Wedding Planning Tips

Traditional June Weddings

Why is June considered a month for weddings?

A Clean Start

Well, to find an answer we need to go back over 2,000 years to the Roman times when the celebrated a festival to honor the deity of Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage and childbirth.  During the 1400′s and 1500′s June was considered the time when people emerged from the long winter and bathed communally. Perhaps people figured it was okay to be married after they were cleaned from their bathing?  Another insight into this time is the use of flowers at weddings…many feel flowers were added to ceremonies so their beautiful smell would mask body odors!

June weddings also come from the Celtic calendar.  The word “honeymoon” has a historical origin and refers to the first moon after the summer solstice, June 21, which was called “honey moon.”

Practical Time

Spring weddings were also considered practical since the fall harvest was a busy time for families.  Lots of reasons for June weddings flowed through the centuries.  Now, all 12 months are great months in which to be married, especially in beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Did you know that weddings weren’t  always the beautiful and romantic thing they are today?  They were business contracts between the fathers of the bride and groom since girls were considered the property of their fathers.

Weddings in Lake Tahoe

Fast forward to today and your wedding can be as beautiful and romantic as you want! We specialize in love at Lakefront Wedding & Events.  With some of our wedding packages entitled “The Beloved”, “Sierra Majestic”, Blushing Groom” you can only imagine how romantic our weddings are, whether they’re in June or the other 11 months of the year!

Lakefront Wedding has great wedding packages and venues, ones to fit any desire and budget (and month!).  Of course, June is a lovely month to be married in Tahoe….snow has melted, flowers are blooming  and the weather is wonderful.  June weddings in Lake Tahoe can be held at a romantic historic site on the shores of the lake, overlooking Emerald Bay, on the beach, at a beautiful country club as well as many other venues.

Read our recent stories on your destination wedding in Lake Tahoe and Fabulous Spring Wedding tips.

Intimate Weddings – The big trend in Lake Tahoe

We are seeing a trend towards intimate weddings for our brides and grooms and this isn’t just a Lake Tahoe wedding trend, it’s widespread. An intimate wedding is a celebration of two people being married with a few friends and family members present as they begin their new life together.

Why are intimate weddings on the rise?

More and more couples are leaning towards an intimate wedding because of budget restrictions or the fact that they just don’t want all of the hoopla in front of 100s of people.  A larger wedding brings on more stress, more money, more worries and a huge list of what needs to be done.   An intimate wedding allows the couple to experience a more romantic, memorable, relaxed, comfortable and cozy event. Of course you can have a nice large wedding with all of these things present, it just takes a lot more effort, time and money. With a smaller wedding the wedding couple can enjoy their friends and family more and not be constrained by the amount of time they can spend with each guest.

Benefits of an intimate wedding

Having a smaller, more intimate wedding allows the couple more freedom on how they can spend money on location, themes and other unique and customized aspects of the ceremony and reception. Time and energy can be spent on creativity instead of on deciding who is sitting where, what the roles of the wedding party are and other logistics of a huge wedding.

Lake Tahoe is the perfect place for an intimate wedding

There are fabulous wedding venues in Lake Tahoe that are perfect for a smaller wedding.  We see many couples using Lake Tahoe as their destination wedding location because of the scenery, local expertise at weddings and ease for guests to drive or fly to.  Imagine your wedding in front of a 12 ft high fireplace.  Take a gondola to your ceremony and say your vows at almost 10,000 ft above sea level.  Sink your toes in the sand as you say your “I do’s.”  Stand on the edge of a mountain as you gaze over Emerald Bay and begin your lives together.

At Lake Front Wedding & Events we perform weddings at all of these beautiful locations, and at many more! Our specialty are intimate weddings and we have a dozen locations (and growing) for you to have your ceremony.  From the beach to a mountain top, from a country club to a historic estate and from a park to a ski slope. Our wedding coordinators are always available to help you plan your own intimate wedding. Contact us today or call us at 1-888-WED-TAHOE.

 

 

 

 

 

Why have a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe?

