Category: Lake Tahoe Weddings

A blog with articles about weddings and related events in and around South Lake Tahoe.

  • Planning a Lake Tahoe Wedding: Designing from Afar

    Planning a Lake Tahoe Wedding: Designing from Afar

    Many brides and grooms who are contemplating the idea of planning a Lake Tahoe wedding often find the task a bit daunting, most particularly when designing from afar. Feeling overwhelmed in the beginning phase of the organization process is frequently joined with some apprehension, an uneasiness that originates from conceiving the notion of hosting a major occasion in unfamiliar territory in addition to the uncertainty of how to accomplish the enterprise or what to expect on the actual day of the event.

    Event Planning Assistance for Your Distant Wedding

    Cartoon image depicting bride and groom arriving at their destination wedding site

    It should be an emotional catharsis to know, however, that arranging a Lake Tahoe wedding from a distance is not significantly more complicated than if preparations were to be made locally. In fact, it can be much simpler because localized experts are readily accessible and prepared to assist with every aspect of the formality.

    Regardless if planning the monumental affair in your own neighborhood or at a specified distant destination, anxieties undoubtedly will mount. This is especially true for couples who are marrying for the first time.

    Nevertheless, soon after delving into the endeavor, the discovery that there are a selection of event coordinators equipped to assist you with creating your special day in accordance with all your needs should bring liberation.

    Bride and groom discuss needs with event planning consultant

    Whether your focus is on a straightforward nuptial exchange or a lavish, formal affair, arranging your celebratory day via a professional can be accomplished with ease and choreographed either in a customary way or in a very basic and simplistic manner. In any case, you can expect your unique experience to proceed reminiscent to the beautiful day you envisioned, devoid of undue stress.

    Cartoon image depicting an aspiring marriage couple discussing plans with an event planner

    With just one call to a qualified expert, the marriage participants may be presented with a variety of obtainable services. Of course, you may select to have minister services only if that is your solitary requisite. But, if additional amenities are desired, your choices are only limited by your needs – and perhaps your budget.

    If Tahoe is your destination choice, service providers located in the Tahoe area should be able to provide you with information about available popular ceremony venues and help you with a suitable selection, dependent upon your circumstances. Any questions you have can be readily answered, and the finest details, including directions to the ceremonial site and the intricacies of occurrences on the actual wedding day, can be discussed, which will assuredly create feelings of confidence and reduce any reservations you may have.

    Conclusion

    Wedding planning can indeed be an intimidating chore, most particularly if a destination wedding is the goal. Anxieties can remain high when expectations are uncertain. Rest assured, though, that choosing an uncharted locale doesn’t have to be a difficult undertaking. With a small amount of exploration, finding and communicating with the appropriate specialist can remove the apprehensions of planning a Lake Tahoe wedding, which should result in nothing less than an enjoyable experience on a very important day.

  • Destination Tahoe: The Allure of a Lake Tahoe Wedding

    Destination Tahoe: The Allure of a Lake Tahoe Wedding

    There’s a superfluity of destination wedding points around the globe that pose an incredible draw to an immeasurable scale of marriage hopefuls, and one such spot is a small town that resides in the midst of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in Northern California dubbed Lake Tahoe.

    Beautiful exterior view of Edgewood Tahoe Resort
    Scenic lake and mountain views

    Tahoe’s Electrifying Assortment of Matrimonial Settings

    For many brides and grooms, the allure of a Lake Tahoe wedding begins with an irresistible fascination that’s attributable to the diverse assortment of ceremony venues in conjunction with the untold number of festive places for post-nuptial merriments. The awe-inspiring beauty of the vast mountainous landscape and the exceptionalism of the largest alpine lake in North America are a few other delights that elicit incentive for a ceremonial endeavor at this mesmerizing locale.

    Emerald Bay

    One electrifying setting for a Lake Tahoe wedding that serves as a conjugal invitation is located on the southwestern edge of the lake.

    High on a precipice several hundred feet above the water lies the bluff of Emerald Bay. Popular for its panoramic exhibition of the extensive multi-colored mere, this appreciated setting is one of a kind.

    A couple after the marriage service celebrating at the precipice of Emerald Bay

    The nearby waterfall and the encasing Sierras that display their hoisted peaks are just some of the preferential attributes that promote the site’s appeal.

