Back home, Jay + Navya had a traditional Indian Wedding — including a whopping 1,500 person guest count. It wasn’t an intimate experience, they didn’t get the photos they wanted, and the day has now just become a blur in their memory. While it was an incredibly happy day, it was void of deep emotion and intimacy. This is where the idea of an intimate elopement in Yosemite National Park came in.

It’s a place I have fond memories of in my own life and a place that I had been eager to photograph. For Navya + Jay it was a place they had never been together and always wanted to. After speaking with them, we all agreed that Yosemite National Park and the day we had planned was going to give the two of them the experience and memories they longed for — and of course, the photos!

Typically I would never advise a couple to elope or even just take portraits in Yosemite on a weekend. I would also heavily advise against choosing a holiday weekend, but we ended up doing exactly that. Saturday, July 3rd was the only date that would work. We discussed the game plan at length beforehand, and prepared ourselves for traffic and tourists. To our surprise, the day couldn’t have gone any better!

We met in the morning at 4am and made it up to Glacier Point well before sunrise. We parked and prepared them for their “first look,” with Half Dome as the backdrop. Afterwards, we continued to watch and enjoy the sunrise, then made our way to the trailhead. They were finally able to have an experience full of intimacy and time alone that had been missing on their original wedding day. On top of that, they were able to have this time in one of the most incredible places in the world.

We later headed back down Glacier Point Road for some breakfast muffins and a few more portraits in a meadow, near the Yosemite Chapel. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and we faced little to no traffic or tourists all morning. It was as if everyone wanted them to have these unforgettable memories.

We were all pretty exhausted from the mornings activities, so we took a break and met up later for sunset. That’s one of the amazing aspects of eloping. Especially when it’s just the two of you. You don’t have to follow a traditional timeline or do things in any particular order to accommodate others. You have the ability to completely do things your own way on your own schedule.

This is an experience that I know they will always remember and treasure, but it’s going to likely be one of my own favorite memories to date… If you’d like to learn more about planning your elopement in Yosemite National Park, you can view my beginner’s guide here.

Featured On: DESTINATION I DO

Hey, I’m Gabriela!

I’m an elopement and intimate wedding photographer based in Las Vegas and beyond. While Las Vegas is my hometown, I also co-create incredible elopement experiences for my couples in Washington state, Oregon, Glacier National Park, Hawaii, Yosemite National Park, and Big Sur.

I assist couples with bringing their wedding day visions to life!

My couples and I both enjoy the outdoors, experiences more than things, and have a real connection to one another and the relationships around us.