Ashley and Jeff’s August wedding was definitely not par for the course! What a celebration they had on their wedding day from their late afternoon nuptuals to dancing their hearts out wee into the night. Nor wind, nor rain (at least the threat of) could keep this party down!
Due to the 35-40 mph gusty wind conditions, their 200+ closest friends adjourned to the indoor ceremony inside the 16,000 square foot mansion. With their wedding party assembled on the marble staircase above, Ashley and Jeff exchanged their vows while their guests looked on in the standing-room only living room. This turned out to be the most intimate and closely knit ceremony setting they could have ever asked for.
The gorgeous aquas/lime greens found in her bridesmaids’ dresses echoed Ashley’s elegant beach party wedding style. Her dining tables clothed in similarly hued linen perched above the white sandy beach. White, aqua and lime green with dashes of chocolate brown colored her wedding day.
Ashley adores birdies (of all types) and these feathered creatures alighted everywhere from the tablescapes to dangling alongside prism crystals in the trees and branch arrangements. Classic white flowers from orchids to tulips to gardenias to soft roses were complimented by organic elements of birch twigs, reindeer moss and clear marbles.
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Photography by Jay Reilly
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Good food and family run strong on both sides. A labor of love, Jeff’s mother baked hundreds and hundreds of cookies that filled the glass pedestals on the dessert bar (and later everyone’s tummies!). Custom coasters unveiled one of the treasured cookie recipes while coasters of another type revealed Ashley’s family’s secret baked bean recipe served during the cocktail style reception.
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Photography by Jay Reilly
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Mother Nature tried to rattle this day with her gusty wind but nothing could tarnish Ashley and Jeff’s beautiful wedding day!
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Claire and Cole met each other, of all places, in the Reno International Airport. Walking past him, Claire gave him a double look, and not for the obvious reasons, but because of Cole’s certain man accessory. What was the accessory you ask? A fanny pack. A few jokes and banter led to seats together on the plane…
This past August they said their “I Do’s” above the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe. Claire’s color palette was ivories, creams, champagnes and touches of black. Her inspiration for the day was her beautiful Enzoani wedding dress which has a glamourous vintage feel to it with the rouched bodice accented with gorgeous beaded floral rosettes.
She complimented her gown’s style by adding a bronze sash with beaded floral rosettes to her bridesmaids’ black dresses. Cole and his groomsmen sported black suits with the retro addition of black Converse’s on their feet. xxxx
Elements of black lace, black and champagne feathers, antique pearls and sparkling beading were woven throughout the ceremony and the reception. Ivory and champagne feathers graced the black vintage ceremony urns and within Claire’s bridal bouquet. The black feathers also added a striking contrast within the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Black petals carved a “W” in the ivory petal carpeted aisle and the adorable flower girl carried a black basket.
Champagne linen with black lace toppers dressed the cocktail tables, centerpiece vases wore cream lace and black ribbon while black sequined pillows sparkled on the white couches in the lounge area. The center of their super cute dessert buffet was a simple and stunning double tiered wedding cake accessorized with lace and pearl-beaded floral rosettes.
Claire wanted all her guests to sigh and say, “That was so Claire!” at the end of the day and I think we succeeded! In tribute to their fateful first meeting, everyone departed their reception each with their own ‘man bag’ fanny pack! xxxx
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Ginger and Brannan had just a few butterflies on their wedding day but definitely not of the stomach kind! These two knew at ‘first paper-shredder’ that they had something special, strong and lasting between them. Fast forward to their glorious 2010 Lake Tahoe private estate wedding with amazing views of not only the crystal blue Lake but the Sierras surrounding it.
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Ginger wore a stunning lace Amy Kuschel gown and she selected a chocolate brown Coren Moore bridesmaid dress to compliment this. We summerized the look by adding splashes of light/dark pinks, purples and tangerine orange throughout the reception – in the bouquets, centerpieces, menus, paper lanterns and the scrumptious dessert tower. The Monterey blue sash of the brown dress was also mimicked on ribbons wrapping the floral vases. Whimsical touches of butterflies alighted on top floral and food arrangements while cute floral stamps accented the paper decor everywhere. These colorful accents added to the festive mood of their wedding day!
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As the wooden sign says that Ginger & Brannan displayed at their reception – “Love Much, Laugh Often, Live Well”… and so it was on their beautiful wedding day. We know it will be well beyond too!
xxxx For those of you who adore the vibrant autumn colors of orange, persimmon, burgundy and brown, you will ‘fall‘ for Vanessa & Scott’s Tahoe lakefront wedding. Destination I Do Magazine did and this richly hued Fall wedding is currently featured in their beautiful publication out in the stores now. xxxx
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Below is Vanessa’s Wedding Board – I couldn’t resist throwing together with some of the subtle details, that combined, made this an impressive color feast. Gold and pine wood complimented the natural, Tahoe-inspired look she wanted. Loose moss, stray branches and river rocks nicely contradicted the gold chargers and gold-edged table frames which comprised the tablescape. Celebrating Vanessa’s Swedish heritage, two intertwining heart wreaths were hung above their head table. xxxx
Photos courtesy by Dave Getzschman of Ben Chrisman Photography
xxxx The one thing though that I will never forget, is not found in the details on the final wedding day, but rather lies in the first day that I met this incredible couple. We chatted, strapped on some snowshoes like old friends and scouted out their ideal wedding site in several feet of snow. Now that is true Tahoe style.
This charming, but not so small, homespun wedding graced the store shelves in the ultra classy Destination I Do magazine last Spring. If you missed the issue, here’s your second chance – Destination I Do 2010 Spring.
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Kat came to me with several “musts” that she wanted to incorporate into her wedding – a natural, organic feel with muted colors, an Italian touch or two and a setting inspired by the era of “A River Runs Through It”. This is what we came with up after 16 months of planning…
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Their lakeside ceremony was attended by 220 guests, all mesmerized with the unforgettable site of the couple reciting their touching vows just steps away from Lake Tahoe. Katherine wore a lace Carolina Herrera wedding gown. Her bridesmaids wore a modern olive number by Thread – we loved the pockets!
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Ivy wrapped shepherd hooks holding overflowing copper pails blooming with lavender, wheat and hues of orange & white florals marked the aisle path along with a smattering of soft orange, apricot and white rose petals. These elements were mirrored by the square willow arch framing the altar.
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Coming from avid fly-fishing families, these touches were woven throughout the reception from the river rock in the mason jars, to the fly fishing baskets containing goodies staged all over, to the fishing flies tied along with wheat plumes to each of their guests’ place cards. As a surprise to their family members, the couple displayed photos on the place card table of fishing trips enjoyed through the years.
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xxxxx Custom wagon-wheel chandeliers with antique lanterns dangled overhead, very reminiscent of an earlier time. Olive swags were added to the napkins along with a white flower tied with a silk cord. These were the perfect touches for marrying the “A River Runs Through It” and Tuscany vibes of the wedding.
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With Fall nearly upon us, we are busy finalizing the amazing details and touches to several 2010 September weddings. In anticipation of these, we would like to treat you to a flashback to one our favorite autumn weddings from 2009 – Jessica & Gavin. I first met with Jessica a year prior to begin helping her turn their Tahoe lakefront family home into the just right setting for the festivities. Purples, burgundies and greens visually exploded in this colorful wedding. The gals over at Style Me Pretty couldn’t resist this stunning combination either and they blogged about this elegant backyard wedding too.
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