    Logan Shoals

    A very similar environment that procures substantial scrutiny is found opposite of Emerald Bay along the southeast shore.

    A pair of marriage participants embraced together on the overlook

    Nested in a rocky mountainside is a niche consisting of an overlook of splendor, rendering the vista of Logan Shoals a perfect place for a small, intimate ceremony. The attraction rivals its counterpart of the west, and though it is less traveled the outcrop is considered a diamond in the rough.

    Sand Harbor

    For the bride and groom who desire their feet in the sand, Tahoe has an ample amount of provocative waterside venues with supreme sights no less magnificent than those on the bluff over the bay.

    Sand Harbor is only one of numerous beaches situated along the shoreline that will more than suffice for an astonishingly amorous occasion.

    Marriage participants in formal attire relaxing on a large rock in the water

    Heavenly Mountaintop Matrimony

    In contrast to a lakeside ritual, a mountaintop wedding is possible at Heavenly Mountain Resort. The gondola ride to the observation deck is an attractive hilltop matrimonial venue that generates inducement. Your walk down the aisle occurs at elevated heights in excess of 9,000 feet and comprises a vision from horizon to horizon.

    Gondola base displaying departing gondola cars
    Aerial view from the observation deck at Heavenly Mountain Resort

    After consummation of your marriage, Tahoe has quite an influence on newlyweds who wish to continue the romantic quest. A scenic trip aboard the well-known paddle wheel riverboat, the MS Dixie, is an exploratory and stimulating spree. Or, for an edifying step back in time, exploration of neighboring Virginia City’s legendary ghost town is always an indulgence.

    MS Dixie 2 sailing across the lake
    Winter street scene at Virginia City in Nevada

    Experiencing a romantic candlelit spread while viewing the shimmering city lights in a fanciful cuisine atop one of Tahoe’s finest hotels or enjoying your favorite wine while soothing in the sauna of your honeymoon suite are two more attractions of the endless things accessible to the newly married.

    Conclusion

    The idealistic characteristics inherent of this glorious place emphatically create a lure, disclosing the contributory motivations of why many couples desire a Lake Tahoe wedding. The enticement of the alpine township can justifiably be overwhelming because it truly is a magical place, one of which the duo can earnestly enjoy as they begin their new lives together as one.

  • Tahoe Paradise Park: Enchanting Wedding & Reception Setting

    Tahoe Paradise Park: Enchanting Wedding & Reception Setting

    Acquisition of a coveted wedding facility is a primary step when planning a wedding, and several key characteristics brides and grooms seek out during their scrutinizing pursuit are a beguiling yet economically priced venue and, preferably, one that is able to host both the ceremony and reception in adjoining areas.

    Ritual in progress near the lake

    Opportunely, if a destination Tahoe wedding is in the making, the quest for a premier spot to celebrate a truly special day that comprises these anticipated qualities can be brought to fruition at Tahoe Paradise Park, an enchanting place found in the City of Meyers, a small mountain town set in the vicinity of acclaimed Lake Tahoe.

    Outdoor Event Site with Indoor Reception Hall

    Serenely resting contiguous with Lake Baron, which is an offshoot of the Upper Truckee River, Lake Tahoe’s largest tributary, this hidden yet delightful spot is available throughout the summer season for weddings and special events. Tahoe Paradise Park offers two outdoor areas for the ceremony – next to the 1,000 year old cedar tree or aside the wooden gazebo.

    Chairs are erected in front of the gazebo and tree
    A service in progress at the gazebo with onlooking guests

    In addition to the two outdoor sites, the park boasts a nearby spacious rec hall for a rousing celebration once the marriage rite has consummated. Some amenities of the hall include a capacious interior, a small kitchenette for food prep or storage, access to the adjacent outdoor patio area, and attention-grabbing views of the amazing Sierra Nevada Mountain Range that engulfs the park.

    Just married and posing with a white umbrella by lake
    Couple looking outward toward Lake Baron

    Since the park doesn’t provide in-house catering, you are free to select a caterer of choice, an option couple’s naturally are inclined to favor. Similarly, entertainment election can be attuned to your preference as well. Moreover, a supplementary benefit obtained with the arrangement of this nonpareil locality is that it’s affordably priced, a price many brides and grooms find pleasantly pleasing, especially when they’re given the convenience of having the outdoor ceremonial site just a short jaunt away from the banquet room.

