Lake Tahoe Destination Wedding

Stephanie and Travis said “I do” overlooking beautiful Lake Tahoe in Northern California.  It wasn’t just a picturesque backdrop to them, but a place that had special meaning throughout their relationship.  As Stephanie told us, ” Tahoe has always been special to us and it’s played a big part in our relationship. It’s one of the first places Travis took me in California when we were still living in Florida (and I got to see snow for the first time since I was 2). After Travis moved to California and I was still in Florida, on one of my trips out to visit, we went kayaking on Lake Tahoe. This is where Travis had his AHA moment and realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. “

Where exactly in Lake Tahoe the two would wed?  They weren’t quite sure until they took a scouting trip.  “Our first stop was the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point, located in a California State Park. As soon as we walked up to the Mansion and saw the view, we were sold. How many people are able to get married on the shore of Lake Tahoe with a historical mansion as the backdrop? We immediately locked in our date, called to cancel the rest of our appointments, and enjoyed the rest of our time in Tahoe brainstorming about wedding ideas.”

And the ideas began to flow!  One way to weave in the destination wedding theme is to invite guests to board an exciting adventure, and Travis and Stephanie’s invitations did just that!  “Early on in the planning process, we fell in love with these unique passport type wedding invitations that a friend of a friend makes. We worked with her to design everything from the copy inside to the emblem on the front. She helped us make custom postage stamps for the invites and the boarding pass RSVP cards. Travis and I felt the travel feel of the invitations was perfect since over half of our guests were coming from the east coast to the wedding, to a place they’ve never been. We were amazed at how many compliments we received.”Then it came time for the big day.  As the bride got picture perfect, Teresa K Photography captured a sweet message on the inside of Stephanie’s clutch.  It read “This day I will marry my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love. Sept. 3, 2011.”  Such a wonderful sentiment!Perhaps one of the most unique ideas from the wedding was the couple’s ceremony program.  Playful at heart, yet a way to share their story with loved ones, the bride and groom commissioned custom cootie catchers! “It gave the guests a trivia game of questions about us while they waited for the ceremony to start, but also included typical program information such as bridal party and information on readings.”  What a fantastic and fun idea!  I’m sure the kids in the wedding kept themselves plenty busy with these little games. The ceremony setting was spectacular!  What a magical backdrop to speak your vows under huge Sequoia trees overlooking a dock and Lake Tahoe, high up in the mountains.  And lucky for the happy couple, the sun could not have shined more perfectly on that very special day.For the palette and decor, the couple kept in mind their natural surroundings.  ” Because Lake Tahoe is so beautiful, we didn’t want to overdo it with a lot of different colors or crazy decor. We wanted something that matched the overall color scheme of nature and water. We both love blues, so we easily agreed on navy blue, peacock blue, and white. Gray was added in after we decided it’d be the perfect color for the guys’ suits, since we didn’t want tuxes as we thought they would be too formal for an outside, lake wedding. Our florist did an amazing job sticking to whites and crèmes, creating gorgeous centerpieces, bouquets, and ceremony decor. We loved the flowers in the hollowed out tree stumps!”In the courtyard of the beautiful mansion, the reception details were all unique spins on the passport themed invitation.  From the table numbers to the seating chart, menu cards and even customized mad libs, each paper product was perfectly coordinated.  For the guest book, they had a custom wedding tree created.  “Guests ‘leafed’ their thumbprints on the branches of the tree and signed their names next to it. We loved the idea of having something hanging in our house to remind us of our day.” The natural tabletop elements and outdoor accessories like lanterns, perfect for a lakeside destination, made for simple and sweet reception decor.  And for the finishing touch?  Favors that looked just like the couple’s dog!  When hosting a destination wedding, if you’re dog can’t travel with you, there are certainly fun ways to incorporate your furry friend!  As the bride tells us not only did they incorporate him into the favors, but they paid tribute to other less fortunate animals too.  “Our favors were cookies that were designed to look like our dog. On the back of the cookie, we put a sticker that explained that a donation had been made to the Sacramento SPCA in their honor. We figured that most wedding guests either forget their favor at the wedding or end up throwing them away, so being dog lovers we wanted to do something special for them while also helping local animals.”  A great way to end the evening and thank all for making the trip to Lake Tahoe!

Congratulations Travis & Stephanie!

Destination Wedding Photographer: Teresa K photography

Wedding Professionals: Wedding Venue: Hellman-Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point; Invitations + Paper Goods: Custom Paper Works, Hair: Marianna Lucido; Makeup: Valerie Yager with Josephine Beauty; Gown: Venus; Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo; Suits: Joseph Abboud; Reception Entertainment: North Shore Entertainment; Cake: Tahoe House Bakery; Catering: Mountain Magic Catering; Florist: Stems by Diana.