Megan and Ken’s wedding was a rare treat. For starters, it’s not often I get asked to photograph a wedding in Yosemite National Park. When I met them in June for their Yosemite engagement session, Megan and Ken shared some of the plans for their celebration. One detail that stood out was their cake. They were carefully planning to bake and decorate their entire wedding cake themselves. They had done a trial run already, and had brought a sample along to see how it would fare on the long drive up from Southern California. Having tasted the test run, I couldn’t wait to taste see the final product.
The day began and ended at the Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, just outside the park’s entrance. Wedding guests rode tour buses into the Valley, gathering at the Yosemite Valley Chapel. This New England style church was built in 1879 and celebrated it’s 132nd birthday this past June. The chapel is used regularly for weddings, but also serves the residents of Yosemite with regular services year-round.
The reception at the Tenaya Lodge was fully decked out with the same Fall colors they used to decorate the cake. Once the sun had set and dinner had been served, guests gathered around an outdoor fire to roast marshmallows and make s’mores. Nick from AMS Entertainment kept the dance floor busy and inspired the inevitable migration of wacky photobooth costumes onto the dance floor.
A special thanks goes out to Santa Barbara wedding photographer Bernd Zeugswetter for making the journey to photograph this wedding with me.
Megan and Ken, Congratulations on your wedding, and thank your for the honor of photographing your wedding day in such a spectacular place!
Photograph below by Bernd Zeugswetter
Photograph below by Bernd Zeugswetter
Photograph below by Bernd Zeugswetter
Photograph below by Bernd Zeugswetter
Chris Werner is a Yosemite wedding photographer who is available for Ahwahnee weddings, Tenaya Lodge weddings, weddings in Yosemite Valley, Sierra Meadows Country Club weddings, Pines Resort weddings and weddings at the Blue Heron.
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