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Conversations with the groom #6,234: (I actually have no idea how many conversations with brides and grooms I’ve had over the last 35 years but that seems like a good number to pick out of thin air).

This one takes place at the wedding site, on a trail that leads to points overlooking Lake Tahoe. I see this guy as soon as I pull up in the parking lot. He’s wearing jeans, cowboy boots, cowboy hat, and he’s carry a huge bouquet of silk flowers and glancing at his cell phone every few seconds. A dead giveaway for a groom.

Me: are you Joey?

Groom: yes ma’am

Me: nice to meet you!

Groom: yes ma’am

Me: is your bride here?

Groom: no ma’am. She will be here in 12 minutes. I’m not supposed to see her. We are going to do something before the ceremony with the photographer, I’m not sure what.

Me: oh, most likely a first look. That’s where the photographer will get photos of you the first time you see one another in your wedding finery.

Groom: yes ma’am

Me: You must be either military or from the south.

Groom: I’m from the south ma’am.

Me: oh? Where from?

Groom: Mississippi ma’am (yes, I had to spell out the esses and the pees to type that)

Me: and you came all the way out here to get married?

Groom: yes ma’am

Me: how long have you been in town?

Groom: since Thursday, ma’am. (It’s Saturday)

Me: did you have a chance to do some sightseeing?

Groom: yes ma’am. And we went to the Sage Room (yummy!) for dinner last night. I had the Cajun blackened steak.

Me: was it authentic?

Groom: yes ma’am. It was very good. (And I’m thinking, yeah, the Sage Room has always known what it was doing.)

By now I’m also thinking this poor guy better get married soon because he’s most likely just about out of “yes ma’ams.”

Me: when your photographer gets here I will have him get you set up where he wants you to do those first look photos.

Groom: yes ma’am.

Me: in the meantime we can just wait right here.

Groom: yes ma’am.

Gotta love those southern boys.

So the photographer shows up and takes its groom down the path.

I went to meet the bride. Who was gorgeous.

Peaches and cream skin, curls in her hair, pretty wedding gown. With a southern accent.

Me: hi! You must be Annie!

Bride: yes ma’am.

And right there I knew this was a match made in heaven.

So we things all set up where the photographer wants them, and I do the ceremony. A religious ceremony of course. Because I have yet to have a nice young southern couple who would have it any other way.

Got them all married up!

Yes ma’ams and all.

The photo is from a different wedding, taken by our very own Pete Rezac, with the totally awesome lighting that is just part of the service here at Chapel of the Pines.

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It is mid-November and wedding season has ended. Yes, there is a wedding season. It typically begins around May and ends around October or November. During wedding season, we here at Chapel of the Pines can do as many as 10 elopements a month, like we did recently in October of 2025. Once November and winter sets in, things slow down for us. Of course, because we do only elopements, lead time ranges anywhere from one day to, at most, a month or so, so I anticipate a few weddings to come during these slow times.

During these slow times, I rest, read and write. Today I read a passage from a booked called The Book of Awakening, by Mark Nepo. He said, “It is interesting that the nautical definition of marry is “to join two ropes end to end by interweaving their strands.”

And I was reminded of when, as a teenager, I worked in a restaurant. One of our daily tasks was to “marry” the condiments. We had to take partially empty bottles of ketchup, for example, and pour the contents of one bottle into another, creating a full bottle to put on the table for the next day.

As I think about these different ways to illustrate marriage, the one thing I find in common with all of them is that, once married, they can’t be separated.

Even if the relationship changes forms, there will always be a tie.

This is why I take every wedding seriously. This is why I acknowledge that within the sameness of things that always happen at weddings, such as vows, each wedding is different because each couple is different, and I honor that.

Even though we only do elopements, that doesn’t make the wedding ceremony any less special nor any less of a commitment. I love getting to know my couples, even if they call me one day to get married within 24 hours. There is always a reason that makes an elopement no less special than one of those big weddings.

I want to know what that reason is. I want to speak to it during your ceremony. I want your day to be as special as you are.