Lake Tahoe Wedding Country Club Venue | Lake Front WeddingIn the past we’d call a wedding where the couple left town to get married an elopement. It would have to be done in secret so nobody would try and either stop the wedding or complain that the wedding wasn’t a grand affair.  Fast forward to the present and we a wedding in a location away from home a “destination wedding.”  More and more couples are enjoying the excitement of a wedding on the road, and what better location than Lake Tahoe?

The wedding couple’s “to do” list is erased

Having a destination wedding gives the bride and groom to be the luxury of not having to spend endless hours planning a ceremony and reception, who‘s invited, who’s not.  Opinions from loved ones of how you should plan YOUR big day go away, and we plan your perfect wedding. The wedding becomes much simpler (and much faster) to plan than a traditional wedding.  Lakefront Wedding in South Lake Tahoe will plan your ceremony from beginning to end, you jus t tell us what you want and leave the rest to us.  You drive or fly to the lake, enjoy your stress free ceremony and start enjoying your new lives together.

Fabulous Lake Tahoe locations

Imagine getting married on a mountain top, on the shores of a beautiful lake or in a lakeside park.  Not many other wedding venues can boast these great options for a wedding.  Our Lakefront Wedding locations are simply fabulous!

Receptions

A reception at a destination wedding is more like a party.  They can be as fancy or as casual as you want since there are no rules!

Can the wedding be just the bride and groom?

For sure, many destination weddings are just the bride and groom, and sometimes they involve a few close friends and family.

Very Cost Effective

You can whisk off to your Lake Tahoe wedding, enjoy a resort, your wedding day and party and the cost will be a lot less than if you stayed at home and paid the thousands of dollars it’d take to have your wedding.  Your honeymoon can be in Lake Tahoe as well….travel once, enjoy everything and save money! Our weddings cost just a few hundred dollars which leaves plenty to spend on whatever you want.

LakeFront Wedding of South Lake Tahoe would love to plan your destination wedding.  Leave the work to us and enjoy this great experience.  Call our consultants today and find out how easy it is to have a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe.

5 Ways to have a Fabulous Spring Wedding

Country Club Lawn BeachMany areas have actually felt the warmth of Spring so that means Lake Tahoe isn’t far behind!  Even though snow is still on the ground it’s not too early to start planning your Lake Tahoe Spring wedding.

Just the word “Spring” can bring a smile to even the saddest face.  This is such a season joyous ….it means a fresh new beginning, a new life, anticipation and excitement of what is to come. Weddings don’t need a more perfect description!

Summer weddings in Lake Tahoe can create quite the backlog on reserving your favorite wedding location, finding available hotel rooms and reception venues.  Spring allows brides and grooms a lot more room to plan with many of their choices available and not yet full. While this season is very popular in other locations, the snow and winter of Lake Tahoe push the  more popular dates into summer.

1.  Bring in the colors of the season.  Pastels are an obvious choice but so are the greens of freshly grown grass. Use a Spring color palette:  the soft hues and blush shades of pink, ecru, ivory and gray or go preppy with hot pink and green with a dash of mango.

2,  Flowers, flowers, flowers.  You can never go wrong with the fresh flowers of Spring.  Lilies area always plentiful and make beautiful garlands and fill vases nicely.  Other spring flowers are violets, daffodils, cherry blossoms, lilacs, hydrangeas, narcissus, peonies, pansies, sweetpeas, wisteria and many more.

3.  Your wedding dress can be made out of so many different materials for a spring wedding in Lake Tahoe.  Mornings and nights are still chilly and days can be gloriously sunny so you should plan on a heavier fabric (though not too heavy) or a shawl/jacket that match.  One popular twist on wedding dress is to have the bride and groom’s initials embroidered onto the dress, either showing or in a secret location.

4,  Take the wedding outside to enjoy Spring!  Lake Tahoe is the perfect location for your outside wedding with our venues ranging from the sandy beach to the mountain tops.  Lakefront Wedding has several locations throughout the basin which would serve as a perfect spot for your Spring wedding.  Enjoy the fresh air, sunny and clear skies and each other as you start your life together in a beautiful area.

