Planning Your Destination Wedding

What better way to make your wedding extra special than to have you and your guests travel to a destination together.  Maybe you are looking for some exotic adventure to join the African wildlife and rain forests or possibly enjoying the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe. Wherever you choose, advance planning is crucial.

In the Beginning …

• Decide on an approximate date and budget.
• Research various locations and take note …Pay close attention to the weather, accessibility, and accommodations. Check passport requirements.  Do you need to update yours?  Do your guests?

One Year Prior:

• Plan early!  Choose your destination.
• Hire a local wedding coordinator like Lake Front Wedding & Events who specialize in knowing the wedding business, the vendors in the area and their costs.  The less familiar you are with the location, language, and customs of the chosen destination, the more important it is to hire a knowledgeable professional at the destination who can assist you with coordinating your special day.
• Pick you wedding photographer…your wedding coordinator can help with this aspect as well.  It’s a perfect time to take an engagement photo with that photographer as well.
• Connect with your Guests.  Set up a way to communicate with your friends and family.  Creating a website would be ideal.  Online you can find free web builders and hosting for weddings like www.wix.com and. www.theknot.com.  “Pumping” up the excitement is key to having a successful destination wedding.  Your guests should be as excited about your wedding as you are. Website announcements and email “blasts” are a great way to keep your guests informed and motivated to participate.

Nine Months Prior:

• Send out “Save the Dates” to your guests.  Make sure to include your wedding website address so that your guests can stay in tune with important announcements as the date gets closer.  Refrigerator magnets are a great way to assure that your guests are always being reminded.

Six Months Prior:

• Make your travel arrangements and hotel reservations for you and your bridal party. Encourage your guests to partake in the same arrangements or promote special deals as you see them.
• Destination Activities.  Research and make arrangements as needed.
• Purchase your dress.  Make sure to let the bridal shop know that you are having a destination wedding so that they can package it as necessary for mailing, transporting or for the plane flight.
• Wedding invitations. Send out along with travel information for your guests.  Make sure to give your guests plenty of time to make travel arrangements and save money.

Two Months Prior:

• Confirm hotel and travel arrangements
• Communicate with your wedding planner to assure that all the wedding needs and wants are scheduled and confirmed.
• Get a list of recommended services in the area so you can plan your beauty salon appointments for you, your family, and bridesmaids.
• Schedule your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner arrangements.

One Month Prior:

• Confirm and finalize all wedding, vendor, travel, and guest activities.
• Talk to your coordinator about the ceremony wording, the music, timing, and names of the participants.

Three Days Prior:

• Arrive at your destination.
• Meet with your wedding coordinator to assure that you have your wedding license and all “loose ends” are taken care of.

For more assistance on weddings in Lake Tahoe, Lake Front Wedding & Events is available 7 days a week to help you plan.  We have fabulous Lake Tahoe wedding venues: beachfront, country club, historic estate and many more, all giving you a unique, breathtaking wedding location that maximizes the splendor and magic of Lake Tahoe!

Lake Tahoe Voted America's Most Popular Lake!

Great news this week as USA Today announced the winner of their Most Popular Lake contest!  As you can guess, the winner is our very own Lake Tahoe! You can read the whole story but we’ll share the best details with you.

Regional magazine writers created a list of lakes across the nation, coming up with 15 finalists.  Voters in the national poll then voted on their favorite water spot and Lake Tahoe beat out 2nd place winner Lake Charlevoix of Michigan.

As Mark Twain said in his book ‘Roughin’ It’ “..at last the Lake burst upon us—a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft full three thousand feet higher still! … As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords.”

Twain also said “The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn’t it be? — it is the same the angels breathe. “

Imagine your wedding in such a spectacular place!  No wonder the area is one of the most popular spots for destination weddings in the U.S. On an average year, almost 13,000 couples are wed in the Lake Tahoe area.  Why you ask?  With the increasing popularity of destination weddings and the combining of a wedding, reception and vacation, couples have found the attractiveness of Lake Tahoe as a one-stop (and fabulous) venue for their big day.  Options for the location of their weddings in Lake Tahoe are bountiful, making it the perfect spot to be wed.

Be married on the meadow, over looking the beautiful Emerald Bay, in a park with the Sierra Nevada Mountains as your backdrop, at a lakefront country club or historic beach front estate. Dip your toes in the crystal blue waters of the lake as you say your “I do’s.”

Lakefront Wedding & Events can assist you in all aspects of your Lake Tahoe wedding.  Not living in the area will not prevent you from having all the details worked out perfectly.  The average wedding, according to the Lake Tahoe Wedding & Honeymoon Association, is 50 people, costs $7,500 and has a 2 night stay for each guest.  You and your guests can choose from a large selection of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and resorts for accommodations, as well as great choices of vacation home rentals.  With so many destination weddings in Lake Tahoe each year, the local caterers, restaurants and others that you need for your wedding and reception are well prepared to assist you.  There is even a local candy company that will create specialty items for your party.

