Wedding Vendors for Mammoth Lakes & the Eastern Sierra

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.

If you are eloping in Tuolumne 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.

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 for your adventure elopement. Wear footwear that you feel comfortable hiking and moving around in. Having good rubber for your shoes will help immensely on rocky 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.

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)

Having vehicle is critical to getting the most out of an Eastern Sierra visit..

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. We suggest as soon as you book your flight, to reserve a rental car. They can go really fast.

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.

If you'll be in the National Park, 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