chris + jen's intimate yosemite wedding | first look in el cap meadow + ceremony on cathedral beach + dinner at the majestic yosemite hotel | yosemite adventure wedding photographer

When we booked Chris + Jen's wedding exactly one year in advance, I thought I was going to lose my mind waiting for it to finally come around! I will never forget the moment a few years ago when I saw this wedding from Grant Daniels and realized people could get married in Yosemite National Park. I was a budding photographer and was completely obsessed with Yosemite, but lived in Texas so I pretty much dismissed the idea of ever shooting a wedding there as a dream too big for me to fulfill. Well, a few years, a lot of travel and even more photography practice + work later, Yosemite is now our highest-requested and booked location! We still feel the need to pinch ourselves sometimes when we get to do this amazing job in such a beautiful place, and Chris + Jen's intimate wedding in the valley was no exception. 

I'd be remiss if I said anything else without mentioning that Jen + Chris invited us over for the most delicious food and festivities at their cabin the night before their wedding and we had so much fun getting to know their family + friends. We felt welcome immediately and it made for such a fun dynamic the day of their wedding feeling like we were part of the family. They chose to do their first look in El Cap Meadow, underneath the world's most glorious monolith (Jen's dad loved telling everyone that their photographer had climbed el cap that week!) and shared some sweet moments together before hiking the valley loop trail to Cathedral Beach for their ceremony. After Jen's dad walked her from the woods down to the beach, they said their vows and promised each other forever next to the quiet Merced River with El Cap behind them surrounded by their closest family and friends (who traveled from places all over, included Hawaii and Alaska!). Afterwards, we ventured around the valley together taking photos until the sun went down. We ended the night with a delicious dinner at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (previously know as the Ahwahnee) and once again were made to feel like family. We had such an amazing time getting to know these two and I am honestly a little sad it's over - but I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again soon. Maybe in Hawaii :)

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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads in their big white van, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US including California, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.

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