For those that are thinking about or are in the midst of planning a destination wedding, today’s bride, Laura offers up some great advice: allow yourself at least a full day before the wedding and after the wedding to help you stay present. We wholeheartedly agree! This allows you time to embrace the surroundings, breath in the moment, and truly soak it all in.
For Laura + Richard, the place they wanted to be was Yosemite National Park, in each other’s arms. Sounds pretty dreamy, right? Just wait ’til you see the photos of their longtime friend, Courtney Sinclair Photography! Courtney shares: I met my best friend, the bride, and her fiancé in our high school photography class. Richard is a painter and Laura is a photographer; their romantic, adventurous, and so, so in love with each other. A couple of years ago, they went on a road trip out West and when they arrived at Yosemite, they knew it was something special. When they chose it for their wedding location it didn’t come as a surprise, and I couldn’t have been more honored to be their to witness (and photograph) it.
Ready to see all the magic firsthand?
When hiking through the forest and up the mountain to get to the location — bridal boots are a must!
The photographer shares: They got ready at The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, and from their traveled to Mirror Lake Trail for their ceremony with close friends and family in tow. It was a busy Saturday in October, but when Laura walked down towards Ricky for their first look, it was like their was no one else around.
The first look was my favorite part of the day because we did it a little bit different than the normal. We wanted our friends and family to be able to experience it, but we still wanted it to feel intimate, so we decided to do the first look at the start of the ceremony. We had everyone wait a little bit farther away while we had our moment and then asked them to come closer when we started the ceremony. It really created a magical experience for everyone.
Laura tells us: Choosing to do a destination wedding was the first step in making our wedding day about us. Getting away from our normal, everyday lives, really made it feel more special and helped us stay present. We also brought along 9 of our closest family and friends to enjoy this adventure with us! The inspiration behind our day was just to make it feel true to us and create a unique feel.
Blooming burgundy dahlias, purple thistle, cranberry astilbe, and an assortment of lush greenery rounded out this bouquet, expertly crafted by Sweet Dreams Cakes & Flowers.
Laura describes her style as something that fluctuates between bohemian and edgy… She found the whimsical Blush Hayley Paige dress at Alice in Ivory, and balanced it out with a Twigs & Honey headpiece, and her favorite leather jacket to keep everything true to her style.
That glowing golden light…
If you’re doing a destination wedding or elopement, allow yourself at least a full day before the wedding and after the wedding to help you stay present. It gave us the chance to do some adventuring and enjoy the time with everyone we love.
Dig that floral-embroidered faux leather jacket as much as us? You can snag it here!
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It’s all about the adventure… And what an adventure this one way!
Who else is thinking a trip to Yosemite National Park is in order soon? How we love looking out to Half Dome…
photography: Courtney Sinclair Photography // venue name: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite, California, USA // florals: Sweet Dreams Cakes & Flowers // wedding dress: Blush by Hayley Paige // wedding dress boutique: Alice In Ivory // hairpiece: Twigs & Honey // bride's shoes: Bed Stu // bride's ring: Alexis Russell // hair stylist: Tiffany O'Brien
What a rad couple!! Loving this shooting soooo much :D
I loved the colours and the ideas used on this wedding ;)
Cheers from Ireland!
Beautiful .. What a location !
Congrats on a gorgeous wedding !
♥
These images were done so beautifully such a beautiful location and cool bride and groom!
That certainly is one unique experience, sounds like my kind of wedding. Great photos and amazing contrast with her dress!
Absolutely beautiful and so inspiring. All the best and much peace to them.
Wedding photography goals! What a wedding in such an idilic spot! Love that walking in the field shot!