    Searching for the ideal spot that grants the benefits of having both the ceremony and reception site at one location coupled with a thrifty price tag yet maintaining attributes that rival comparable higher priced venues can surely be realized at Tahoe Paradise Park. The totality of advantages the park delivers is certain to please the most expecting, providing assurance that a significant event in your life will transpire appealingly, and conceivably beyond the envisioned.

    If interested in discovering other event sites in South Lake Tahoe, visit our list of compiled venues.

  • Another Classic Wedding Date: 12-13-14

    Another Classic Wedding Date: 12-13-14

    As a wedding planner and photographer, I don’t question the bride or groom about the reasons why they are getting married. It’s assumed that they are just two people in love who want to spend the rest of their lives together. Plus, one shouldn’t question a gift horse in the mouth because weddings are a comparatively lucrative business here in Lake Tahoe, and the more that marry, the merrier for me (pun intended).

    An image displaying the date of November 12, 2013

    At times, however, other factors unrelated to love appear to weigh in, such as an uncharacteristic group of numbers like 12-13-14, which cause bookings to soar. The peculiarity of these numeric orientations unquestionably create a fascination, and sometimes even a matrimonial frenzy.

    Atypical Dates Incite the Marriage-Minded

    December 13, 2014, is certainly an unusual mathematical formation and a unique date on the calendar for planning a wedding, and like other similar arrangements of numbers in former years, couples scurry to Lake Tahoe to take advantage of such an infrequent occurrence. In the last ten years, there have been quite a few eccentric integer configurations, with the last classic episodes of this nature occurring on December 12, 2012, or 12-12-12, and November 12, 2013, or 11-12-13.

    Unfortunately, both 12-12-12 and 11-12-13 occurred just prior to the onset of winter, a time when the wedding business slows due to Tahoe’s unpredictable snow season, so a spike in nuptials didn’t actually transpire as anticipated. In contrast, however, one of the busiest days in the past decade was during the summer wedding season on July 7, 2007, an atypical date that encompassed the numerical lineup of triple 7’s.

    Triple Seven Syndrome

    Tahoe’s known for many things, and casino gaming is one of them. The date 7-7-7 wasn’t an exceptionally busy one for local wedding vendors just because of the triple numbers themselves, but also because of what the specific numbers represent.

    In a gaming town, 7’s are a desirable commodity and denote money in the pocket, especially when it comes to slot machines and craps tables. Yes, it was the lucky number seven that presented a great draw to the town on that day and had many couples walking the aisle of matrimony.

    Slot machine with each reel displaying the number seven

    Even though the irregular occurrence of triple digit alignment of the same numbers won’t be happening again for a very long time – January 1, 2101, to be exact, which translates to a 1-1-1 synchronization – the marriage minded who want to cash in on the oddity of the calendar that’s just around the corner can still plan their wedding on an equally sporadic occurring sequence of numbers, 12-13-14 (military personnel can have even more fun and take it a step further by marrying at 1500 hours or 12-13-14-15).

    Display of the number eleven

    If you miss the affair, this type of chronological ordering of numbers – similar to the triple digit phenomena – isn’t going to occur until a lengthy while passes, with another opportunity not arising until the turn of the next century.

    So if you can’t wait that long to get married and an offbeat numeral sequence has some significance to you, 12-13-14 is just ahead, the last of classic wedding dates of the age.

    Additional Articles

    Check out the Tahoe Blog for more commentaries about other interesting subjects and facts about Lake Tahoe. You can also visit our website and take a tour around the lake when you visit the popular wedding sites Tahoe has to offer.

  • Planning a Tahoe Winter Wedding

    Planning a Tahoe Winter Wedding

    When planning a Tahoe wedding outdoors in the winter season, brides and grooms oftentimes are unsure of what to expect on their wedding day due to the notorious unpredictability of inclement weather that occurs in the Lake Tahoe area.

    Bride under umbrella with groom as snow falls

    While a large number of weddings take place in summer, Tahoe remains a popular destination wedding venue throughout the year, including the brisk days of winter, and if you come prepared, you can expect your wedding day to unfurl as planned, with perhaps, on occasion, a minor twist.

