Lake Tahoe Wedding at Mitchells Meadows

Andy & Noah’s Gorgeous Lake Tahoe Wedding

I have to say, being a Lake Tahoe wedding photographer sure has its perks. Having the opportunity to photograph forever love in a place as gorgeous as this makes me want to pinch myself!

As the largest Alpine lake in North America, Tahoe is one of those places that you must see to believe. Packed full of wilderness and places to explore, it’s perfect for adventure-loving couples. So, if you’re playing around with the idea of getting hitched while surrounded by breathtaking scenery, a Lake Tahoe wedding might just be for you.

If you’re considering a Lake Tahoe wedding, scroll down to see how Andy and Noah planned their day.

I’m also sharing tips on:

• The best time of year for a Tahoe wedding
• How to navigate fire season
• Transportation options
• Communicating in remote areas without cell coverage

I had the pleasure of photographing Andy and Noah as they celebrated their special day; it was truly magical! They had their ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception at Mitchells Meadows (more on the venue below.)

A Stunning Lake Tahoe Wedding

Before escaping to Lake Tahoe for their wedding day, I met Andy and Noah in person for the first time while bonding over a barbeque! I just so happened to be visiting the area while they hosted a barbeque, so they invited me over! Since we didn’t have an engagement photo session, this was the perfect opportunity to get comfortable with each other before their wedding day, and it was a blast! I even met some of their closest friends and their sweet pup named Anastasia! (Best name!)

Andy had the best laugh and was super chill (my favorite kind of bride!) And Noah is an incredibly nice guy whose love just poured out for Andy. It was touching to see and made me even more excited to photograph their wedding day!

Now let’s fast forward to the day we’ve all been waiting for: their gorgeous Lake Tahoe wedding! The whole day from start to finish, was an incredibly joyous occasion! You could see it on everyone’s faces from the very beginning, starting with Andy and Noah prepping separately for their day!

Andy & Noah’s First Look

I always love when couples choose to do a first look before the ceremony. It’s an intimate moment between the couple and gives them a chance to calm any nerves they might have. And it gives me a chance to capture the first moment they see each other in a more personal setting. It’s always a win/win in my eyes! Aren’t they adorable?!

Lake Tahoe Wedding Venue: Mitchell’s Meadows

The ceremony and reception took place at Mitchell’s Meadows in Truckee, one of the better known towns in Tahoe. The venue is a privately owned property with over 80 acres of gorgeous land. It’s so sought after that they only host 12 weddings per year. So if you’re in love with these photos, you’ll want to reach out to them to book your date ASAP! 

I met one of the owners, Pam, who was incredibly helpful throughout the day. She told me the view from the ceremony site typically has amazing mountain views. But due to the haze and smoke from the seasonal fires, I couldn’t see them on this day. While I’m not typically a fan of fire haze, it added a nice touch to these photos, and I was diggin’ it! 

Mitchell’s Meadows is surrounded by gorgeous greenery, tall trees, and has a whimsical character to it. Oh, and did I mention that it was remote and private? So it was great for hosting an intimate ceremony. 

Andy & Noah’s guest book area was so sweet and sentimental. Noah’s father passed away about 20 years ago, and it was a special way for them to include him, and other loved ones who have passed away, into their wedding day.

Time for the ceremony to start!

They incorporated some cool Jewish traditions like stomping on the glass and having family and friends come up during the ceremony and give the seven blessings.

After the two tied the knot, we snuck away for some couple’s photos in the meadows during sunset, which is so dreamy! We also got some gorgeous shots of the two on swings and pretty walkways. 

Cocktail Hour & Wedding Reception

Cocktail hour followed the couple’s photos, and everyone had a great time mingling and celebrating with the couple. It started to get a bit chilly by this time, and the fur wrap Andy wore with her dress was so stylish and kept her cozy…along with the shot she took in this photo! Ha!

After cocktail hour, Andy and Noah made their grand entrance to the reception with bubbles! Seriously, how fun is that?! The kids loved playing with the bubble guns any chance they got, which was really cute!

From here, they had a fun, lighthearted reception full of laughter, good food, and dancing, of course!

Tips on Getting Married in Lake Tahoe

As breathtaking as Lake Tahoe is, there are a few things to note before making any final arrangements. First things first: best times to schedule a wedding in Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe Wedding Seasons 

Lake Tahoe’s wedding season typically ranges from June through mid-September because of the weather. It’s a short window of opportunity, but it’s well worth it, in my opinion. If you’re not from the area, the ground could still be covered in snow during May. And while June may still be cold, it’s totally doable. That’s where the June-mid September wedding season dates come into play.

There are some venues you could get away with choosing a later date for, but for Mitchell’s Meadows, their last wedding date was late September. They said it was too risky to schedule a wedding in October.

But as you can tell from the group photos below, most of the day was pretty comfortable, in terms of weather. Toward the evening time, it got a bit chilly, but nothing too bad. This venue and time of year was absolutely perfect.

Navigating Fire Season

Now that you’ve narrowed down wedding months, next up is navigating fire season.

Fires usually happen in the area from July to September. But as unpredictable as Mother Nature can be, who really knows? Just make sure to do your research and plan accordingly!

Transportation 

Depending on your wedding party’s size, you have some options for getting around. For Andy and Noah’s wedding, they rented buses to shuttle people to the venue while some guests (not many) drove. 

The reception area wasn’t too far from the ceremony site, but it was not an ideal walking distance for everyone. So it was helpful that the venue had several golf carts to shuttle people back and forth.

Communication 

While I’m all for an unplugged ceremony, there was virtually no phone reception here. Having walkie-talkies would have been incredibly helpful to have at this location. For example, when I wanted to find out if the reception area was set up, I had to walk up to check. It wasn’t the “ideal situation” running back and forth, but I got my steps in! 

You may even consider having a wedding planner with walkies for the day. Either way, I learned my lesson, and I’m happy to pass it along. Do yourself a favor and grab walkie-talkies to make communication easier!

Andy and Noah’s day was incredible! It’s always challenging to pick a handful of photos to represent an entire wedding day, but I think these ones have told their story pretty well. There was breathtaking scenery, new memories were made, and love was all around!

Vendor Shout Out

A special shout out to these amazing vendors who helped make Andy and Noah’s wedding beautiful and exactly how they envisioned it!

• Venue & Reception: Mitchells Meadows
• Food & Cake: Mountain Magic Catering
• Camelot Rentals
• Coordinator: Sam Davis
• Florals: Meg (family friend)
• Decorator: Andy’s Aunts
• HMUA: Missy Moffatt

If you’re ready to get hitched in one of the most beautiful places North America has to offer,  

I’d be honored to be your Lake Tahoe Wedding photographer!

Send me a note, and we’ll get to planning all the details of your big day!