Simple & Sweet Yosemite Elopement

Do me a favor: before you do anything else re: this beautiful wedding, read the description below. Seriously... before you dive into the gorgeous images from Athena Kalindi, before you fall in love with the stunning gown from Nicole Miller and before your jaw drops over the breathtaking backdrop that is Yosemite, read the story of how two people wouldn't let anything (and I mean anything) stop them from tying the knot in one of the world's most gorgeous locales.  It's truly, truly inspiring.  See it all here.

From Athena Kalindi Photography... This New York City couple planned a destination wedding in Yosemite with only 12 people in attendance. The government shut down, but the couple still came to California (they were supposed to get married at the Ahwahnee Hotel) and the hotel offered for them to move the wedding to the Tenaya Lodge outside of the park. With hope the park may open, the couple stayed at the Tenaya and waited until October 13th... with no movement from the government, the park was still closed. The couple decided to get dressed and attempt a park wedding anyhow! We said we were moving through to cross the park, but once inside the rangers sort of looked the other way while we spent hours alone in the vast and immense beauty of Yosemite (including being the only people at The Ahwahnee!)! After a few hours of portraits, we met the rest of the wedding party along the side of the road and conducted the ceremony. It was absolutely flawless - and the couple ended up with the wedding of their dreams.

Another super cool element to this story? Their pre - wedding story was told by many major publications including the BBC and Buzzfeed. They were grouped with some other couples who told stories about how the Government closure had affected their wedding plans.