Kate was so easy and wonderful to work with! We are absolutely in love with our wedding photos and…read moreare so grateful for how she was able to capture the day. We will cherish these photos forever. She was great at communicating throughout the entire process, answered all of my questions, and calmed my fears about timelines. She was great about catering to our not-quite elopement (30 guests.) It was really important to us to find someone who was familiar with photographing in Yosemite and she, having grown up there, is just that person. She really captured all that makes the valley such a special place. I was also amazed at how quickly she worked- we were able to fit in several locations for photos and never felt rushed. She was very easy going to be around (super helpful when you're thinking and stressing about all of the wedding stuff) but also very thorough and professional. If you're getting married in or around Yosemite, I cannot recommend Kate enough!

We worked with Kate for our June wedding in Yosemite (and engagement photos in February) and we…read morecould not be happier with her work and with her knowledge and expertise of the Yosemite area! Kate did an excellent job capturing the beauty of our locations and had excellent insider knowledge of the best places and times to take photos. She was professional and communicative. She did an amazing job getting two people who aren't necessarily comfortable in front of a camera looking like a million dollars. We paid for her split shift and were fortunate to get her for everything from sunrise photos at Glacier Point to photos of the toasts at our evening reception in Wawona. We got our photos back in about a month and they look incredible. She was worth every dollar we paid and we have no regrets choosing her for such an important job on such an important day!

My wife and I discovered Patrick back in 2023 when we were searching for a photographer to shoot…read moreour engagement in Yosemite Valley (a place that holds a lot of special memories for us). Patrick's work immediately stood out to us because it was clear that he was able to capture not just his subjects but the landscape in a way that suggested intimate knowledge and even love for the nature of Yosemite. So, we had high expectations for his ability as an artist going in, but we were pleasantly surprised at how well we vibed with him as a person, too. Patrick made our day-long photoshoot easy and fun, and really brought out the joy of our engagement. And of course, the pictures were stunning. When we decided to get married in Big Sur two years later, our first decision (after the location, anyway) was asking Patrick to shoot our wedding. Patrick wasn't just our photographer but also our partner in planning to make sure we captured not only our special memories, but also the rugged beauty of Big Sur. The final photographs are beyond anything we could have imagined. Patrick's pictures were not just visually impressive - they were emotionally resonant. We will treasure our pictures and the memories we created with him for a lifetime. If you are looking for a photographer who is not only incredibly talented but also a wonderful person to work with, I cannot recommend Patrick Pike Studios highly enough. He is, simply put, the best. If you want photographs in Yosemite, you should work with him, and if you can convince him to work somewhere else, you should do that too. I guess we have to start thinking about where we should drag Patrick for a five-year anniversary photoshoot...

Patrick was a life saver! Our photographer fell through a day before our ceremony & Patrick saved…read morethe day! He did such a great job of capturing our day and making us comfortable. We received our pictures a few weeks after & they were perfect! We will cherish them forever! Thanks Patrick!

Really professional couple! We had a couple photography session and it was amazing! They knew of…read morethis off the beaten path location so we had a truly unique experience! and when we got the photos back... GORGEOUS!!! I am someone who is very picky about how I look in photos (like most women!) and I cant say enough how impressed I was with how each photo turned out! I will definitely be doing this again!

I wish that there was an option for more than 5 stars! We hired Karrie for our post…read morewedding/reception and we could not be happier with our choice. She was so amazing. I consider myself to be the least photogenic person on the planet. I thought, if even one picture turns out good, I will be happy. There were so many great shots that even finding our favorite took almost a month. We specifically asked her to get candid shots of our families and group shots of our older relatives and she really delivered. We have amazing, high quality photos that we are able to share with all of our family/friends and it means the world to us. She was all over the place like the Energizer bunny. She was so liked by all of our guests that people literally asked us if she was one of our family members. She made us feel special and comfortable and at ease. There is no way I could write enough to do her justice. She is an amazing and professional person with an awesome laugh and a great personality. If you don't hire her, you will be missing out, My friends told me that they want her to take photos of them too since their wedding photos didn't turn out how they wanted. Thank you Karrie so much for giving us wonderful photos to enjoy forever! You are the best!!!

