April weddings at almost 10,000 feet are, especially here, high-risk/high-reward situations.
It could be in the 50s and sunny. Maybe even 60s. I think it might have even hit 70 one day this year. But April can easily bring two-foot storms and incredible winds strong enough to blow winter straight back into the Southern Hemisphere.
Luckily Rachel and Kasey got something more resembling spring. Lucky is the key term here, as these two (and a lot of their friends and family) traveled to Mammoth from Hawaii. 50 degrees and windy means one thing to a battle-worn local. It means something else if your days rarely get below 70.
Don’t get it wrong–the weather was about as good as it gets in April, but afternoons at the incredible McCoy Station roof aren’t even warm in August. It was frigid. But these two and their guests persevered and witnessed a Mammoth Mountain spring wedding at its best.
Despite having a super dry winter (we had one massive storm in December and almost nothing else until late in the spring), the mountain was still looking like mid-winter perfection. The ceremony was later to accommodate the end of the day for skiers, and wedding guests enjoyed a spectacular view of the sun going down behind The Minarets, setting just as the ceremony ended.
Rachel and Kasey and I jammed up the gondola as soon as the wedding wrapped up and caught a second sunset from one of my favorite spots–the gondola at the top of Mammoth Mountain–and made it back just before these Hawaiians became hypothermic on their wedding day. It was cold up there–probably in the high 20s–bit it’s always worth going up there for sunset.
My second shooter Ryan Alonzo and I finished up with a classic Freshtracks Entertainment party at Parallax and McCoy Station, one of the first of many to come this summer.
That’s it for Rachel and Kasey’s destination wedding on Mammoth Mountain.
If you’ve got questions about upcoming weddings, please reach out here. 2022 is completely booked and 2023 is getting there faster than ever before. If you’ve got Mammoth wedding questions, I’ve got Mammoth wedding answers. Thanks so much.
- Ceremony venue: McCoy Station
- Reception venue: Parallax
- Catering and coordination: Mammoth Mountain Weddings
- Photographer: Minaret Photography
- Second Shooter: Ryan Alonzo Photography
- Videographer: Jason Chesebrough Films
- Hair & Makeup: Courtney Sloper
- DJ/MC: Freshtracks Entertainment
