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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

two portraits of bride and groom standing on a walkway in woods at their lake tahoe wedding

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.)

portrait of bride and groom in woods at their lake tahoe wedding

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!

black and white photos of groom putting his tie on,  and bride sitting in her wedding gown on the side of a bed before their lake tahoe wedding
photos of bridal gown handing up in window
bridesmaids smiling at bride as she finished getting dressed for her wedding day
The bridal party’s reaction is always priceless. Andy was such a lovely bride!

photo of liquor bottles and a separate photo of groom putting on his tie
photo of groom and groomsmen having a toast before lake tahoe wedding
This whole crew was so laid-back and chill!

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?!

series of three photos of bride and groom having their first look before their lake tahoe wedding ceremony began
two portraits of bride and groom having an intimate moment seeing each other before their lake tahoe wedding
bride and groom kissing in tall wooded area of lake tahoe before their wedding ceremony began

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. 

photo of chairs setup at mitchells meadows, a lake tahoe wedding venue, prior to a wedding ceremony starting
photo of wedding setup at mitchells meadows wedding venue in lake tahoe

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.

photo collage of sentimental photo area for guests to sign in at lake tahoe wedding at mitchells meadows

Time for the ceremony to start!

bride walking down the aisle to meet her groom at their lake tahoe wedding at mitchells meadows venue
bride and groom with bridal party at lake tahoe wedding
bride reading her vows to groom during their lake tahoe ceremony
wedding photo of bride, groom, and bridesmaids during lake tahoe wedding ceremony
bride and groom exchanging rings in an intimate wedding ceremony outdoors in lake tahoe area

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.

collage of photos of speakers giving the seven blessings during a lake tahoe wedding ceremony
groom stomping on glass as part of their Jewish wedding tradition
photos of guests sitting at an outdoor wedding at mitchells meadows for a lake tahoe wedding ceremony
photos of guests sitting at an outdoor wedding at mitchells meadows for a lake tahoe wedding ceremony
portrait of bride and groom kissing after saying, "I do" in Lake Tahoe
bride and groom walking down the aisle with arms clasped in the air

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. 

portrait of bride and groom walking in wooded area of lake tahoe holding lanterns after their wedding ceremony
portrait of bride and groom in woods at their lake tahoe wedding
portraits of woman and man after their lake tahoe wedding ceremony. couple is standing in a field with a haze behind them from fire season
portraits of woman and man after their lake tahoe wedding ceremony. couple is standing in a field with a haze behind them from fire season
black and white portraits of wedding couple at their lake tahoe ceremony
black and white portraits of groom embracing his bride
I LOVE documenting the really intimate moments for couples like this. It feels like a stolen moment away from the busy day.


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!

bride taking a shot before cocktail hour at wedding
photo collage of guests with bride and groom mingling at cocktail hour
bride showing her ring to a wedding guest during cocktail hour at lake tahoe wedding

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!

bride and groom entering wedding reception with kids blowing bubbles at them with bubble guns
bride and groom at the wedding reception table giving thank you speaches

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

wedding party and bride and groom at lake tahoe wedding
collage of guests in attendance of a wedding reception at lake tahoe wedding
collage of couple and guests dancing at reception during lake tahoe wedding

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.

collage of posed family photos at lake tahoe wedding at mitchells meadows
collage of posed family photos at lake tahoe wedding at mitchells meadows
collage of posed family photos at lake tahoe wedding at mitchells meadows

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!

collage of wedding photos of bride and groom during their lake tahoe wedding

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.

bride and groom laughing during golf cart ride during wedding reception
This candid moment of Andy and Noah on the golf cart is so fun! The buses were nice too, especially for the larger groups.

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!

portrait of bride and groom in a field at sunset during their lake tahoe wedding

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!

fun wedding portraits of bride with bridal party and groom with his groomsman
Andy and Noah are truly blessed. As you can see, they have great friends to love, laugh, and support them through life.

Vendor Shout Out

table decor and flowers at lake tahoe wedding reception at mitchells meadows

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

photo of bar setup at lake tahoe wedding recepiton

black and white portrait of bride and groom kissing at their lake tahoe wedding in the woods

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! 

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