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I know you are busy with the holidays. But did you know that as soon as Christmas and New Year’s are done, wedding vendors are going to get flooded with calls? According to surveys, 66% of all wedding couples get engaged during the time between December 23 and New Year’s Day. With an estimated 2.3 million couples getting married every year, that boils down to 1,518,000 couples getting engaged very soon. Here in Northern Nevada, according to the County Clerks that issue wedding licenses, in 2018 there were 6,750 wedding licenses sold in Washoe County and Douglas County issued 4,079 in 2017 (figures not available for 2018). In El Dorado County, which is where most Lake Tahoe weddings happen, they issued 3,076 wedding licenses. That’s almost 14,000 weddings just in this area alone. This area meaning South Lake Tahoe both the California and Nevada sides, Reno, Carson City and the Carson Valley.  That means you and 13,999 other couples will be searching for vendors in this area in early 2019. Simply put, after the first of the year, our phone will be ringing off the hook and our email box flooded with brides wanting information. The earlier you call and secure your reservations, the more choices you will have. Call us now to check out our services and packages! 530-906-9336 We service the entire Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley and Reno areas.

Another aspect to consider is that you have many more choices now that you did before.  Back in the heydey of weddings in this area, those wedding numbers were triple what they are now.  And there were fewer vendors to service all those weddings.  Now, you have at least three times as many  photographers, wedding officiants, hair dressers and makeup artists, florists and bakers to choose from. Those kinds of numbers mean you have lots of choices, but they also mean things might get a bit confusing for you.

Let me try and simplify things a bit.  ...continue reading →

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Now that winter has arrived we are beginning to do snowy winter weddings!  Winter weddings have their own unique form of beauty that consists of SNOW!

Remember to wear your long johns and snow boots, and your wedding can be just as beautiful as a summer wedding.

Here are few shots of some of our winter weddings:

Venues:  Edgewood, Heavenly, Logan Shoals Vista Point, Zephyr Cove

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I loved the decisiveness of Shayna and Michael when they called to make arrangements for their wedding.  Although they had been dating for 6 years, when they decided to get married they acted on that decision right away.  We scheduled the ceremony for 4 days after that initial phone call.  They already had their wedding license, and 4 days was plenty of time for me to create a custom ceremony for them.  They decided they wanted our Elopement Special package, which is our most popular one, on the appointed day, we had a beautiful summer day with great weather for their wedding.

They wanted a ceremony with just a little bit of religion incorporated into it, so I incorporated part of the passage of Ecclesiastes 3 into their ceremony.  This passage is all about timing, and they felt the timing was perfect for their wedding.  We also had a more secular reading that talked about love, traditional wedding vows, and the traditional Indian wedding blessing for their close.

The venue was Logan Shoals Vista Point, photography by Image Angels.

Congratulations Shayna and Michael!

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Randy and Gail came to us with a few ideas for where they wanted to get married.  Although they don't live in the area anymore, they used to and were familiar with this area.  David Walley's Resort was a strong contender for location since they were staying in the Carson Valley, and they were very happy to discover that Walley's was available on their date.

The couple wanted a ceremony with a religious theme, but they also wanted to honor their Celtic roots, so we incorporated a hand fasting ritual into the ceremony.

You can see that it grew quite dark during the ceremony, as they were late getting started, but we did some photos of the bride and groom before the ceremony began so as to be able to take advantage of the scenery.

Congratulations Randy and Gail!

Venue:  David Walley's Resort

Photography:  Image Angels, ceremony photos by Image Angel photographer Sarah Morey

Hair and Makeup:  Annette McCario, Tahoe Wedding Salon

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We wrapped up the month of June with 6 weddings!  Some were preplanned, and some were last minute.  It happens like that sometimes.  Like the guy who called me one morning and asked, "Do you accept walk-ins?"  I replied, "well, I would if I had a place to walk into, but we are location only."  I went on to explain to him that I certainly could do a last minute wedding, but that my "chapel" was wherever he wanted to get married, not a brick and mortar permanent location.  We set the wedding for later that afternoon, and it was wonderful.  No photos though.

Unlike Gordon, who although he was planning to elope, wanted a bit more lead time and photos.  He called a few weeks before the wedding, wanted the Elopement Special, and said he wanted a religious ceremony.  I got a bit more information from him, while fiance Sairie, participated in the background of the call.  I was already getting a sense of the connection between these two and suspected this might be a fun wedding.

