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!
Here it is August already! The summer is not yet over but we have certainly enjoyed officiating weddings at so many wonderful places! Here are some of the places we have been: Wellington, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Carson Valley, Nevada, Genoa, Nevada, Incline Village, Nevada, the Tahoe Biltmore in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Tahoe Vista, California, Truckee, California and private homes in both California and Nevada. We've been to meadows, beaches, overlook points and hotel rooms; we have even done a wedding in a parking lot and next to a trolley car!
About 95% of the work we do is with smaller, more intimate weddings, and we like it that way. Not all of our weddings have professional photography done, so we don't have photos of all of them. But when Image Angels does the photography, you can bet we've got some awesome photos!
This particular wedding was held in July, in Lake Tahoe, on a bluff overlooking the lake. The photography was done by Image Angels, with Pete Rezac doing the ceremony photos and Karen Linsley doing the portraits.
I really enjoyed being with this couple. We were making chit chat as we progressed along doing the photos, and at one point I asked the bride what she wanted to do for a living. She replied, with an impish little grin on her face, "I want to be a trophy wife!"
Cute couple, all the way around. I hope you enjoy the photos.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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!
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!
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.