Come enjoy Lake Tahoe!

So Many Choices in Lake Tahoe Wedding Venues!

Couples from around the globe are looking for beautiful locations to have their wedding, and Lake Tahoe is no different.  Lake Tahoe wedding venues are as diverse as the Sierra Nevada wildlife. Beaches, mountains, chapels, churches, homes, estates, lakes, parks, rivers, restaurants, hot air balloons, airplanes, parasails…you name it, we have it.

Lakefront Weddings of Lake Tahoe saw a change among the brides looking to be married at the lake.  No longer were they wanting a chapel, they were looking for options.  We have now ventured out into the location wedding business in Tahoe, one that allows couples options in where they want to hold their wedding ceremony and reception.

Imagine getting married on the beach while your toes are in the sand and you’re gazing out at the lovely Lake Tahoe.  With 72 miles of shoreline at the lake you’ll be sure to have your favorite spot on the beach to be married.  At Lakefront Wedding & Events we have a beach front lawn wedding venue and an on the beach venue.  But don’t let that stop you, find the beach, we’ll make it work.

Once you’ve been there you’ll want to make the Tallac Historic Site a place to visit on all of your Lake Tahoe trips, including your wedding day (and if you’re lucky enough to live in Tahoe, you already know about it).  You and your betrothed can be married inside the beautiful Grand Hall in front of the massive fireplace.  Imagine it filled with candlelight and flowers as you say your “I do’s” in front of it’s beautiful stone!  This is also a fabulous location for your reception with the wide wrap around deck outside the hall and the beautiful lawns outside the door.

Another fabulous venue for Lake Tahoe weddings is the always spectacular Edgewood Country Club.  There are several locations at Edgewood where you can have your wedding and reception:  North Room and Terrace, South Room and Terrace and the Beach/Lawn area. What great choices in which to celebrate your special day!

Lake Tahoe weddings can also be at Emerald Bay on the rocks over looking the turquoise waters, at the top of Heavenly Valley Ski Resort, at the picturesque Vista Point or Paradise Park.  At Lakefront we even have a lovely meadow front home with lake views where intimate weddings and receptions can be held as well as being the honeymoon location!

Paradise Park is the new spot for weddings in Lake Tahoe!  You have a lake, you have the mountains, you have a river and now you have a HUGE tent for your reception!  Lake Baron is one of the area’s unknown treats and our weddings there show how spectacular it can be.  The backdrop of nature is perfect for your pictures and guests. If you’re looking for a theme you could always incorporate country or a summer picnic into the ceremony and reception.

Where ever you choose to have your wedding in Tahoe you’ll be making a great choice!  When it comes to destination weddings that will fit all budgets, Lake Tahoe is the perfect solution.  Great venues, great lodging choices, great food choices and its a location that all of your guests will enjoy.

Weddings for Two

Small weddings for two:   A couple not worried about being in front of a large group.  A couple who just want to express their love to each other in a small and intimate setting. Is a small wedding for just the two of you what you’re looking for? What are the benefits?  How can you make it special and romantic?

Maybe you’ve already had the big storybook wedding attended by everyone you know.  Perhaps now you just want a small and simple wedding. Or maybe you and your fiance are tired of large crowds and big parties and just simply want to get away for that special day together. One of our small, simple weddings may be just what you are looking for.

Some people are under the impression that a wedding needs to be big to be romantic, but that is just not true.  Some may also think that not much can be done with a wedding made for just two. That is not true either.  Since Lake Tahoe weddings of all sizes are our specialty at Lakefront Wedding & Events, we have great wedding ideas for two, and they’re just as romantic as our weddings for 100 or more.   Lake Tahoe wedding venues for two include Emerald Bay, the Vista Point and even on top of the world.  Our Heavenly Wedding Package gives you great outdoor options for a breathtaking backdrop on your special day.

If you are looking for a more intimate, rustic Tahoe wedding venue, our Historic Valhalla Grand Hall  is a magnificent place to say “I Do!”   Stand under a wood beamed ceiling and in front of a 20 foot tall stone fire place. Candles surround you as you gaze into each other’s eyes….what a fabulous moment!

After you have picked your romantic site, you have infinite choices of how to make your day as romantic as possible. Here are some fun ideas:

• Celebrate with a special Cake and Champagne reception for the two of you to share.
• Take a romantic stroll along the beach hand in hand for picture taking. All the focus is on you!
• Walk down the aisle together or meet half way!
• Give a special gift to one another as part of your ceremony.
• Go on a ride together on the Gondola as the sun sets or just to see the beautiful sites that Lake Tahoe has to offer.
• Have a private chef prepare your meal at one of our private homes with a candle light dinner for 2.

