Lake Tahoe Wedding As Seen In Destination I DO Magazine | Merrily Wed

Destination I Do Magazine features stunning real life destination weddings from around the world in their glossy, beautiful publication.  In their Spring 2012 issue, they couldn’t pass up the chic, yet classically tailored, Lake Tahoe wedding of Cameron & Matthew.  This wedding at a private Lake Tahoe lakefront wedding estate flirted with the preppy side, spell bounded the guests, rocked the night away and was unquestionably unforgettable to all.

Cameron & Matthew’s spring green, navy and white color palette complimented the Tahoe setting perfectly, but also kept a fresh feel to the tailored wedding style.  Not only did she wear her mother’s vintage wedding gown (32 years waiting) but Cameron also carried the family bible down the aisle adorned with flowers.

Cameron also loves monograms, so we echoed theirs from the napkins, to the menus, to the invitations to their wedding cake to even the dance floor.  Fun elements were not limited to decor and included their gyrating band, retro neon sunglasses, vintage coke bottles and blue cheese late night sliders.  As DIDO so eloquently put it, the devil is in the details…

Thanks to Zorn Photography for doing what they do so well!  If you were a wedding crasher at this wedding, here’s a glance of what you might have seen:

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DIDO_Spring-2012 COVER Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Wedding Design

Lake Tahoe Wedding Merrily Wed Sunnyside Lake House

Lake Tahoe Wedding Merrily Wed Wedding Planner

Lake Tahoe Wedding Merrily Wed Wedding Planner

Merrily Wed Private Lakefront Wedding Estates Lake Tahoe

Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Wedding Designer

Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Wedding Designer

Merrily Wed Private Lakefront Wedding Estates Lake Tahoe

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Romance at Storybook Cottage | Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Weddings

Romance – it never goes out of style.  Jessica and Spencer proclaimed their adoration and love for each other last fall at their Lake Tahoe wedding site, Storybook Cottage.  A gurgling stream right down the property, a wooden footbridge, tall pines – what more could a bride ask for??  If the usually trickling stream had any indication of the strength of their love, the rising water only bid wonderful things to come.

Jessica was awestruck when she saw the venue for the first time.  Believe it or not, she had never seen the lakefront property until the day before her wedding.  Thank goodness her groom Spencer got this right!  Living on the East Coast but growing up coming to Lake Tahoe, Spencer had a feeling this was the place for them.

Talented photographer Allyson Wiley worked her magic capturing the charming ceremony and celebration to follow.  Rich, succulent fall colors played to the season and beauty of the property.  The singing and dancing into the night with their closest of close friends and family, was the beginning of their fairytale…

 

 

Tall pines loomed over their lakeside ceremony area with cheerfully colored blooms lining the aisle.  One of my favorite moments was when Jessica crossed the footbridge with her dad and Spencer saw her for the first time.  You could feel the energy between the two!  A large white classic tent with crystal chandeliers set the mood for the party to follow…   And as always, the silent guest known as Lake Tahoe spun its magic and did its part!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Table-‘E’scape Wedding Design | Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Weddings

With so much wedding inspiration on the world wide web these days, it is very easy for a bride to become overwhelmed with all the design choices and styles.  And I am just talking about the dining tables!  Having a beautifully set table at your wedding can be something to look forward to or a daunting task.  The great joy of designing a stylish table-scape is to have fun with it.  Start small in your own home with your own dining table and engage in a little table-‘E’scape.

A few simple tips can make your own cupboards a bin of inspiration.  An organized pantry will allow you to access items easily and you will be more likely to remember these settings and use them.  Stack collections of similar colors on open shelves.  Baskets can store table linens, napkins, napkin rings and candles.

