When my wife and I first talked of marriage we looked long and hard at the Yosemite Chapel. We both like it and loved Yosemite so it seemed like a perfect fit. But, as in all things, concerns for our family and guests led us to get married in our home town. We still talk about going back and renewing our vows at the church we’d originally planned to get married in 10 years ago and someday I’m sure we will. In the mean time there are great stories like this one that let us know we’re not the only ones who share the dream of getting married in Yosemite.
Merced Sun-Star: They met in September, and by Christmastime, he had made up his mind. Little did he know how their wedding plans would shape a tradition that would span three generations …
They were married the following April — at the Chapel in Yosemite. “Where else? That’s where we lived, that’s where we worked,” Bob said. Not only did they honeymoon at the park, they also made it their first home together, as there was plenty of carpentry work to keep him employed.
(Today, the “old lodge” no longer exists, and the “new lodge” is more than 50 years old. The Chapel was built in 1879, and is the oldest building still in use.)
Fast-forward 20 years or so. It was the late 1970s, and Bob and Louise’s girls were all grown up.
Their daughter, Carol, said, “I didn’t ever think about getting married there until Kenny Giorgi proposed. I asked him what he thought about it, and my parents liked the idea.” So, in June 1978, the family had another wedding in the park.
“There were so many of our relatives and family friends who came, some from other parts of California and some from out of state. The Chapel was full! I don’t remember a lot of the details — just how excited I was to be marrying Kenny,” Carol continued. The glow on her face was undeniable.
Fast-forward 25 more years to 2003, when the Giorgis would return once again to that same sanctuary to watch with tears in their eyes as their only daughter, Christie, exchanged wedding vows with Nathan Winters.
“I never really thought about it, either, until Nathan and I started getting serious,” said Christie. “We toured with our college singing group, and while in the area, we spent a day at Yosemite. When I mentioned that my mom and grandmother had both gotten married there, someone remarked, ‘You and Nathan should get married here, too!’ Of course, we were embarrassed — we weren’t engaged at the time. When we did start making wedding plans, though, and found out the Chapel was available for the date we set, we were thrilled.”With a good amount of precipitation that year, the grass was lush and green, and the waterfalls were gorgeous.
“For some reason, we only reserved one room for the wedding party to change in,” Carol said. “The guys had to change in a closet down the hall.”
Photo by Craig Rose via Flickr.