Words cannot describe how amazing Patrick Pike and his crew (wife Katie and assitant Kim) are. They…read morecapture photos that are out of this world and they do it for cheap. My husband and I did some intensive research prior to booking a photographer for our wedding on July 11, 2009. After talking with several photographers, we decided to work with Patrick because he was very friendly, his sense of style in capturing photos was exactly what we wanted, and his prices were beyond reasonable... not to mention, he was willing to drive all the way to San Francisco for our wedding and engagement photos at no extra charge! We met up with Patrick and his wife twice to take pictures and both times, they were very professional and on time. We could not have been any more pleased to have worked with them. They were so busy making sure to capture as many photos as they could for our wedding that I don't think they even had enough time to eat the dinner that we provided them. My husband and I felt guilty for it because an 8 hour shoot is a long time to work without food. This proves that he is more concerned about ensuring that you get your money's worth than his well being. Oh yeah - Patrick will go to extreme measures to get the perfect picture... for example, he would get into random positions or put himself or expensive equipment in water just to capture a picture. AMAZING! All in all, Patrick Pike does some phenomenal work in capturing the moment. We personally believe his prices are too low for the work that he does, but being the good man that he is, we know he would rather over provide and ensure his clients get what they want and more. If we could give Patrick 20 stars we would, but unfortunately - yelp only allows us to give 5. If you're looking for a photographer for whatever reason, hire patrick and his wife!!! We plan on giving him a call in a few years when we decide to start a family... that's how happy we are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Patrick keep up the good work!!!!!!!!! You and Katie rock!!!

A cutsy B&B in the middle of no where. Not to far from Yosemite but not in town and late at night…read morecan be asy to miss. Very friendly older people running this place and they are quite accomadating. Did not have a problem gettiing two rooms last minute (had our own bathroom). There were other people there and while there is no curfew they do not give you a key since the door is normally left unlocked but of course the people locked us out and were kind of surprized when we knocked on the door at like 10pm. A nice breakfast where everyone waits for everyone. Joyce introduces everyone and conversation is made at the big table. 8:30 am is a little early for me but it was a good price for a room last minute so we did not complain. (Many B&B's around Yosemite have been closed for a while so do not rely solely on your GPS)

The best decision we made as an engaged couple was hiring Jessica as our wedding planner…read more From the beginning, working with Jess for our Yosemite destination wedding felt like planning with a close friend--someone who truly understood our vision and cared deeply about making our dream wedding a reality. She planned the most picturesque celebration for us, with an unforgettable ceremony in Yosemite National Park and a stunning reception at Tenaya Lodge. Jess and her team arranged a perfect ceremony site at Yosemite's Sentinel Beach Picnic Area (permit in hand), and somehow made it feel both intimate and grand for our 100 guests. Everyone was comfortable, awestruck by the natural beauty, and touched by the seamless flow that her team executed. Organized, kind, artistic, and a true wedding pro, Jess went above and beyond at every turn. She coordinated all of our vendors--no small feat in the Yosemite area--and did it with such ease and confidence that we felt completely at peace throughout the process. Her digital planning software kept us on track without feeling overwhelmed, and she was incredibly responsive and flexible when any changes needed to be made. For context, we are based in Orange County, but Jess was consistently reliable via Zoom, call, or text throughout the whole process. The reception décor at Tenaya's Pavillion was the most breathtaking room I've ever walked into, and it would not have happened without Jess's eye for detail and expert guidance. She has a rare gift for matching couples with the perfect vendors and keeping everything on schedule without making it feel rigid or rushed. She and her team also flawlessly executed our rehearsal and welcome dinner, enhancing our Western-themed event with thoughtful decor touches that tied everything together beautifully. If you're getting married in or around Yosemite, Jessica Trettin is THE person to hire. Her local knowledge, vendor connections, and creative instincts are unmatched. But even outside of the region, I would recommend her wholeheartedly. She's nimble, efficient, and an exceptional events professional from A to Z. We are endlessly grateful to have had her by our side--our Yosemite wedding would not have been the same without her.