    What to Expect if Setting a Midwinter Event Date

    The severest of weather in Lake Tahoe oftentimes occurs in December and typically continues through March, but that is not to say that heavy snow storms don’t befall the basin in other months of the year, including those of summertime.

    To be sure, you can expect torrential storms at any given time, but the preponderance of snow storms usually arise in the late fall and persist, at various intensities, until the early spring, with some years having an extended winter season lasting for an even longer interval.

    Naturally, the safest plan to avoid the zesty winter cold on your special occasion is to plan an indoor wedding in one of the chapels that are available on both the north and south shore. However, there is nothing more romantic and serene than having an open air wedding amidst the frosted trees and snow laden mountains that surround the beautiful water of Lake Tahoe.

    Bride with her bridesmaid in the snow

    The harshest of storms will close the mountain passes that access Tahoe, but a majority of the time they remain passable, if prepared. It’s recommended to always carry chains in your vehicle regardless of the time of year. Automobiles and SUV’s equipped with four wheel drive coupled with snow studded tires can endure almost any type of unexpected road conditions.

    Be Weather-Wise and Plan Accordingly

    Snowball fight between the married pair

    If you’ve planned an informal wedding, ski jackets and parkas can shield you from wind and low temperatures, making the weather conditions a non-factor in most cases. Too, large golf umbrellas work wonders if the snow is heavy and wet.

    When weather is so severe that it becomes near impossible to host your celebration outdoors, no need to panic because nearby indoor chapels can be an alternative. If a chapel is required and has your desired time slot available, your wedding can still proceed as scheduled with only a slight change in venue.

    Planning a Tahoe wedding during the winter season can, at times, present a few obstacles, but the bliss of an outdoor, wintery white ceremony certainly can outweigh any disadvantages. Being prepared while traveling and having a solid backup plan, such as tentatively securing an indoor facility, assures the bride and groom that their wedding day will progress as devised, which engenders a soothing confidence that cancelling the most important event of their lives will not have to be their only option.

    Additional Resources

    Read more about winter weddings in Lake Tahoe or visit our winter locations found along the beautiful south shore of Tahoe, including Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort where you can ski down the aisle of matrimony and the resort’s gondola where a ride up the mountainside will bring you to the observation deck for a mountaintop ceremony.

  • Outdoor Tahoe Weddings: Simple and Affordable

    Outdoor Tahoe Weddings: Simple and Affordable

    Weddings in nature are incontrovertibly an exciting undertaking, and two prominent aspects that brides and grooms find attractive about planning an outdoor Tahoe wedding are the simplicity of arranging for the venue in addition to the affordability of hosting their event in the open air. Though many private resorts and beaches can be costly, there are several locations in Lake Tahoe that are relatively inexpensive and can be acquired simply, which greatly facilitates efforts to join in matrimony and avoid much of the complexities associated with wedding planning.

    Kids watch as mom and dad marry
    Minister prays for the marriage participants

    Exploring the Simple Sites of Tahoe

    If you know where to search, you’ll find that there are a few public beaches and parks in Lake Tahoe accessible for weddings that don’t require booking, and, in some cases, a permit either, making it convenient and economical to conduct a ceremony in a beautiful area. This is a particularly great benefit for couples who plan a very brief engagement or for those who decide to move their marriage date forward and find it necessary to obtain a location on short notice.This can be a difficult chore if the wedding is to take place at an indoor facility or wedding hall where reservations usually need to be made far in advance, especially when trying to schedule the occasion during the summer months when wedding season is in full blossom.

    Furthermore, depending on the amount of guests that will be attending your event, if a permit is necessary to conduct a wedding at one of these select locations, the cost for acquisition of it oftentimes is equitable. Judicious permit fees make it possible to obtain a reasonably priced venue.

    The Community Setting at Regan Beach

    The two young girls look at their mom and dad while standing in the water

    The wedding site at Regan Beach, for example, is a beautiful community beach area in South Lake Tahoe where weddings occur throughout the various seasons. For very small parties consisting of just a few guests, weddings on the beach can frequently be hosted without a reservation, though this is mainly dependent on the time of year.