 

 

First rule is there are no rules but just a few simple guidelines to observe…

  1. Begin with stocking your pantry with basic white dishes.  More the better with oversize bowls and platters…  Food pops off white plates but don’t be afraid to accessorize with colorful accents.
  2. Silverware can vary from your grandmother’s antiques to flea market finds.  Mix and match is a ‘do’ as well if you don’t have complete sets.
  3. Collect place mats and napkins in different colors to compliment your china.  Napkins can match or contrast.  They can be folded a million ways, be placed on top, next to or under the plate.  Napkin rings are further embellishment and come in a variety of styles and materials.
  4. Runners are great on a bare wooden table top or placed on a linen tablecloth.  A tablecloth creates a sense of formality and helps define the mood.
  5. Candles.  Lots and lots of candles – votives and pillars – create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
  6. Use color as your organizing principle.  A single color can have a terrific impact too.

 

 

Add your own personal style to your table by looking around your home for inspiration.  After a few nights of reenacting Top Chef with your favorite friends and breaking in different place settings, your own dining table will be a breeding ground of ideas.  Start to play with china shapes, complimentary color families, different textures – the sky is your limit!

Now it is time to tackle the table-scape for your wedding reception!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

 

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In the Pages of the Knot Northern California | Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Weddings

The Knot Northern California hand picked this Lake Tahoe lakeside wedding as one of the 11 perfect real weddings in their 2012 Spring/Summer issue.  The setting, one of Hollywood’s most famous lakefront locations, spoke for itself.  I remember during set-up one of the band members whispered to me, “This reminds me of the Godfather and sure looks like the place from it.”  I whispered back, “It is…”.  He pretty much ran out of the tent right then and there to start taking photos!

This wedding had it all – from the gorgeous woodie boat that delivered Andrew and his entourage to the ceremony to the infinite number of rustic, yet nautical, charming details to Courtney’s adorable kelly green cardigan she ‘donned’ as the fall air grew cool…  So many details, impressive on their own, were but the supporting cast to the main show itself:  the unforgettable wedding and following celebration for Courtney and Andrew.

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Looking for more?  Check out our earlier blog post – Classic Lake Tahoe Wedding – full of fabulous photo boards from Courtney & Andrew’s wedding day.

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Bridal Showers – What’s In & What’s Out | Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Weddings

Bridal showers go hand in hand with weddings so whether you are hosting one for your closest friend or you are the toast of the day, you want your bridal shower to be a fun, fresh and memorable time!  Yours Truly from Lake Tahoe gave Fabulous Living.com a couple ideas on how to breathe a little life into bridal showers.  For the full post, here it is – Bridal Showers: Games Are Out, Activities Are In! .  So out with the games and bring on the activities that will get guests talking and bonding!

Highlights:

 

1)  A Wine Tasting – have each guest bring a bottle (label covered) or supply a few as the hostess.  Have a blind ‘tasting’ and vote on the best one.  Even separate with a white wine and a red wine.  If you are true connoisseurs, you can get as detailed as voting on different varietals.  Great idea is to have the winning bottle or bottles make an encore appearance at the wedding reception!

 

2)  Glam Photo Shoot – bring in a professional photographer and capture the day with a photo session.  Theme or activity will add to the the fun.  Check out our blog post just on this topic alone – Your BFF’s Glam Photo Shoot.

 

 

3)  Floral Design – a brilliant idea from Kristi Pohly, owner of Fleur Decor in Denver, Colorado.  Treat your guests to a crash floral design course.  Hire a designer to supply the flowers and teach the how-to’s.  The vase is a great party favor, not to mention the arrangement you bring home (bonus is that you created it yourself!).

 

 

4)  Cupcake Decorating – from Claudia Copquin, founder/editor of Long Island’s bridal blog – GettingMarriedonLongIsland.com.   A fun (and yummy) way to spend an afternoon is decorating cupcakes.  Provide stations for the toppings – the more the better.  From custom aprons for the guests to awarding the prettiest, silliest or most original cupcake decor, this will be a great activity for a shower.

 

Happy Party Planning,

 

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