I booked The Wandering Bride to be the coordinator for my wedding in North Fork on October 12, 2024…read moreand Jess and Maggie were AMAZING!!! I originally thought I could do it without a coordinator, but panicked after booking my other vendors and I am SO glad that I booked The Wandering Bride!! Communication was outstanding, Maggie, who was our day of coordinator, was on top of EVERYTHING and they took everything they could off of my hands so I could just focus on enjoying the day. Maggie handled all the last minute communication with the vendors so I didn't have to, including a last minute start time change that we decided on at the rehearsal. I got to use their planning software, which includes the most detailed and thorough checklist, a timeline that we could collaborate on, and a seating plan creator, all of which were super helpful. Maggie was somehow everywhere all at once to connect with all the vendors and make sure things went off so smoothly, all the while while staying in contact with me so I knew what was going on and could ask any questions or make any last minute requests. Above all else, Maggie managed to take the fuzzy picture in my head of how I wanted things to look and make it bloom into something absolutely STUNNING! Everything looked and ran so professionally and so smoothly! Everyone, including the vendors, had an amazing time! I honestly cannot recommend The Wandering Bride enough!! Thank you so much, Jess and Maggie!!!

Kirk was initially really great to work with. We were very straightforward about having curated…read moreplaylists with specific vibes and confirmed that it was important to have these songs played. He advertises himself as being Spotify friendly and we gave him playlists as such. Quick communicator and easy going. Kirk interrupted us multiple times throughout the night, following us (the couple) around as we re-entered to talk to us, take photos, and taking photos and videos of us and our guests. He was directed to step to the side for the dinner and instead was seated at a guest table with our friends. When it came time to do dances, he turned the music off and left to take a brief break - not a problem if the music had continued, but he left us without sound. During the reception songs lagged between playing, songs by the same artist were stacked instead of spread apart, and a song would start for a second, then stop and he would play something else. He was often wandered away from his station to socialize, which affected the music flow. He followed us and our guests around all night, asking what we wanted to hear, and would solicit requests from the crowd between songs despite my MULTIPLE prompts to continue with the playlist I made for this event. Many of our songs were missed which I ended up disappointed by but I didn't feel I should have to pull up the list to tell him what to play when I already made one. His wife arrived to pick him up at the end of the night, flashing her lights and shouting for him which my guests noticed. To top it off, after being irritated by the way services went, we had to pay him and he gave me the final total at the end of my wedding night since he didn't plan ahead for travel fees after multiple requests to get it finalized prior to. Overall disappointed and I wish I could let it go, but it did affect my night unfortunately and was a huge cost for a disappointing service.

Kirk is a really great guy and really nice to be around. I was a bit disappointed with the music at…read moreour wedding, however. I had a list of 'must plays' that I spent months and months putting together. Each song was really important to me and my husband, and something I couldn't imagine not having play at our wedding. During the dancing, however I was hearing lots of songs not on the list, which is fine, but most of the songs on our list did not get played. This was really disappointing. He played a couple songs twice, at which point I realized I needed to be reminding him of the songs on our list one-by-one, which was difficult to do in the moment because I didn't have the list on me and I really just wanted to be out on the dance floor not having to worry about anything. We also had put together some artists/genre guidelines for music to be played during dinner, and the music that end up getting played was not what we had suggested. He emailed us 2 days before the wedding asking for songs to be played during dinner, which was a little frustrating because I had already put together a list months before and sent to him with plenty of time. I didn't want to have to be worrying about this 2 days before the wedding when we were traveling and seeing family. Overall, if your music is really important to you and you are really excited about particular longs being played, I would have your list printed out so that there is no ambiguity on the day-of. If you just want some wedding classics played and aren't too particular about the selection, he will absolutely show up and do a great job and is great to be around. He is a great guy, just didn't seem to remember our list, and to be honest it will always disappoint me that those songs didn't get played.