Yosemite..wedding...help!
 

Hi, We're now planning a small wedding at Yosemite (was Costa Rica but too complex i.e. anyone who would go would have to get a passport). Now, not ever having been there, we have no idea what's going on. Yeah-- not shy to admit our ignorance, huh? But anyway, we've contacted a couple people who provide wedding services and told them that we were thinking of April/May 2006( but now it's more May b/c older brother/sis-in-law will have a baby end of March). One of the responses was
"The locations available in April and May are limited to Swinging Bridge and Bridalveil. Cathedral and Sentinel Beaches are open after mid-April. (Glacier Point and Tuolumne areas won't be open yet, they usually open by Memorial Day, but it all depends on the winter snows." Any input on these areas and is the person pretty much on point in saying this? I just had Glacier Point as the forerunner of the location of the ceremony, but again I'm just going by pics on the internet. I also asked where we could celebrate with a dinner and some drinks and dancing nearby after the ceremony. Again, this is just a small intimate ceremony with only MAYBE 15-20 guests, so nothing formal at all.
I just get a little confused about the locations of sites relative to lodging and dining. One person said something like if you stay here, it's probably an hour to that sight. Also, can anyone explain to me the logistics about how to actually get to Yosemite? We're flying in from the east coast (Maryland and PA) and then from the airport I know it's about another hour and a half, so what would be the best way for my guests to travel there? I'm thinking this might be as complicated as Costa Rica! But goodness it's beautiful up there! I probably have a few more questions, but I'll save them for later! Thanks alot!

Yosemite is a beautiful natural setting - you can't go wrong with any of the sites you mention. You definitely will have to be in the valley - anything in the high country (Glacier point or Tuolomne meadows will be knee to shoulder deep (or more) in snow.

Yosemite is about a 5hr drive from SF. You can also use SJ or Oakland airports for good connections from all over the country. The closest airport is Fresno, but service there is more limited.

Your ability to pull off a Yosemite wedding will be determined by your ability to find lodging for everybody. Lodging options at Yosemite are either in the park/valley or outside the park. In the valley at luxury hotel (Awahnee), good budget hotel (Yosemite lodge) cabin/tent camping (Curry village). In May, I doubt you will be able to get rooms for all your guests at any of those at either of the in-park hotels, but you may have success at Curry. RIGHT NOW, go check the Yosemite park website for room availability in the valley and book whatever you can right now. You can get a 100% refund if you change your mind later. Outside the valley there are more options, and all require bus or car transport into the park at a min 30min distance. You can do a search of Fodors and get some recommendations that others have posted frequently in the past.

Can't help you with reception ideas.

Actually you might rethink the Costa Rica idea, since it was announced recently that passports, (at least I have been told to the Bahamas) won't be required until December 31, 2006. Several governments in the carribean have been working to get the date exteneded and it was announced yesterday that the date was pushed back a year.

Hope this helps.

Definitely have your ceremony in the valley. At that time of year, it is very unlikely that the high country will be open. We were there in mid May a couple years ago and the high country openned up during our visit. The ranger said it was the earliest the high country openned in a very long time.

Swinging Bridge would probably be my choice for a ceremony. I am remembering that as a really pretty spot.

The logistics of getting everyone to Yosemite are pretty easy. They fly into SJ, OAK, SFO, Fresno, or Sac, rent cars and drive on up.

Lodging might be a challenge. If you can't get lodging for everyone in the valley - I would try the Yosemite Lodge - then check El Portal which is about 30 minutes from the valley. I have heard good things about the Yosemite View Lodge. South of Yosemite is the Tenaya Lodge near the town of Fish Camp, which is really nice. It is more expensive, but something to check out.

You do need passports for Costa Rica. I believe the 12/06 dates are for Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean nations, not Central America.

We needed passports with 90 days validity (ie: expiration date had to be more than 90 days from our return date) when we went to CR last year.

I would opt for May. Even if there is little snow in April, it will still be pretty cold. By May, the waterfalls should start to gush.

Choices for receptions would be Awahnee, Wawona, (both in the park) or Tenaya Lodge (outside the park).

Also, you can check out the Mariposa area for lodging, etc.

I stayed at Tenaya a few years ago and it's a very nice, pretty new property, just outside the park southern entrance. I think you'll have better luck w/ reception at a private property outside the park vs inside. It's a haul to get to the valley, perhaps 45min to 1hr drive, but very convenient to the Mariposa grove of giant sequias. The hotel could probably arrange a bus/van transport for guests to the valley for wedding, and bride/groom could ride in their model T (if they still have it).

As JCorrea said, El Portal is definitely closer to the valley, and the YV lodge gets good reviews.

If this applies to anyone, I'll be glad I took the time to update here:

Hwy 152 at Hecker Pass is being widened and is closed until the end of Sept 2005, 129 is being suggested instead.

With a group of your size... I'd go all out and have the reception at the Ahwahnee! Check flights into Fresno (FAT)... it is a small, nice airport which will seem like a gift compared to SFO! I often fly in and out of there and I like it. From Fresno, your drive to the park is 1 1/2 hour up freeway 41. Another idea for lodging would be in Oakhurst or Bass Lake... Ducey's is a fun spot and has a hotel as well as condos to rent... reasonably priced. Yosemite has a small chapel which is beautiful... and I would book that for a "sure thing." Spring weather in the park can be dicey and I'd hate to have people fly from all over and be rained out! Just a thought. Good luck.

A few thoughts you need to consider (besides some of the othere good info you have received.