Need help planning your wedding for 2?  Contact us and we’ll help you!

Wedding Trends for 2013

You’re right, 2012 is just half way over, but if you’re a bride planning her wedding you’re looking ahead to 2013. We’ve been gathering information on what is going to be “hot” in 2013.

Vibrant colors for wedding dresses were all over the runway at the 2013 bridal designer shows. There were bold strokes of color with heavenly blues and vibrant reds for wedding gowns as well as a color palette as wide as the rainbow. Of course, white is always in, but many brides will be adventurous in 2013 and reflect their personality in their dress as well as wedding decor.

What do you think of the use of rainbow colors in these weddings?

There was once a time when all the bridesmaids had the same dress, but this is changing.  The new trend will be bridesmaids in different dresses and coordinating colors.  You don’t want to go too crazy with the colors so make sure they are all part of a color palette that goes well together.

Green and sustainable is going to be another trend for the weddings of 2013.  In this day and age going green isn’t only the right thing to do, it can also make your celebration more cost effective. You can be elegant and eco-friendly at the same time! Think of the 3 hot green, and earth friendly, elements – stone, cork and paper.

Think of the basic principles of going green – reduce, reuse and recycle. You can toss in “repurpose” and suddenly the door is wide open when planning your wedding. Are you a cowgirl? Have an extra boot hanging out in your closet? That could be a vase for flowers at your wedding! Some brides are adding Mason jars to their wedding, both as drinking glasses and as candles. The sky is the limit when going green!

Your wedding day is all about your and your groom.  Why not enjoy your wedding more and not stress about all the planning that goes into a large wedding?  Pick a location, call ahead to make sure you can be wed at the location, and go!  At Lakefront Wedding & Events we hear from brides every day that are doing just that!  Lake Tahoe weddings are the perfect destination wedding because of the great choices one has in wedding venues, there are plenty of accommodations available, and costs can be kept down because it can also serve as a honeymoon location.

Paradise Park Lake Tahoe Wedding

Paradise Park is the new favorite when it comes to Lake Tahoe wedding venues!  Brides are looking at the park’s charming outdoor appeal because of the nearby Truckee River and Lake Baron and great views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

• Paradise Park provides a quiet and scenic location for your Lake Tahoe wedding.  You’ll hear the squirrels and birds and the nearby river, but highway traffic? No Way!
• Weddings are held on the gazebo lawn under the beautiful trees, so great pictures of your wedding are a given.
• Receptions can be held in the club house or under the large tent that accommodates up to 200 guests!
• Very budget friendly wedding venue.
• It’s a new and fresh location, not everyone knows about it yet!

Would you like to have your Lake Tahoe wedding at Paradise Park? Contact us today.

Vintage Lake Tahoe Weddings

Vintage Lake Tahoe weddings can be held at several different wedding venues. The Valhalla Grand Hall in the Tallac Historic Site is where Lakefront Weddings has chosen to blend the historic venue to a beautiful wedding.

Rustic elegance and charm are the words used to describe the Valhalla Grand Hall.  Imagine South Lake Tahoe in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when California’s early rich and famous built their elaborate summer estates along the shore.

These rustic estates are nestled in the secluded woods and along the beaches of the Tallac Historic Site. Far from the crowds and gaming, the site is home to the archaeological remains of the Tallac Resort and three large summer estates built by wealthy San Franciscans. The 74-acre tract of land is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Tallac Resort included two major hotels, a casino, and numerous out-buildings. Summer estates sprang up around the Tallac Resort, kicking off the good times of the 1920s. Guests at the Tallac Resort enjoyed saloons, boat rides, and an incredible dance floor mounted on springs!

Fast forward to today.  The residents are long gone but several buildings still remaining including the Valhalla Grand Hall.  The hall was built in 1923 and it’s timeless beauty is a great backdrop to Lake Tahoe weddings. There is a 20 foot fireplace at one end and it is surrounded by charming rustic elegance.  Majestic high ceilings, a balcony over looking the first level, wrap around deck and a fabulous lakefront lawn are all features of the Grand Hall.

Weddings are held in front of the big fireplace and can be for a party of 2 or up to 120.  Receptions can be held on the deck or on the lawn…and both are excellent choices! This is the only location at Tallac Historic Site that is available for weddings.

Weddings in Lake Tahoe can be done simply or extravagantly and all points in between.  Vintage weddings are unique, elegant and timeless. A horse drawn carriage could bring you down the path or take you and your groom away from the ceremony. You could make sure some photos are done in black and white.  Bring lace accents into the wedding.  There is an annual Great Gatsby festival at Tallac Historic Site and that era of clothing and decor fits very well at Valhalla.

Whatever you choose for your wedding at Lake Tahoe’s Valhalla Grand Hall will make for a perfect day.  Contact us today to start planning.