There are many ways to pop the question in Mammoth Lakes but in my opinion, one clearly stands out from the rest: a sunset snowcat tour to Minaret Vista from Mammoth Mountain’s Main Lodge.
There’s nothing quite like pulling around the corner into the Minaret Summit interpretive site and seeing that late-afternoon light wrapping over the mountains to the west. If a dramatic background with epic light is part of the plan, this is the spot.
The wedding and events crew at Mammoth Mountain has the system dialed, but here’s a brief rundown: I ski tour to the vista an hour ahead of time to get into place and get everything dialed at the top. The Mammoth Mountain team and any other vendors (in this case, Doorstep Deliveries) board the cat with the couple at Main Lodge under the guise of going on a public tour to catch sunset.
The cat arrives to the summit and everybody gets out, at which point I go into improv mode and coax them into the right spot at the perfect angle to the mountains at which point he (or she) goes onto one knee and seals the deal. Probably! I won’t go into detail there, but my mediocre acting skills always get the job done.
When that’s over and the celebration and FaceTime calls are done, we do a short, impromptu engagement session as the sun goes behind the mountains and then jump in the cat to head back down.
Mammoth Mountain brings coordination, Prosecco, glasses and roses. It’s an incredible, memorable experience for everybody and one of my absolute favorite photo jobs.
For this particular proposal in early April, 2021, Mike and Anya came up from San Diego for a ski weekend and he slipped this into the middle of the trip. Cathleen from Doorstep Deliveries coordinated the whole event beyond the cat trip (including the saxophone player) and set them up with a weekend they’ll never forget.
If this looks like an epic way to commemorate this monumental day, reach out right here and I’d love to talk you through the process. I can even help you figure out how to convince her to get dressed up for a snowcat tour or evening hike in the mountains! Each proposal is different and there is a lot of customization that I can add on my end to get it done just right.
Maybe the snowcat isn’t what you’re looking for. This is, after all, a winter event that needs snow. I’ve got a list of my favorite spots to do this all around the Eastern Sierra and I’d be happy to help create the perfect plan.
Finally, the proposal is just the start to this journey. I include an engagement session with most of my wedding packages. If I end up joining you guys for the wedding, the proposal (with the impromptu engagement session) is wrapped into the wedding package.
Thanks so much for reading along and check back soon.
Already popped the question but looking for a Mammoth Lakes wedding venue? Check right here for my rundown on each of Mammoth’s major wedding sites.
I was looking to book a snowcat engagement time/book your services for mid March but cannot find anything about it beyond your site