- Planning an outdoor wedding in the Spring in Yosemite is a REAL gamble. It could be cold, rainy, possibly snowy, or on the other hand, in May it could be hot on the Valley floor. Especially since you have not been there before - play it safe and book the chapel. it is really lovely.

- even if you do have lovely weather and can have the ceremony outside - all those places have public access and there will be hikers, families, kids at most of them. This may not bother you and you may even look forward to sharing your ceremony w/ others - but you can't shoos folks away. Just a warning.

- logistics can be a problem. The only airport a reasonable distance away is Fresno. Any others (SFO, OAK, San Jose, Sacramento) will be a 4 or 5 hour drive. Fresno is a very expensive destination from most anywhere. This may be a hardship to some of your guests.

I LOVE Yosemite (in fact I spent my Feb. honeymoon in the Valley and skiing at Badger point) But planning a wedding there when you are unfamiliar w/ the place -- just take everything into acct . . . . . .

Besides all the typos - I can't believe I said Badger point.. Of course should be Badger Pass.

For something very special you could head to the Château du Sureau or Elderberry House, both in Oakhurst.

The Chateau du Sureau is lovely, we have had several special dinners at the Elderberry House. We recently had our Syrah critiqued there by the sommelier. :)

Ducey's on the Lake is also a nice suggestion, stay in the spa suites that have gorgeous views of the lake. They are a full service resort with pool, spa, two restaurants and a marina. ***kim*** ((f))

How much are you paying the "wedding services" person? Save your money! Fodors to the rescue! :) If it were me, I would have everyone fly into Fresno one day and get rental cars for the short (less than one hour) drive to BAss Lake... have people book either at Ducey's condos or at the hotel... different budgets etc... and have a casual drinks and appetizers get together the night before. In the morning... drive to the park, have your lovely ceremony in the chapel at 11:00 AM and a nice lunch at the Ahwahnee. You would still have a few hours of daylight`to explore a bit of the park. Everyone could head back the next day to have a full day at the park and fly out when necessary. (I am advocating staying outside the park, because I am doubtful that you will be able to find enough rooms together in the park for next spring. The rooms book a year in advance.)

Our next door neighbor's daughter got married in Yosemite a few years ago in June. Had about 20 guests. Gave guests notice and booked rooms at the Awahnee Lodge or Yosemite Lodge. Parents of the Bride booked the room on the second floor at the Awahnee, with rounded balcony for cocktails. The B&G got married in the trees near the hotel and they had a wedding dinner in the Hotel restauant.
8-)

WOW! Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions! Everyone was very helpful and truthful to the point where I think that my fiance and I are going to have to rethink this idea! I don't want to have to ask my guests to fly across the country, rent a car, and then have to drive a couple/few hours (depending on the airport, right?) more to get to Yosemite. I know that millions of people go there each year, so you're right, reservations will also need to be made quick! GOsh....so stressful and I thought destination weddings were suppose to be easy. Again, thanks for opening our eyes for us..back to the drawing board to figure out a convinient place to get married!

I think that the only time destination weddings are easy is when you have them at a resort or hotel that does a lot of weddings so you just buy a "package" and the people at the resort do all the rest.

If you are still interested in a wedding in the mountains, Lake Tahoe has a lot of options. Most hotels and resorts have wedding packages. For a small, outdoor event, I think Zephyr Cove would be terrific. You could also have a ceremony in a boat out on the lake. Reno airport is pretty close and you could probably get your guests to the lake with a shuttle service for those who wouldn't want to rent a car themselves.

If you still are thinking of California and are interested in the coast, I have always thought that the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego would be a terrific place for a wedding. A real benefit of San Diego is that the airport is next to downtown and the Hotel Del is just across the bridge from downtown, so people wouldn't even really have to rent cars if they didn't want to.

The Monterey/Carmel area is also really great and has some nice venues for weddings. San Jose airport is about an hour or hour and a half away.

Yosemite is tough if you have a lot of out of town guests--it is a lot of travel time. And the weather is unpredictable in May.

I think it would be very difficult to plan a wedding far from where you live unless you are able to travel to the destination first to see for yourself the possibilities. How about a wedding closer to where you live and honeymooning in Yosemite (or Costa Rica?)

After we get married, my fiance and I MIGHT be moving to the Philippines (depending on the "let's check it out" trip in the Fall-- and I really don't think we're going to find out that we don't want to move there...), so since having a big wedding and spending money in 4 hours that'll last 4 years in the Philippines isn't practical, that's why we want to have a smaller wedding elsewhere.

Now why elsewhere? B/c our thinking is to go someplace in the US to check out before we leave. Now b/c of J_Correa's advice, I looked into Lake Tahoe a little bit today, and we just might be on to something here. In CR and Yosemite, we always wanted a mountain/valley view type of backdrop (we're more hikers than those that go to the beach), and Tahoe still looks like something up our alley, and the possiblity of just us renting a car and going to Yosemite for our honeymoon sounds great. And so thank's again everyone, and J_Correa for the idea! I might be posting again to ask about Tahoe and then again about a honeymoon itinerary! Just a little warning!

Have we said congratulations yet?!?

Let us know what you decide!

We stayed in Mariposa in 1998. If money is no object try to get in theAhwahnee hotel in the Park. This is the best place in the whole valley. Paul

I've never seen a wedding take place at the swing bridge or at Bridelveil (it would sure be noisy there!) but there are always weddings going on at the Ahwahnee, which would be my personal choice.

My sister in law got married in Tahoe (mind you, it was the end of July) and Tahoe is a wonderful alternative.