Maybe Stephen and Kelly Joseph eloped to avoid the hassle of uninvited guests. But when they took their wedding photos, they discovered there was no avoiding unwanted crashers.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Wedding Crasher Was a Black Bear
As reported by PEOPLE, the couple eloped last year. To celebrate their first anniversary, they went to Yosemite National Park in California to take pictures in their wedding attire.
They captured some jaw-dropping shots from the edge of a cliff. But perhaps the scariest image came when they were taking a sunset photo on a hiking trail.
"On our hike to Taft Point, we stopped along the trail quite a few times to take advantage of the lighting and environment. It is such a magical place," said Kelly. "While we were in the middle of a shoot on the trail, someone stopped us and said there was a bear sighting and that we should be careful. We laughed about it until it came up behind us!"
Everybody Stay Calm
The National Park Service states that black bears are "dangerous and unpredictable." It advises anyone who encounters them to remain calm and avoid approaching them. And that's exactly what the couple and their photographer did.
"Luckily, it was docile, foraging without a care in the world," shared Kelly. "It was intimidating, but we never felt like there was any real danger. We kept our distance and kept the shoot going."
The bear was foraging for food near some downed trees. It remained in the area for about five to 10 minutes before moving on.
Added Kelly, "Ariel, our photographer, was such a professional. She said we should go if we wanted to. Stephen and I wanted to stay and make the most of it."
The photographer named the bear Cinnamon, and she took a few pictures of the animal as the Josephs kissed.
"The day was so incredible top to bottom, and the bear encounter absolutely made the day more special," said Kelly. "Standing on the edge of a cliff with a 3,000-foot sheer drop was much more intimidating than the bear, to be honest."
You can see the couple's pictures below.