    In essence, the wedding venue cost could potentially be minimized and can be obtained on a moment’s notice without any compromise of the natural beauty that abounds at more costly locations. Emerald Bay and Logan Shoals, also found along the shores of Tahoe, are similar examples of existing outdoor sites that are available without prearrangement and have minimal permit fees.

    Conclusion

    If a destination wedding is on your mind with the desire to have a cost-effective, simplistic ritual, an outdoor Tahoe ceremony is a worthwhile plan. It’s a perfect option for the marriage potentials that are penny-wise and prefer a way to exchange their vows at a bargain price while simultaneously avoiding the hassles of complex planning, all without concession of quality of venue on a momentous day.

    Additional Resources

    Simple Tahoe weddings in the outdoors occur around the lake throughout the year, and there are local coordinators that can assist you with planning your upcoming event. You can also give our staff a call or view our website for various location ideas. Or, for more edifying tips, visit our blog containing informative articles on a variety of topics.

  • Lake Tahoe: Esteemed Destination Wedding Favorite

    Lake Tahoe: Esteemed Destination Wedding Favorite

    Known for its natural beauty and grandeur, Lake Tahoe is a focal point for destination weddings among brides and grooms around the world. The diverse topography surrounding the extensive shoreline provides scores of extraordinarily scenic wedding sites from which to choose, and the abundance of engaging activities Tahoe has to offer newlyweds after unifying their lives together contributes further to the immense allure of this enchanting destination wedding venue.

    A married couple look outwards towards the lake from the bluff of Emerald Bay
    Scenic view of mountains and lake

    An Ideal Place for Marriage Participants

    Tucked away in a mountainous region that borders two states, California and Nevada, and harbors the largest alpine lake in North America, Lake Tahoe is an enjoyable place that will captivate you on your wedding day. This pristine body of water rests at an altitude of over 6,000 feet and embodies 72 miles of shoreline, comprising some of the most beautiful beaches and wedding sites in the world.

    The Bluff of Emerald Bay

    Emerald Bay Falls is a very popular touristic place on the west shore of Lake Tahoe and is a top choice wedding venue for those aspiring marriage. The overlook of this well-known utopia sits several hundred feet above the bay, exhibiting a picturesque panoramic lake view. The beach at Sand Harbor, Glen Alpine Falls, and Logan Shoals are only but a few of the other prestigious outdoor wedding locations Tahoe has to offer, each consisting of its own characteristics of beauty.

    Bridesmaid dances

    After “tying the knot,” you’ll be confronted with a myriad of ways to celebrate the beginning of your new lives together. From lavish hotels with glittering honeymoon suites to the romantic atmospheres of the finest restaurants, there will never be a dull moment. Boating, sightseeing, sunbathing, parasailing, shopping, casino gaming, and jet skiing are just a few of the activities at your fingertips. Another attraction that’s a big hit in Tahoe is a cruise aboard the M.S. Dixie, the giant paddle wheeler that sets sail across the lake throughout the year.

    It’s all there for the marriage aspirants who come to Lake Tahoe for the wedding of their dreams. Exchanging vows encompassed by exotic landscape and the ensuing endless excitement for newlyweds is what makes Lake Tahoe a destination wedding favorite of the countless number of couples that come here. The culmination of your wedding and honeymoon in Lake Tahoe will be an impressive memory, one you will always revere and share during those intimate moments you spend together throughout the enthralling years of your marriage.

  • Adventure Weddings

    Adventure Weddings

    Balloon & Helicopter Celebrations Over Tahoe

    If you are an audacious couple looking to marry in a nontraditional way, adventure weddings in the skies over Lake Tahoe are for the taking and could be just the thrill you’re looking for.

    Hot air balloon hovers over Lake Tahoe

    Joining in holy matrimony while floating graciously in a balloon at unthinkable heights or soaring daringly in a helicopter at electrifying speeds will certainly be an unprecedented wedding experience not easily forgotten.

    Hot Air Balloon Adventure

    If marrying in a hot air balloon has an appeal, saying “I do!” in the tranquil sky over Tahoe will occur at an altitude of over 9,000 feet. You’ll lift off at sunrise on the morning of your celebration, and once the cruising altitude has been reached, your nuptials will begin.

