Yosemite Valley, Beauty Everywhere You Look

The Great Outdoors If...

by Jake Kilroy

The Great Outdoors

If you want a wedding that showcases just how grandiose love can be, then move beyond manmade structures for once. Why limit your nuptials to four walls and the surrounding grounds when the expanse of an entire national park is available? Yosemite Valley delivers a wedding gift of sweeping skies, breathtaking views, and long stretches of gorgeous land.

No Better Photo Op

It would be one heck of a challenge to find a background that did more for wedding photos than Yosemite Valley. From every angle, the scenery offers a lush, dramatic scene, whether sunny or cloudy above. Forests, fields and rivers hand couples a breadth of options impossible to find in urban spots. Greens, blues and gold bounce around photos, as open meadows put out the welcome mat for brides and grooms to kiss beneath what seems like the most pure, open sky in California. Whether holding hands before Half Dome or embracing beneath Yosemite Falls, the valley is the flawless scenario any wedding photographer would hope for. Heck, it almost seems like it’s doing half the work.

A Variety of Lodging

Likely the most recognizable edifice within the massive stone walls of Yosemite, The Ahwahnee is a powerful, rustic hotel, evoking the cheer of a cabin with a sprawling elegant interior that rivals some big-city penthouses. A well-known staple of the valley’s hospitality, having hosted queens and presidents, The Ahwahnee does the best job of balancing the charm of nature and the comfort of luxury.

If on the prowl for a more cozy collection of rooms, there’s Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. A long-time mainstay of the valley, Yosemite Lodge holds its place as a soft spot in the hearts of many multi-generational families. The main building of the complex was wholly re-worked in ‘98 to rely on large glass panels framed with dark wood. Idyllic views surround the lodge, offering a constant reminder of the natural beauty. Guests can swim in the hotel’s pool as Yosemite Falls barrels out of the mountainside above them.

If guests are looking for further hotel options, there’s also the White Wolf Lodge and the Wawona Hotel. Both offer their special take on what glory the valley has to give.

Evergreen Lodge

This sweetly rustic ceremony takes place at the elegant Evergreen Lodge, perfect for couples looking for comfort, style & what Frommer's calls, "the classic Yosemite experience." 90 cabins are spread out over 20 acres of towering pines and each includes it's own balcony to bask in the beautiful surroudings. Couples can come in commune with nature, this is an outdoorsman (and outdoorswoman's) ultimate playground. Wandering your wedding through the Evergreen means sweet surprises will assuage your guests at every turn, hammocks, horseshoes, bocce, and zip lines, oh my.

Why It’s The Place To Be

There’s no such thing as capacity in Yosemite. You can have sunsets envelop your entire reception. You have the best live band of birds, rivers, and breezes rolling through the trees. Everyone looks good in natural lighting. No one will ever say, “It’s a bit stuffy in here.” So string up the bistro lights, and celebrate grand love until the wild moon is hanging over you and your beloved, with friends and family laughing and dancing until rest seems inevitable.