5. Theme the whole day from the invitations to the reception in the playful, fresh and fun mood of Spring. Decorations, table decor and even the invitations can be whimsical and flirty.  The ideas are endless.

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!  Our wedding consultants are on hand to help you plan your perfect Spring wedding at any of our many outdoor and indoor locations.  Contact us today.

February Wedding Tips

Indigo Wedding Photography | Weddings on Lake Tahoe | Lake Front Wedding

Just as you thought that the busy holidays were over, here comes Valentine’s Day, just around the corner. One of the hardest things about planning a wedding along with the location and of course “How am I going to do my hair?” becomes setting a date. Do I make it a date that we can both remember such as 11/11/11 or how about the date we first met? Many folks get engaged on Valentine’s Day but what about making Valentine’s Day the day that you share your first kiss as husband and wife! Valentine’s Day is a beautiful day where people around the globe are sharing their feelings of love and affection for each other and it also marks the feeling of new beginnings as spring is around the corner. What a great day to mark the beginning of your commitment and love to each other.  How better to celebrate it than having a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe! Our winter wonderland of snow-capped mountains and the bright blue lake as a backdrop to your wedding would be a perfect complement to your romantic candlelit ceremony.

Imagine yourself walking down the aisle toward the person that you love more than anyone else in the world, while he is seeing the most beautiful woman in the room, glowing softly, with her eyes full of love just for him! The guest’s jaws drop as you are draped in a beautiful red dress or red peep toe shoes carrying your favorite flowers which brings about a natural glow to your face and fills the air with emotion.

Perhaps you have chosen an adventure wedding and the two of you are on a sleigh ride, snowmobile ride or skiing on the mountain tops where you say your I Do’s.  The Lakefront Wedding Chapel can help you choose the best outdoor location for you adventurers or keep it indoors in one of our gorgeous chapels with the best lake view that Tahoe has to offer as the only chapel on the lake.  However you decide to say your I do’s, you cannot go wrong with a February 14th wedding date! Here are some ideas for your Valentine’s Day Wedding and Reception:

  • Sweetheart table for 2 at your reception in the Crystal Room
  • Conversation hearts with your names as favors
  • Red Velvet wedding cake with your own personal topper
  • Chocolate covered strawberries and extra special tuxedo strawberries for just the two of you
  • Candles, candles and more candles!!!!
  • Romantic honeymoon cabin  (secretly decorated by your fiancé shhhh )
  • Fragrant flowers throughout the room and down the aisle to showcase your entrance

Lake Tahoe is perfect for your Destination Wedding

Indigo Wedding Photography | Weddings on Lake Tahoe | Lake Front Wedding

If you are one of the very lucky ones to have received an engagement ring this holiday season, Congratulations!

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!

Renown Pianist Rifkin to Perform at Lakefront Wedding Chapel on December 18

An exciting one day appearance of the acclaimed pianist Rifkin will be held in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, December 18 at 3:30 pm. He will be performing at Lakefront Wedding Chapel & Events at 3351 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe. All SWAK shoppers may have enjoyed his music while shopping at the Lake Tahoe boutique during the past few months!

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.

What does my wedding coordinator take care of?

Indigo Wedding Photography | Weddings on Lake Tahoe | Lake Front Wedding

A large part of your wedding package is wedding coordination and you may ask.. what does my wedding coordinator take care of?  Coordination is not just getting you down the aisle on your wedding day but also helping you with the plans leading up to your big day.  We are here 7 days a week to help you with just about anything!

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 2nd 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!

Lovely Linens

Lake Tahoe Wedding | Country Club Venue | Lake Front Wedding

A huge splash of color on the reception table that isn’t in the form of flowers?  Who would have thought? Creating a beautiful enhancement when planning the design of your wedding reception needs to start at the table linens.

Traditional weddings of the past only conjure up memories of flat, white linen tablecloths and napkins finished off with floral arrangements in the center of the table.

Today’s bride however is exploring the exciting world of colorful and beautiful linens. Many wedding facilities now offer linen collections that include Lamours, Crushes, Damasks, Organza’s, Velvet, theme prints and stylish fabrics and textures.