    Exchanging your vows and rings will transpire in what appears to be Heaven, serenity and bliss that’s inconceivable. And be ready for the amazing panoramic views that will extend from horizon to horizon.

    Hot air balloon flying high over the lake and mountaintops

    Once your marriage is consummated, you’ll have the remainder of the balloon ride to celebrate as newlyweds, suspended gently in the atmosphere over the exquisite countryside. Your first dance will be one with nature, flowing only where the wind sanctions as you view the mountainous peaks of the Sierra Nevada Range, pristine lakes, the adjacent Carson Valley, and beyond.

    Helicopter Over Tahoe

    An alternate method available for having a wedding in the sky is in a private chartered helicopter. The rituals of the ceremony will take place while in flight above the Sierras and Lake Tahoe, exchanging rings and utterances of love while zipping through the air.

    View of Lake Tahoe from inside the helicopter cockpit

    Once enunciated as husband and wife, it’s time to rejoice in the moment while enjoying the aerial view of the amazing scenery below. You’ll see the falls of Emerald Bay, scores of colossal summits, and a 72 mile circumferential shoreline of sheer beauty. The magnificence of the sights will vastly add to the excitement of your adventurous day.

    The pronouncement of your unification nearly two miles high while floating serenely in a basket or whizzing with ferocity in a helicopter is by no means your ordinary, everyday wedding. More accurately, it’s one which can be characterized as an aberrant way to walk down the aisle of wedlock.

    An in-fight wedding is an adventure of extraordinaire, and for those aspiring such an escapade, Tahoe makes it all possible. To say the least, uniting in marriage in a helicopter or balloon among the clouds is irrefutably an outlandish way to marry, but it is nevertheless a fascination for a number of couples who wish to begin their lives together in an unequaled way.

    Additional Resources

    For the less valiant bride and groom who prefer to have a wedding with their feet on the ground, traditional weddings take place on the beaches throughout Lake Tahoe. Visit our website for some super places to marry and to get additional information about Tahoe weddings.

  • Winter Weddings in Lake Tahoe

    Winter Weddings in Lake Tahoe

    In late November as winter begins to descend upon Lake Tahoe and the snow begins to fall, it is typically a clear sign that the busy summer wedding season along the south shore is drawing near its end.

    Getting married outdoors while the snow falls

    Late November through February are generally much quieter months in regard to the number of brides and grooms looking to marry in the Tahoe area, but that doesn’t mean that there still aren’t plenty of couples gearing up to make that trip to Tahoe to have a wintery wedding.

    Vibes of a Brisk Matrimonial Experience

    Despite the colder temperatures, Tahoe is still a destination wedding hot spot because the winter season has an ambiance quite different than that of the summer months. The white, snow-capped mountains bring forth a romantic atmosphere more so than the summer season, and the surrounding frosted trees enhance the natural beauty that is already present.

    Prudent Midwinter Planning Tips

    There is one important thing to keep in mind, though, if a winter wedding is in your plans, most particularly if you’re planning a large wedding with a large guest count. That one important thing is to have an alternate plan. In other words, assimilate a strategy that allows you and your guests a place of refuge in case weather conditions become so severe that you have to move the wedding indoors. Equally important, make sure that the place of refuge will accommodate the amount of guests that will be attending the ceremony because some facilities, such as the smaller wedding chapels, have limited space.

    I might add that road conditions must be another consideration during the winter season, especially if you are planning to drive into the South Lake Tahoe area on the same day that your wedding takes place. You certainly don’t want to be late for your own wedding should hazardous road conditions exist or due to a closed summit pass.

    So, if you’re looking to get married in the midst of winter, despite the few potential impediments, don’t count out Lake Tahoe. Outdoor ceremonies in the frosty wilderness are still a desirable concept for many marriage potentials, particularly if they’re planning an informal wedding because bundling up warm and toasty is a viable option, an option that is often elected.

    Two kissing in the snow under umbrellas.

    Just as an afterthought, if marrying in the winter elements is a little too daring, the south shore has a few indoor chapels available, allowing you the security of a warm, indoor ceremony. With this provided opportunity, you can be assured of avoiding the whimsical weather that frequents this magnificent region and enjoy a contented, unimpeded winter wedding in Tahoe.