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
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
(out of town guests)
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 coming.
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