Tag Archives: Lake Tahoe Elopement

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!

Most folks in the wedding business are a bit slow this time of year. The wedding business is definitely seasonal. This is the time when web sites are typically updated, advertising is chosen and implemented, marketing programs designed and begun. And most vendors are also booking weddings right now. With couples having gotten engaged over the holiday season, many are now making arrangements for their weddings to happen this summer, spring or fall. I've noticed a plethora of posts about receptions: the latest cake trends, information about DJs, decorating ideas and themes. And while I can appreciate a donut wall as much as the next person, the truth is that most of the weddings we are privileged to officiate at and photograph do not have receptions. Some of our weddings are the couple only, some have a few guests, and most never have more than twenty or so guests. Why is this? It's our specialty. We specifically market to those folks. I believe that even elopements deserve great photography and a heartfelt ceremony. Gone are the days of tacky "quickie" weddings. Well, actually there are still some folks who do provide those kinds of services, but we aren't one of them. We just want to see our couples have a great wedding experience, and awesome photos to back it up. You might say that our weddings are intimate. It's a good word for it. So if you are seeking a special kind of wedding, one in which the ceremony will be tailored to fit you and one in which you will have awesome photography to preserve those memories and show the family and friends left back home, check us out. We will go just about anywhere to accommodate you, and can help suggest some places if you are stuck or unfamiliar with the area. We will treat you the same as if you were one of those big production weddings, with dignity and willingness to be of service. We do same gender weddings, weddings with dogs, weddings in the snow, weddings on the beach, weddings with horses. We have done weddings with young couples, and weddings with couples in their golden years, and everything in between.

Here are some photos of recent weddings.

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!

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.