Sure enough, we showed up at the appointed time and place to find a huge presence in Gordon, a serene presence in Sairie, and both of them exhibiting a sense of  humor.

I told Gordon that he reminded me of John Wayne and he said, "I get that a lot."

It was a beautiful day for a wedding!  Here are some of the photos, I hope you enjoy them.

Venue:  Logan Shoals Vista Point

Photography by Image Angels, Sarah Morey doing the ceremony photos and Karen Linsley doing the portraits.

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The photo in this post is our new cover for our Facebook page!  Here's the link to our page.

It's been a while since a new one was designed, and this one shows many of the latest weddings we've been privileged to perform.  Featured in the collage are Sand Harbor, Logan Shoals Vista Point, Round Hill Pines, a private home, Emerald Bay and Revive Coffee and Wine.  We've also done weddings on  horseback....

and lots of other places, all over the Reno, Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe areas!

It truly is Your Wedding and Your Location, and with the custom ceremonies we create for every wedding, it is also Your Way!

Contact us today to find out how you can have a wedding officiant that contributes to your best wedding day ever!

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Daniella and Fernando called us when they decided they wanted to get married on their tenth anniversary.  They wanted an intimate wedding and were planning on having just one guest.  We scheduled the wedding for a lovely evening in the spring, at Logan Shoals Vista Point. They had a ceremony with no rings, but they did ask to have a sand ceremony incorporated in, as well as a mention of the 4 elements:  air, fire, water and earth.  I had fun calling in the elements and directions as part of the ceremony.

using the selfie feature to put on earrings!
It is always beautiful out there, but this was extraordinary.

Photography by Image Angels (Sarah Morey and Karen Linsley)

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Elizabeth and Marc came to us wanting an intimate elopement in Lake Tahoe.  Family would have meant a very large wedding, and while they love their family, they preferred to experience the intimacy of an elopement and have a reception with the family later.  They wanted a religious ceremony, and, luckily, didn't care what the weather was!  Elizabeth told me a snowy day was PERFECT!

They arrived and we got started on the wedding license.....

Then we headed out to the bluff for the ceremony, accompanied by me, the photographer and the videographer, who signed as witnesses on the wedding license.  It cleared up nicely for their ceremony.

Afterwards we took photos and did some more video, walking around the area to take advantage of the different views.  Even though we couldn't see much of the lake, it was still beautiful!

Me, showing the groom how to pose!

I think they had a wonderful time, I know we did!

Venue:  Logan Shoals Vista Point

Photography:  Image Angels, featuring Karen Linsley, Cr.Photog, CPP and Pete Rezac, M.Photog.Cr, CPP

Video: Go West PhotoBy the way, David sent us the link to the video he produced, here it is!

Hair and Makeup:  Tahoe Wedding Salon

I think Elizabeth and Marc made a great wedding couple!

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I just created a wedding ceremony for a couple who said they weren't going to exchange rings.  That's ok!  She had her reasons, mostly that they wanted to keep things simple and that they didn't wear jewelry.  They really just wanted a simple ceremony, they told me during our phone consultation.  I asked them if they might like a simple little exchange of gifts, as a way to cement their vows.  They said sure!  So...I took the standard rose ceremony and adapted it.  This ceremony is lovely, and is often used to honor the moms during a wedding ceremony.  It is also sometimes used to place on empty chairs during the ceremony, to remember family members no longer with us.  And, the rose ceremony is sometimes used as a simple way to say I love you.

Wedding ceremonies don't have to conform.  They can be as unique as you are!  If you just got married, contact me today and find out how I can create a custom ceremony just for you!

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photos by Johnny Alvarado

I got married a few days ago.

In the 30 years I've been in the wedding business, I've literally done over a 1000 weddings.  You would think I would have it down by now.

Nope.

There is something about being a bride.....

I've long known that brides leave their brains at home when they get married.  It is part of their charm.  I've learned to take care of them, and I enjoy that part of the job.

I didn't think I would leave my brain at home on my wedding day, but I did.  So, to help you on your own wedding day, I've compiled a list of things to help make your day go smoother.

...continue reading →