And now…the task of what may seem like an overwhelming task, of deciding when and where the wedding will be. The guest list, the colors, style, and what the budget will be, especially if you are going to consider a Destination Wedding.

The first thing to do is take a deep breath, relax and enjoy being “in the ether” during this very exciting time.

Take the time to be alone together, without outside influences from your parents, friends, or other family members, and talk about your wedding at Lake Tahoe. Ask yourself this very important question, “at the end of the day, what do you want people to remember the most about your wedding.” Will it be the atmosphere/location, the music, the food or any other elements that are important to the two of you?

Then, start to prioritize your list. If you have decided on a “destination wedding” and Lake Tahoe is on your list, you have chosen one of the most beautiful locations in the world.

Lake Tahoe, the ultimate Wedding Destination provides not only a beautiful backdrop for your nuptials, but a location where your family and friends can take advantage of a mini-vacation.

When deciding on a wedding venue at Lake Tahoe, more important questions to consider:

• Do you want the ceremony and reception to take place at the same location?
• Are you looking for a church and a reception at another location?
• Is it important to have a lake view or be as close to Lake Tahoe as possible? Or do you want to be in the meadow or on a mountain top?
• Is proximity to lodging and the event site important?
• Do you want one location that can provide a “one stop shop” service or do you want to customize your event by hand picking every vendor?

Now that you have found several locations you love, call each place for a proposal to help you understand everything that you will get with the pricing. It will help your potential on site.  Your Lake Tahoe coordinator give you accurate proposal if you can answer the following:

• What dates are you considering?
• Will you consider a midweek event?
• How many guests do you plan to invite?
• Formal or informal?
• Lunch, Dinner or Brunch?
• And the question that every location will ask you, “What is your budget?”

This is a tough one since you don’t really know what things cost yet. But try to come close and be realistic. For example, if your budget is on $1000.00 for everything, Dress, shoes, honeymoon, food, wine, DJ, etc… but you are inviting 100 people, you won’t be able to have that private home on the beach with a catered 5 course meal… we joke, but we have gotten calls for just this situation. That is less than $10.00 per person!

My recommendation is to pencil out your dream wedding, take the top five elements and go price out different options. Then you will have a good idea about the kind of budget you will need in order to pay for the things that are important to you.  We can provide you with a wedding and reception to match every budget at Lakefront Wedding! 

Now you have the first steps in planning your Lake Tahoe Wedding!  Contact us and we’ll get you started on your perfect Lake Tahoe Wedding!  We have great sites, both inside and out, for you to hold your wedding and receptions.  Your wedding coordinator at Lakefront Wedding Chapel has done all the homework for you and knows all there is to know about your Lake Tahoe destination wedding!

Stay tuned for “what’s next” and questions to ask your Lake Tahoe Wedding Vendors!

-Lori

Enjoy a day of music on the shores of Lake Tahoe. $20 per person which includes one of his CDs.

Rifkin started studying classic piano at the young age of 8. He majored in piano performance at Indiana University and studied music composition at the Manhattan School of Music. He started performing professionally at the age of 16 and has had concerts throughout the US, including stops in LA, Washington DC and New York. Rifkin has worked with the LAMBS Theater on Broadway and, after years of performing his music in Colorado, he is bringing his beautiful work to South Lake Tahoe.

Tickets may be purchased at the door or at Sealed With A Kiss at The Heavenly Village, 1001 Heavenly Village Way, Suite 13, South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Floral orders ~   There is a lot to think about and your coordinator will help you with floral ideas, design and budgeting. We start with designing the bridal bouquet and once that is designed, we get all the other flowers to match. (Grooms boutonniere, bridal party flowers, corsages, flower girl baskets and petals, ring bearer boutonniere, centerpieces to match the theme and cake flowers!) Once we place your order, we will have the flowers delivered here on time and pass out prior to the start of the wedding.

Ceremony music ~  We help you select songs for your ceremony processional. The chapel carries most traditional music on site but you are always welcome to bring in your own music for your coordinator to play for you.  There are typically 3 songs. The first song is for the groom and bridal party. The 2^nd song is for the bride and that last song is the recessional that is played after the kiss as you are pronounced husband and wife for the first time. You may also choose to add in a song for the parents seating or a special ceremony after the ring exchange such as a unity candle lighting, sand ceremony or rose ceremony.

Ceremony Processional ~  We will discuss your ceremony processional about 6 weeks prior to your wedding day. We will get the names of everyone taking part and in which order they are to enter. This way we have all the information we need to arrange the line up on your wedding day and show everyone where to stand and when to enter. We will make sure the rings are where they are supposed to be and make sure everyone is seated and your vendors all in place before the start of the music.

Cakes and desserts ~  We have over 60 examples of cakes that are currently on our books for you to choose from. We can help you choose the flavors and fillings as well as the icing and cake table decorations. If you would like to have a cake delivered to your private home or restaurant we would be happy to arrange that for you. Not looking to have a traditional wedding cake? Many people decide to go with other desserts such as cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, grooms cakes, mini cakes as centerpieces and much much more!

Lodging ~ Lakefront has great deals for you and your friends and family to stay at one of our nearby private homes that are within 2 miles of the chapel. Our lodging specialist can also connect you with a nearby hotel that offers great group rates as one of our Lakefront couples. We also offer cabin rentals for use during your Lake Tahoe stay.

Outside services ~ There are many options for outside services in South Lake Tahoe.  Limos, transportation, carriage rides, dry cleaners, hair and makeup artists, concierge services and a list of fun things to do in and around Lake Tahoe.

Specialty linens ~  for your reception we offer white or ivory linens as part of your package. If you would like to go with something that directly ties in with your colors and theme we would be happy to order specialty linens for you at a great rate!

Marriage license ~ We would be happy to set up and arrange for your notary appointment. A notary is the person who issues your CA marriage license. The chapel offers mobile notary service meaning the notary will come directly to the Lakefront Chapel office any day of the week. Local recorder clerk offices are open Monday-Friday and are usually only open until 4:30 with a lunch break. We can make it happen any day of the week!

Have any questions? You can send us a message on Facebook and start up a great conversation to include other brides to be or get advice from our previously married brides. You can also contact us through email and we’ll help you right away.  Your professional wedding consultant at Lakefront Wedding is ready to make sure that everyone has a great time!