Linens aren’t just the part that sits on the table either.  You need to think tablecloth, napkins and chair covers.

When planning your wedding reception, colors are a true expression of the bridal’s couple personalities.  Now it is very easy to put that color into table linens!  This is a wonderful way to tie in a couple’s unique style. Are you cutting edge in design and career?  Why not have a bold statement of vivid chartreuse or turquoise.  What about the elegance of purple with black?  More classic in life?  A beautiful tea stained lace or decor in ivory and copper. The possibilities are only as endless as your imagination!

Remember to take into consideration the color of the reception room’s walls and carpet when planning on your linen colors.  You don’t want things to clash!  Why not start to plan your whole wedding color theme at the linens, then build your invitations, dress and bridesmaid’s colors, cake and flowers around them?  A lovely, flowing color combination is needed when thinking about anything but white linens.

Our excellent wedding coordinators can help you plan what colors to use for your South Lake Tahoe wedding.  Since we are in the Sierra Mountain Range, an outdoorsy combination of tree green and sand beige is a great choice, as is a beautiful blue to match Lake Tahoe. We have some great wedding packages for you to chose from.  Lakefront Wedding and Events will help you from start to finish, all points in between and after!

Winter Wedding Hots and Nots

winter-wedding

Since its that time of year, one where the snow starts to think of falling, temperatures are dropping, we’re shopping and partying.  It’s also a beautiful time of year for weddings!  We’re going to give you some ideas on what to think about for your winter wedding:

1.  Your Winter Wedding Colors  Everyone thinks of green and red at Christmas time, as they should, but you need to be careful when planning your wedding colors around these two prominent colors. It may give your wedding more of a holiday event look than a wedding day look.  You can still use them of course, just try to use them in moderation. What’s Hot: Subtlety in your color palette where less is more. Think of beautiful silvers and whites white a crystal accent to add some shimmer.  Whats speaks glamour better than this combination?  White velvet runners, white satin ribbons throughout, crystal accents at the alter and beautiful hanging strands of elegant white phalaenopsis orchids.

2.  Flowers  Red roses, calla lilies and amaryllis definitely speak winter wedding, but throwing in some not-so-obvious flower choices could be even more dramatic.  What’s Hot:  Fuller flowers such as white hydrangeas and soft ranunculuses.  Don’t forget about the men when you plan their white flower boutonnieres  with a bit of greenery or simple white ribbon.  You can wrap the stems of the flowers in your bouquet with ribbon and crystals to add a bit of “wow” to your wedding.

3.  Theme Winter weddings are normally set indoors due to the climate, especially in Lake Tahoe!  Everything from your invitations to the dress code for the event can take on a more formal theme and be perfectly fine!   What’s Hot:  Black Tie, invitations in elegant brown and eggplant colors with calligraphy throughout.  If using an escort card, think of elegantly printed cards in silver, wrapped with ribbon. You can hang them from a tree or crystal candelabra.  Party favors can be chocolate covered cranberries or roasted chestnuts.  Why not hot chocolate and a warm churros  station to throw in a fun twist?

4.  Cake A wedding cake trimmed in red or green ribbon or topped with roses looks pretty, but bakers who are willing to push the fondant envelope can reflect the winter in totally creative ways. What’s Hot: Play up the season with a white, vintage-style cake, dusted with edible silver powder. For accents, have your baker add a white sugar ribbon and crystal drops cascading down one side of the cake.

5. Honeymoons  Many think of sunny and tropical destinations for the honeymoon, ones that let them escape the cold of winter.  What’s Hot: Embrace winter! South Lake Tahoe is the perfect destination for both your wedding and your honeymoon!  We have two great cabins that the bride and room can rent, ones to set the mood with fireplaces, hot tubs and cozy furnishings.

There is no bad season for a wedding, it just depends on the time of year the bride and groom choose.  The terrace at Lakefront Wedding Chapel offers some great photo opportunities with the crystal blue lake in the background of the snow covered terrace.  Of course, this is also the perfect backdrop to a summer wedding too!

Page 1 of 41234