Your Erin & Garrett Yosemite Wedding Guide

Welcome to Yosemite and to our wedding!

We are so lucky to have you as part of our lives and are delighted to celebrate our wedding with you.

Visiting Yosemite takes a little pre-planning, so we’ve put together this cheat sheet to help you navigate

the park and the celebration. Love –

Event Location Date Time

Rehearsal dinner

(out of town guests)

Cascade Falls Picnic Area Friday ,May 01 3:00 pm - dark

Yoga El Portal Community Hall Saturday, May 02 7:30am -8:30 am

Wedding ceremony Cathedral Beach Saturday, May 02 3:30pm – 4:00 pm

Reception El Portal Community Hall Saturday, May 02 5:00 pm—12:00 am

Sunday brunch (out of

town guests)

Garrett & Erin’s House Sunday, May 03 7:30 am—11:00 am

Need to Know

All of the information here and more can be found on our website http://garrettanderinmarry.weebly.com/

Communications

Cell phones are unreliable. Only Verizon works in El Portal. More carriers work in Yosemite Valley. Texting works better than

phone calls. If you can’t check messages, try calling your phone number and pressing #.

Wi-fi is available at our house and the reception site. It is not available in Yosemite Valley. Plan accordingly!

Critical Numbers in case you are lost or have questions

Garrett 406-599-8210

Erin 702-575-8861

Paul (Garrett’s Dad) 503-435-7126

Vince (Erin’s Dad) 864-344-3369

Apparel

The ceremony and reception are mountain formal. No high heels, you'll get stuck in the ground. Prepare for wind, rain, snow

and sunshine (most likely).

Bears

Bears are our neighbors in El Portal and Yosemite Valley. They are mostly harmless to you, but can break into your car. Do not

leave food or scented items (e.g. sunscreen, toiletries, wrappers) in your car or unattended. Use bear boxes when available.

Cars have been broken into for something as small as a chapstick.

Weather Weather is variable. It's often warm in May, 70-80 degrees, but could rain or even snow. El Portal at 2,000 feet is warmer than

Yosemite Valley at 4,000 feet. Hikes could take you to much higher elevations.

Entrance Fee There is a $30 per car entrance fee to get into Yosemite National Park where the ceremony will be held. The entrance pass is

good for 7 days. Save your receipt if you are going in and out of the park.

Restaurants/Groceries

The Yosemite View Lodge and Cedar Lodge have pizza and bar food in El Portal. Yosemite Valley has sandwiches (Degnans),

pizza (the loft, curry pizza deck), coffee, burgers, and fancy dinners (Ahwahnee and Mountain Room). Mariposa has a variety

of restaurants. Our favorites are The Bug in Midpines for lunch/dinner, and the Sugar Pine in Mariposa for breakfast. Going to

Mariposa for a meal is a poor option unless you are staying there.

There are small grocery stores in Yosemite Village, Curry Village, and El Portal. A larger grocery store is in Mariposa (Pioneer

Market and Health Food store).

Gas

Gas is available in El Portal, but is expensive.

Taxis

There are none.

Rehearsal dinner

What Rehearsal dinner for out of town guests. Come a day early to enjoy the park and one another! Please let us know if you're com-

ing.

When

Friday, May 01, 3:00pm -dark

Where

Cascade Falls Picnic Area

Directions From El Portal gas station, enter the park on HWY 140 (heading east or upriver), continue though the entrance station ($30)

and park at the parking area on the right (6.0 miles). At 6.2 miles there is another parking area at Cascade Falls. Cascade Falls

is the only straight away and flat spot between El Portal and Yosemite Valley.

If you're coming from Yosemite Valley or Big Oak Flat Road, Cascade Falls is 1.8 miles west (downriver) from the El Portal

and Big Oak Road intersection. Also marked as 120/140 intersection

Activities Food and beer and general picnicking

Rock climbing- Bring gear if you have it

Scramble to the base of two waterfalls

Swimming

Fishing

Note

There is no cell service at Cascade Falls Picnic Area.

Temperatures range from toasty to chilly

Mosquitoes and face flies could be out and about

Ceremony ****The venue has changed; the ceremony is now at Cathedral Beach! ***

What

Erin and Garrett get married! The knot gets tied.

Where

Cathedral Beach; in the heart of Yosemite Valley

When Saturday, 3:15-4:00 pm, May 02, 2015

Directions

A caravan will be leaving the El Portal gas station at 2:40 sharp. Please carpool.

From El Portal, enter the park going east on HWY 140 (El Portal Rd).

The road will turn into a one-way 'Southside drive'.

Look for left hand turn and El Capitan, you've arrived!

Three options for parking

1) (Recommended) Park along roadside at El Capitan cross-over. 11.2 miles from EP gas station. This allows for the quickest return to

the reception and the most parking. Walk 0.2 miles on road to Cathedral Beach. However, if you've never been to the East Valley, after

the ceremony you need to continue to see Yosemite Falls and Half Dome.

2) Park at Cathedral Beach. 11.4 miles from EP gas station. 8 spots

3) Park 100 feet past Cathedral Beach in paved pullouts. 8 spots-Do not miss this parking or you will drive a 5 mile loop!

After the ceremony, take pictures, take a victory lap around the Valley, and head to the reception in El Portal.

Know this If you miss Cathedral Beach, you have to drive 5 miles around the Valley. Pay attention!

It can take 35-45 minutes to go from El Portal gas station to Cathedral Beach depending on the traffic.

There are no chairs or the ceremony, but if you feel you need a chair, bring one. Or bring a blanket to sit on.

Please keep cell phones off during the ceremony.

Wear your mountain formal finery, comfortable shoes, and be prepared for sour weather. This is outdoors

Reception

What

Dinner, party and celebrate!

Where Carroll N. Clark Community Hall 5512 Foresta Road, El Portal

When 4:45 cocktails with live music by The Clangers

6:00 dinner by Mountain Meadows Farms

7:30 dance and celebrate! Booty shakin' dance party ends at midnight. Music by DJ Dan

Note that unless it rains, this event is outdoors.

Directions

The community hall is located off Highway 140 in El Portal.

If you parked at El Capitan cross-over,

Drive towards El Capitan (the really big rock) on a two way road. After 1/4 mile, when it turns into a one-way road, follow

the road (Highway 140) to El Portal. You will exit the park.

When the road flattens out, look for a gas station and market on your right. Within 1/4 mile, turn right (north) on Foresta

Road (look for El Portal sign).

If you parked at Cathedral Beach

Continue along the one way until the first stop sign.

Turn left over the bridge, pausing to look left for the perfect view of Half Dome.

After 0.3 miles, turn left (west) at the next stop onto North Side Drive.

Follow this road west (downriver) and exit the park.

When the road flattens out, look for a gas station and market on your right. Within 1/4 mile, turn right (north) on Foresta

Road (look for El Portal sign).

Park in the dirt lot to the left of the stop sign. Walk 100 yards to the right at the yield sign. The community hall will be on

your right past the post office.

Sunday Brunch

What

Sunday morning brunch for out of town guests

When

Sunday, 7:30-11:00 May 03

Where

Garrett & Erin's house. 5611 Foresta Road, El Portal CA 95318

Directions

From the El Portal Community Hall-recommended to park here and walk

Continue uphill along Foresta Road.

Go past El Portal Community Park-some parking here

House is on the left, and is the only pink house in El Portal. American flag in front

YOSEMITE VALLEY and EL PORTAL