Yosemite. I mean honestly I could just leave it at that, but obviously I won't. Yosemite. I mean honestly I could just leave it at that, but obviously I won't.
Hannah and Greg went with our most favorite wedding route - eloping. It’s so funny explaining that to an older generation, which I now have to do all the time, but eloping clearly doesn’t mean running away to Vegas anymore. Instead, it means prioritizing saying I do with your one and only, an amazing location, some badass photos, aaaand that’s it. No details, no stress. We know this isn’t for everyone, and we love a good party, but there is something just so so special about committing to each other all by yourselves. Hannah and Greg had known this for a while, and being big time adventurers themselves, they couldn’t imagine it happening in any other place.
Their elopement went a little something like this:
The day before their little ceremony, the four of us adventured (two of us in wedding attire) from noon to sundown. The valley gave us alllll the sunshine, and El Cap and Half Dome did that cool thing where you have to physically raise your head to see them from below. Then they did that other cool thing where they look somehow even more mind-blowing from the top. Yosemite met it’s match with this bride and groom though ya’ll - hot damn. Hannah literally asked for the most simple wedding dress the shop had, and explained that she didn’t want to take away from the scenery. One, swoon. Two, she pulled off doing just that, while also looking like a complete and total STUNNER. Oh and she did her own and hair and makeup like thirty minutes before we left. So. Yeah.
Now let’s talk about heights real quick. Nick is horrified of them, I love them. Thiiiiis place however, gave me a crap-my-pants run for my money. We found a group of cool kids on some rocks and they told us we should come up to take pics. We all ran up, stopped at the top, and freaked the f out. Five seconds later though, somehow, everything felt calm and perfect and we did our thing. About twenty blissful minutes later, we walked back down and then I crapped my pants again. I love my job.
Greg’s cousin and her husband came out to officiate the wedding, brought It-It’s ice cream sandwhiches (which are now my weakness), and joined our perfect weekend. The morning of the ceremony we all woke up briiiiight and early, headed to Cathedral Beach, and got the babes hitched. Vows were exchanged, tears were shed, and Veuve Clicquot was had by all. The happy-go-lucky couple hadn’t even planned for a first dance, but we pulled out our portable speaker, and swaying to "Stand By Me" was added to their list of lifetime memories.
We ended the day at The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, aka, in my opinion, the more beautiful version of the hotel from The Shining. A few more glasses of champagne and one congratulatory desert later, we were off to the airport with the fullest hearts and memory cards of our career. Hannah and Greg, thank you thank you thank you for being so incredible.
Side note: thinking about eloping but worried about missing out on the party? Hannah’s family threw them a huge reception-like party the month after, in their hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. You can have both, ya’ll.
