE:

VRBO. We understand that planning an adventure elopement or intimate wedding can be overwhelming, but we are here to help guide you through the process. Here are some tips to help you plan your dream Yosemite wedding or elopement:

THE FIRST STEP IS GETTING A WEDDING PERMIT.

A special use permit is required for any wedding or commitment ceremony held at any location within Yosemite National Park. This includes Tuolumne Meadows. Which we feel is more easily accessible and best served with lodging by the Eastern Sierra instead of the Yosemite Valley area. That is of course unless you score a vacation rental in Foresta! The permit cost is $150 (if event monitoring is required, you will be charged an additional $50 per hour).

Weddings or ceremonies in Yosemite National Park may be scheduled up to one year in advance and more than 21 days prior to your event. You can find out more info about Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies in Yosemite National Park here.

The Inyo National Forest only requires a permit for groups over 75 people., which means that Elopements and Intimate Weddings will have more freedom here, especially once you're over 10 people yet below 75.

CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION.

If you are eloping in Yosemite National Park with 10 people total or less, locations are nearly endless. If you have ten people or fewer, you can elope anywhere the public is allowed without having restrictions imposed on larger groups. But if you are having an intimate or bigger wedding with more than ten people, HERE are the locations available to you in Yosemite National Park. If you want to elope or have an intimate wedding in the Inyo National Forest, you only need a permit if have more than 75 people.

We have put together both a Mammoth Lakes & Eastern Sierra Locations Page and a Yosemite Locations Page so that you can start to visualize your special day. We are experts in both Eastern Sierra and Tuolumne Meadows locations. Whether we will be photographing you in the High Country or in the high desert, we have years of knowledge of the area. We love getting couples out to private, intimate locations. Keep in mind not all locations are available year round, such as Tuolumne Meadows and the High Sierra which are only available from late spring to early summer until mid-fall.

PLAN FOR THE SEASONS.

Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra experiences different seasons, and each season has its own unique beauty. We can help you plan for the season and make sure you have everything you need to stay comfortable and safe. Shoes are one of the most important aspects of being comfortable at your wedding. Wear footwear that you feel comfortable hiking and moving around in. Having good rubber for your shoes will help immensely on granite surfaces. The mountains can be chilly even in summer months, especially in locations above 4,000 feet. We recommend considering wearing thermal layers underneath your outfits depending on the season and the time of day. This is important, especially for early mornings and star photography, which no matter the time of year can be chilly to outright cold at night.

HERE ARE A LIST OF ITEMS TO CONSIDER BRINGING.

Comfortable shoes

Thermal Layers

Puffy Jacket

Headlamp

Water bottle

Snacks

Bobby pins and hairspray for re-touches

Hand warmers

Chapstick

Bug Spray

Toilet paper and plastic bag (pack it in, pack it out)

TRANSPORTATION - HOW TO GET TO AND AROUND YOSEMITE

Having vehicle is critical to getting the most out of a Yosemite or Eastern Sierra visit. We suggest as soon as you book your flight, to reserve a rental car. They can go really fast.

Yosemite:
Fresno airport is the nearest airport to Yosemite Valley, but San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento are also viable options. If you’re booking your session for Tuolumne Meadows or the Tioga Pass area, consider flying into Reno. We suggest as soon as you book your flight, to reserve a rental car. They can go really fast.

There are three year-round routes to get into Yosemite Valley:

- Highway 41 from Fresno and Oakhurst. It is a very curvy road with hairpin turns so if you prefer to avoid that highway, we suggest choosing an alternative route.

- Highway 120 from San Francisco and Groveland

- Highway 140 from Merced and Mariposa

All three routes are open all year with the exception of road closures due to rock slides or icy conditions. Highway 140 is the safest route during the winter as it does not experience such severe weather. We suggest keeping a watch on road conditions so that you can choose the route safest for you.

For an update on road conditions, please call the National Park Service at 209-372-0200. During the winter months, snow chains are required by law to be in your car at all times. If you're renting a vehicle and need to buy chains, go to the closest auto part store and plan on returning the chains if they're unused and you can.

The Eastern Sierra:

Reno International airport is the nearest airport to Mammoth Lakes and Tuolumne Meadows that is year round, while Los Angeles or Las Vegas would be better options if you're coming for the Alabama Hills or Death Valley. Bishop has seasonal flight options during the winter and summer, but nothing during late spring or fall.

