Not according to the plan – Elope In Yosemite

I wasn’t in the the bus with them, but I can’t even begin to imagine the thoughts rolling through Bobbie Jo and Lyubomir’s heads when the bus that was supposed to be taking them to their Yosemite wedding instead turned around and was forced to leave the Yosemite. A massive mudslide had closed the Southern Entrance’s access to Yosemite Valley only miles before their ceremony location. Did they wonder if their wedding officiant would wait an additional four hours as they were rerouted? Did they know if their wedding reception would be cancelled when no one showed?

I was already in Yosemite Valley waiting to meet them when word got out about the mudslide. Seeing the possibility that they could be severely delayed for their late afternoon ceremony, I reached out to their wedding planner Roshel from AddyRose. Immediately a plan was put into action just in case their bus hadn’t gotten through the road closure, but it wasn’t until Bobbie Jo made it back to an area with cell phone service that she could confirm the bad news. They were heading out of the park and would be hours behind schedule. Thankfully with the excellent planning skills of AddyRose and a local team that works together frequently, we were able to quickly react and adapt to a change of plans, ensuring that Bobbie Jo and Lyubomir would still have a wedding.

This is how Bobbie Jo and Lyubomir went from having a planned afternoon wedding ceremony along the bank of the Merced River, to a twilight wedding under the stone rockwork of the Majestic Hotel while rain fell.

The moment that Bobbie Jo and her father walked down the aisle, everything shifted. Everyone has hardships in their lives, and although no one wants to have this happen on their wedding day, I have to admire their response to the situation. With smiles (possibly self-forced), they recognized that life is life, and there is still so much goodness to celebrate. It’s why the ceremony felt so real, so earned, so much an actual celebration and triumph.

Intimate wedding in Mural Room at Majestic Hotel Yosemite

With our schedule tossed out the window, the original plan of exploring Yosemite together for portraits was reduced to a ten minute walk in the twilight. Once again, Lyubomir saw the glass as completely full as when he remarked how thankful he was to have even that time with his wife. Even just a little time to spend with his love in a place that holds so much meaning for them was exactly what they needed, and watching them dance under the alpenglow on Half Dome, I knew exactly what they meant.

The soothing sound of strings and the warm feeling of the Majestic’s Mural Room greeted them as they returned to their guests. Always perfect for an intimate wedding, the Mural Room appears as if lit by candlelight. Laughter and good stories filled the room as a delicious dinner was enjoyed. It was a reception built around the appreciation of love – the fact that nothing is guaranteed and good times are to be enjoyed no matter how they come.