How Much Does a Yosemite Elopement Cost?
How Much Does a Yosemite Elopement Cost?
Most answers to this question aren't useful. Either a single average with nothing behind it, or a list of line items with no sense of what a real day adds up to.
So here's the specific version. Every permit and license figure below comes from the agency that charges it. Vendor numbers are ranges, published as ranges because that's what they are. Then three worked examples, from the smallest version of this to a full day with family.
Short answer: a Yosemite elopement runs roughly $2,000 to $10,000 before lodging. What moves you across that range isn't the ceremony. It's how many vendors you bring and how many hours you want photographed.
The fixed costs
Smaller than people expect, and the same for everyone.
Your Yosemite wedding permit
$150, paid when you submit your application.
Every ceremony inside the park needs a Special Use Permit, whether there are two of you or twenty. Applications are accepted up to one year ahead and no later than 21 days before your date.
That's the park's fee. It doesn't cover your marriage license, which is separate.
Your marriage license
Mariposa County issues the license for a Yosemite ceremony.
| Public license | $60, cash |
|---|---|
| Confidential license | $65, cash |
| Certified copy | $19 |
| Waiting period | None |
| Valid for | 90 days |
| Witness | Required for public · none for confidential |
Both of you apply in person at the County Clerk's office at 10th and Bullion Streets in Mariposa. Appointments are required — call (209) 966-2007 ahead. Bring photo ID showing your date of birth.
Two things worth knowing. There's no waiting period, so the license is issued the same day you apply. And a confidential license requires no witness — useful if it's just the two of you and nobody else will be there. If you choose a public license, I've signed as witness for most of the couples I've worked with, so that's usually solved without you arranging anything.
One catch on the confidential license: if you buy it in Mariposa County, you have to be married in Mariposa County. That covers Yosemite Valley and most of the park's ceremony sites, but check it against your location before you choose that option.
Park entrance
Yosemite charges a per-vehicle entrance fee valid for seven days. Worth accounting for if guests are arriving separately — it's charged per car, not per person.
The vendors
These are ranges for the region. Where you land inside them depends on how involved each piece is.
| Vendor | Range |
|---|---|
| Officiant | $400–$1,000 |
| Florals — bouquet and boutonniere | $400–$800 |
| Hair and makeup | $600–$900 |
Officiants. The range reflects how personalised the ceremony is. A short civil ceremony sits at the bottom; a written, personal one sits higher. If you'd rather a friend or family member officiate, they'll need to be registered to do it, and that takes time — start it early.
Florals. This varies most, because florals mean different things to different couples. A bouquet and boutonniere runs $400 to $800 depending on season and size. Arches and installations go well past that.
Hair and makeup. A trial adds cost. Whether it's worth it depends on how far you're travelling and how much you want settled in advance.
Every one of these is optional. Plenty of couples do this with none of them.
Photography and planning
My elopement experiences run $2,800 to $8,700, and full planning is included in all of them — location scouting, permit research and filing, your day-of timeline, vendor coordination.
| Half-Day Experience — 4 hours | $2,800 |
|---|---|
| Full-Day Experience — 6 hours | $4,200 |
| Sunrise to Sunset — 8 hours | $5,800 |
| Epic Adventure — two days | $8,700 |
35mm film can be added to any of them for $250, and it's included in the top two.
If your planning is already handled by someone else, photography-only coverage starts at $1,400 for two hours.
Lodging: why I won't give you a number
Every other cost on this page is fixed or close to it. Lodging isn't.
Rates in and around Yosemite swing hard by season. Peak summer costs considerably more than the same room in November. Holiday weekends push higher still. The same cabin can differ by hundreds of dollars a night depending on the week you book.
Publishing a range here would mislead more than it helps.
What I do instead: once a couple gives me their date, I research lodging for that specific window — what's available, what it actually costs then, and which areas make sense for their ceremony location. That's more useful than a number I'd be guessing at.