If you’re booking your session for Tuolumne Meadows or the Tioga Pass area, consider flying into Reno and staying in the Eastern Sierra in Lee Vining, June Lake, or Mammoth Lakes. We'd stay in Lone Pine or Bishop if you're coming for the Alabama Hills or Bishop area.

LODGING - WHERE TO STAY.

Yosemite:

There are many lodging options in Yosemite Valley and the surrounding vicinity ranging from elegant and expensive such as The Ahwahnee Hotel or cozy and quaint such as the Yosemite Valley Lodge. There are also rental houses in Yosemite West, Wawona, and Foresta.

If you are planning on staying outside the park, the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal, Rush Creek Lodge, Evergreen Lodge, and Tenaya Lodge are great options as well. We highly suggest to let us know where you are planning on staying.

Some of the lodging options outside the park may not look far on a map but can take up to several hours to get to some locations. We are here to help and give advice to you so that you can maximize your time in Yosemite and spend less time driving. Distance from the park is crucial in deciding your lodging.

The Eastern Sierra:

Starting from north to south along the 395 corridor, Lee Vining is a quaint VERY small town that serves as the eastern gateway town to Yosemite National Park. It is the closest place to get lodging when visiting Tuolumne Meadows. There is only a few lodging options and not much to do in town, but you're only 20-25 minutes from Tuolumne. And there actually is a very nice coffee shop called Latte Da. And of all places, the Mobil Gas Station has great food.

June Lake would be the next closest place to Tuolumne at about 35-40 minutes. It is. a picturesque mountain village that looks like it's truly out of a storybook. June Lake is a destination unto itself and has multiple lodging options, a few restaurants, plus lots of vacation rentals through AirBnb and VRBO.

Mammoth Lakes comes next, and it's the tourist mecca of Mono County. It has by far the most elaborate visitor infrastructure with lodging, food, vacation rentals, and activities. It also has grocery stores, a hospital, and generally is the most populous city in Mono County. It's about 50-55 minutes to Tuolumne Meadows, yet is the biggest town that's less than hour away. It is also the main tourist location for the Eastern Sierra and has its own thriving wedding scene, with multiple venues to choose from, and all the amenities you could want in a resort town.

If you're coming to hike into the High Sierra out of Bishop Creek, or Rock Creek, or are coming to the central Eastern Sierra, Bishop is a great place to base out of. It's the biggest town in the Eastern Sierra, and has more of a locals vibe than Mammoth. It also has plenty of lodging, restaurants, groceries, and some of the best coffee in the Eastern Sierra at Blacksheep Coffee Roasters.

Lone Pine would be the place to stay if you're coming for The Alabama Hills, or the Mt Whitney area of the High Sierra.

UNDERSTANDING PEAK SEASONS.

Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks. From May-October the park can be very busy. If you are planning on staying outside the park, we highly suggest giving yourself plenty of time to get into the park or getting up and into the park very early each morning. The lines to get into the park can be very long and sometimes can take hours to get through from 10 am-2 pm. Also, it's not if but when you get stuck behind a large RV that doesn't quite understand the purpose of pullouts, it can be very slow driving into and around Yosemite.

WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED AT THE CEREMONY.

We all love Yosemite and want to keep it as wild as possible. Here is a list of items that the National Park Service does not allow during the ceremony:

- Any live animals such as doves, butterflies, horse-drawn carriages, and pets. Pets are not allowed to attend wedding ceremonies in the park, but they are allowed inside the park. So if you want your furry friend to be in some photographs, we can definitely get those after the ceremony. Animals are only allowed on paved areas in the park and are not allowed in meadows.

- Release of inanimate objects: Birdseed, confetti, bubbles, rice, smoke bombs, fireworks.

- Additional seating with benches and chairs

- Amplified music, PA systems, television, or radios.

- Decorations or posted signs.

- Receptions in a picnic area

- Drones

- Balloons

We care deeply for the park and conservation is important to us. We practice the Leave No Trace Principles. If you have any questions about the information listed above, we are here to help. Please send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible. It is our priority to make this special experience a memorable one full of love and adventure.

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