There is another thing we consider special: the photography. When you select our Elopement Special package, you are guaranteed professional level photographs, not snapshots. This means we bring lighting. Which means you are not limited to getting married at sunset. Schedule your ceremony for whenever you want, we guarantee well made images.

Here's just a sample of some ceremony photos from a few recent weddings.

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One of the things I love about doing weddings is that I get to go to so many different places. And the modes of transportation are so varied as well! Over the years, I’ve used golf carts, horses, busses, hot air balloons, boats, ski lifts and 4-wheel drive shuttles to get to weddings. I did not get to participate in this wedding, but the word spread one year about a guy who parachuted into a meadow to his wedding. And then there was the time I did a wedding of a couple who wanted to get married in a bathtub full of bubbles. They had a LOT of bubbles!

But the one thing that never changes, no matter where the wedding happens, is the love I see in the eyes of the couple. That is always the same. And THAT is another thing I love about weddings.

This couple recently got married at Topaz Lake. It was the perfect day. We used regular cars to get there, and walked to the perfect place on the beach for their wedding.

I love weddings at Topaz Lake and I think you will as well. There’s scenery and water, but not the parking issues and crowds you will encounter at Lake Tahoe! Ask about our discount for weddings at Topaz Lake.

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Cell phone photo. Notice the difference in the lighting between this image and the others
Imagine having this photo texted to you immediately, on your wedding day, to show your friends and family!
Imagine having this photo texted to you, on your wedding day, to show your friends and family.

So this happened: I got a new camera! And the technology in it is incredible. Without boring you with the technological details, I’ll just tell you that the geek in me is very happy. And my couples are happy as well!

Imagine this scenario: used to be my couples would ask me to take a couple cell photos so they would have something right away to show their family and friends and post on social media. Now, cell phones are nice and all, but they still really don’t stand up to a well made professional image. It never sat well with me to send my couples off with a couple cell phone photos when I had all those beautiful photos in my camera.

WELL! That’s changed. Because now I have those beautiful photos in my camera and guess what? Through the new technology in that camera, those photos get copied immediately to my IPhone, and I can then text a photo or two to my couples! So now they can have a sneak peek right away, AND go off on their honeymoon with a couple of photos to tide them over while they wait for the rest of them!

I am so grateful to be able to use this technology this way, and my couples are too! Check out the Elopement Special package on our packages page and make your reservations today!

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Kurt and Heather planned their wedding a few months in advance, and it was just what they ordered: family and close friends attending and a splendid time in Lake Tahoe.

The bride and groom did not want to see one another before the wedding so we took care of that.

Then the ceremony began.

After the ceremony we had fun taking photos of everyone. Even dogs are a welcome and cherished part of our weddings!

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We had such great early spring weather that day!
They brought their family with them for this special occasion.
They had their wedding their way, incorporating their own unique style.

This couple contacted us just a few weeks before the wedding wondering if it was too late to arrange their elopement. Of course not! That is the very definition of elopement: Last minute, yet still intimate and very much their own. And that is what we specialize in.

We had great weather on the early spring day they chose for their wedding.

Congratulations and a big thank you to to Michaela and Domenic!

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Elopement in Lake Tahoe
Elopement in Lake Tahoe
Elopement in Lake Tahoe
Elopement in Lake Tahoe
Elopement in Lake Tahoe

Yes, elopements can happen with very little notice, at least they can with us. Sam and Sydney called me the day before they wanted to get married and I was so happy to be able to accommodate their request to get married with one day's notice! They did have a big wedding planned for later in the year, but wanted this ceremony to be special, just the two of them, and I was very grateful to be able to participate!

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Wedding with horses in Wellington, Nevada

One of the joys of not having a physical wedding chapel is that we can go anywhere to do a wedding, and accommodate just about any request! This couple, Cheryl and Doug, wanted to have horses at their wedding. The horses you see in these photos are actually my horses, and Cheryl and Doug got married on my property out near Topaz Lake. It was perfect and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves! My horse Sonny is very loving and wanted to be a part of this wedding. He was never very far away from our activities.

Elopement in Wellington, Nevada