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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 →

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We don't care where you want to get married, we just want you to have a good time while doing it!  So when Stephanie contacted me and asked if it were possible to get married on horseback, of course I said yes!

They had a small wedding, with only the "barn girl" in attendance as witness, and to take a few snapshots during the ceremony.  It was perfect!

No matter where you want to get married, chances are we can go there and get it done for you, with a sense of fun as well as that sacred specialness that every wedding deserves.

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Gone are the days when you had to have even numbers of bridesmaids and groomsmen at weddings. Gone are the days when the wedding date was dictated by the first Saturday in June after school let out. Gone are the days when you have to have traditional language in a wedding ceremony. Today, anything goes at weddings. I've been to weddings where the groom jumped out of a parachute to greet his bride in a meadow. I've been to weddings where the bride rode in on a horse to greet her groom. I've done weddings in hot air balloons, on boats, on snow skiis, in meadows and on beaches. I've done weddings on ranches and in the fanciest venues. I've done weddings with just the bride and groom there (photographer was the witness on the wedding license!) and weddings with hundreds of people. The point is that your wedding can be as unique as you are. What is your dream for your wedding? An experienced professional can help you achieve that dream! Contact us today to share your vision of your wedding, and find out how we can help!

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        If you are planning an intimate wedding and would prefer an indoor location to an outdoor one, there are some wedding chapels in the Lake Tahoe area that are available for you to rent.

Larry and Angele contacted us and asked for help finding a venue. They wanted indoors, because it was early spring and, being locals, knew how changeable the weather could be.  After some discussion, some emails showing them photos of various possibilities, they chose the wedding chapel at Mont Bleu as their venue.

We talked about what kind of ceremony they wanted and got some details for customization, as well as their choices for readings during the ceremony.  They also used our excellent photography company, Image Angels, for photography at their wedding.

We don't always need to help our couples find a venue, but we are happy to do so!

 

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This has been one of the busiest Julys in a very long time for Chapel of the Pines!  In the last few weeks we've been to the Top of the Tram at Heavenly in Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, Sand Harbor, Logan Shoals Vista Point, a private home in Reno and Revive Coffee and Wine in South Lake Tahoe to do weddings.  We've done two same gender weddings and one last minute elopement.  Yep, they called in the morning and we did the wedding in the evening.  We've done religious weddings and not religious weddings and some in between.  Some  had Sand ceremonies included.

We've done large weddings, small weddings and weddings where we needed to provide a witness for the wedding license.

It doesn't matter where  you are getting married, or whether you are planning a year in advance or eloping, we will come to you and deliver a personalized wedding ceremony, custom tailored to your specifications!

I just had a MoB (mother of bride) call and ask about our services. Seems her kids were thinking of getting married at a drive through place, and she really didn't want to see that happen. Yes, she was talking about where you stay in your car, drive up to a window, someone does a canned ceremony and you are married. For $150. I happen to think weddings should be much more special than that. Weddings are a metaphor for a relationship that is rich in all kinds of yummy stuff: the commitment changes people, the promises free them, the day to day life together teaches them things. The ritual of the wedding ceremony is....or should be, as rich as the marriage will be. Does it cost more? Yes. But years later you will only remember the specialness of the day, not the cost. If you get married at the drive through, what will that say about the marriage years later?

Contact us if you want a special wedding ceremony that will provide  you with fond memories for years to come.

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Leisa and Terry came to Chapel of the Pines about a month before they wanted to get married, and, after some discussion, decided they wanted to get married overlooking beautiful Lake Tahoe on a great spring day in May.  Well, spring in Lake Tahoe isn't like spring in other areas.  Terry called five days before the wedding expressing his displeasure with the weather.  Not to worry, since it was just the two of them we were able to reschedule the ceremony and they ended up with an absolutely gorgeous day!  Good thing, because the next day it did indeed snow during the time they had originally scheduled.  I love it when it works out like that!

Both Terry and Leisa said they were both believers in second chances, and since their courtship was founded on a second chance, we incorporated that into their ceremony as well.

They knew that a few snapshots were not going to be sufficient, saying they wanted special, so we scheduled Image Angels to come out and photograph the wedding.

Congratulations to Terry and Leisa!