The lodging guide covers which areas suit which ceremony sites, and how the drive affects your morning. Cost is the part that needs your date.
Three worked examples
Lodging isn't included in these. See above.
Two of you, four hours
| Wedding permit | $150 |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, confidential + certified copy | $84 |
| Officiant | $400–$650 |
| Half-Day Experience | $2,800 |
| Total | $3,434–$3,684 |
No florals, no hair and makeup, no witness to arrange. This is the simplest version, and it's a complete wedding day.
A full day with a few guests
| Wedding permit | $150 |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, public + certified copy | $79 |
| Officiant | $400–$1,000 |
| Florals | $400–$800 |
| Hair and makeup | $600–$900 |
| Full-Day Experience | $4,200 |
| Total | $5,829–$7,129 |
Sunrise to sunset, with everything
| Wedding permit | $150 |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, public + certified copy | $79 |
| Officiant | $400–$1,000 |
| Florals | $400–$800 |
| Hair and makeup | $600–$900 |
| Sunrise to Sunset Experience | $5,800 |
| Total | $7,429–$8,729 |
Eight hours covers getting ready, a first look, the ceremony, portraits, a toast, and sunset — with film and full ceremony video included.
Where the money actually goes
Three things move your total more than anything else.
How many hours you want photographed. Four hours versus eight is a $3,000 difference, and it's the decision worth thinking hardest about — not because more is better, but because a rushed day is the most common regret I hear.
How many vendors. Officiant, florals, hair and makeup together run $1,400 to $2,700. All three are optional.
When you go. This shows up in lodging rather than in any line above, but it's real. The same trip in October costs meaningfully less than in July.
What doesn't move it much: the paperwork. The permit and license together come to under $250, which surprises most couples. The bureaucracy is the cheapest part of getting married in a national park.
What isn't on this list
A planner. Full planning is included in every experience I offer rather than sold separately, so there's no line for it above. If you hire a photographer who doesn't plan, budget for that separately.
Travel. Flights, fuel, and meals depend entirely on where you're coming from.
Rings, attire, and anything you'd buy regardless. Those aren't Yosemite costs.
Common questions
How much does it cost to elope in Yosemite? Roughly $2,000 to $10,000 before lodging. The low end is two people, a permit, a license, and four hours of photography. The high end adds an officiant, florals, hair and makeup, and a full day of coverage.
How much is a Yosemite wedding permit? $150, paid with your application. Every ceremony inside the park requires one, regardless of guest count.
How much is a marriage license for a Yosemite wedding? Mariposa County issues it. A public license is $60 and a confidential license is $65, both cash, with certified copies at $19. There's no waiting period, and appointments are required.
Do we need a witness? For a public license, yes. A confidential license requires none, which suits couples eloping alone. If you choose public and it's just the two of you, I've signed as witness for most of the couples I've worked with.
What does an elopement officiant cost near Yosemite? $400 to $1,000, depending on how personalised the ceremony is.
Can we elope in Yosemite on a small budget? Yes. Two people, a permit, a confidential license, an officiant, and four hours of photography lands under $3,700 before lodging. Everything beyond that is a choice.
How much should we budget for lodging? It depends heavily on your date. Peak summer and holiday weekends cost substantially more than shoulder season. I research lodging for each couple once I have their date rather than quoting a range that wouldn't hold.
A note on these numbers
Permit and license figures come from the National Park Service and the Mariposa County Clerk. Vendor ranges reflect the region as of 2026 and will move.
If you're pricing a specific date and location, tell me what you're picturing and I'll give you the actual numbers rather than a range — lodging included.
Continue Planning Your Yosemite Elopement
Yosemite Wedding Permit Guide — what the permit covers, when to apply, guest limits by location
Choosing Your Ceremony Location — ten approved sites compared
The Best Time to Elope in Yosemite — season by season, with sunrise and sunset times
Where to Stay — which areas suit which ceremony locations
Your Timeline — what four, six, and eight hours actually hold
Frequently Asked Questions — the questions couples ask most