Lake Tahoe Beach Wedding Inspiration

Obviously we’re pretty exciting about the cooler weather these days — enter this beautiful shoot from Lilly Red Creative, Audere Events, and Petal to the Metal, which takes a real engaged couple back to the spot where groom-to-be Matt proposed to his belle Cheyenne. What better location to show off that incredible Hayley Paige gown?

From the bride-to-be, Cheyenne: Four years ago Matt and I started dating after bonding over our mutual loves for off-roading, big trucks, Dutch Brothers Coffee and the Oregon Ducks. As with any relationship, we had to find a balance of spending holidays between our two families. After spending Christmas in Northern California with Matt’s family, we decided to spend our New Year in Lake Tahoe. New Year 2013 was our first New Year together and we had a blast attending Snowglobe Music Festival and exploring Lake Tahoe. We took pictures on the beach and something about the view and the moment gave us an overwhelming sense of love and satisfaction for one another. It became tradition for us to spend every New Year after that in Tahoe and to my surprise, this last New Year the love of my life asked me to marry him at Sand Harbor. The best part is, I told him to continue driving because I did not want to pay the mandatory $7 parking fee to enter the park. Thankfully, he stuck to his guns and took me through the toll to one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever seen, walked me up to two perfectly posed pine cones (I collect pine cones and am mildly obsessed with large ones) on the edge of the water, got down on one knee and asked me to be his best friend for the rest of our lives. I shed a tear, asked him if he was sure, and with an overwhelming sense of joy kissed him and said “Absolutely. One hundred percent. YES!” Tahoe is so special to us for so many reasons, we will forever come back to visit as a reminder of our love for one another and our special friendship. Not everybody has the opportunity to say they get to marry their best friend, but I DO.

From the photographer, Lilly Red Creative: Sand Harbor Beach sits on the shores of Lake Tahoe, it has a majestic view and grand boulders dotting the shoreline. It’s also a place that has special meaning to Cheyenne, as it’s where she said “yes” to her husband-to-be. She is tying the knot this August after getting engaged at the very spot we shot at. What started off as an opportunity to showoff a stunning wedding dress, quickly grew into something more. We were excited to bring them back to such a meaningful place where they decided to take the next steps in their relationship. And we combined that with a bridal inspiration so that Cheyenne could experience being a bride in Tahoe in its purest, wintry form. The weather was being as tumultuous and unpredictable, but in the end we blue skies and the fresh powder that we were only hoping for. We trekked through the snow and onto the beaches and over massive boulders and couldn’t have asked for more.

The dress was a long sleeve by Hayley Paige with layers of tulle, that provided warmth from the elements. We added a vintage fur piece for when the winter sun was hidden and Cheyenne needed some more warmth. We opted for a small rectangular table, draped in a stunning La Tavola Linen, topped with carefully curated place settings from Anthropologie‘s home collection. Keeping with the Tahoe elements, we used wooden chairs and wooden lanterns to adorn the setting. Dramatic hooded chairs formed a romantic lounge setting for the couple, to be accented with lilac votives and arrangements of greenery. Paper came from Fig + Flourish, with water color elements and hand calligraphy to coordinate with our color scheme and desired romantic feel. A cozy dessert table held yummy sweets and a gourmet hot chocolate. We brought along our Newfoundland bear dog Peppa, who felt at home in the snow and frozen water. She was happy to be featured with a floral collar — anything for an extra treat or three.