Adventurous Lake Tahoe Elopement on Emerald Bay: Lake Tahoe Elopement Guide
Ania & Bryant always knew they wanted an epic elopement day filled with beautiful views and adventuring. Originally they thought they wanted to elope just the two of them, but some life experiences quickly made them realize that they wanted their immediate family present on such an important day. We balanced the adventure elopement experience and time to celebrate with family by splitting the day in half, which I’ll talk more about below!
Backing up a little bit, Ania & Bryant originally were supposed to get married at Arches National Park, but unfortunately COVID-19 forced plans to change, so they decided to move their elopement to a place close to home that they both loved: Lake Tahoe. They eloped right on Lake Tahoe’s famous viewpoint, Emerald Bay, alongside their closest friends and family. After a midday lunch & celebration, Ania & Bryant and I headed out for a sunset elopement hike to adventure and explore just the two of them, ending the day doing something they love to do.
Keep reading all about Ania & Bryant’s Lake Tahoe elopement, and how you can include immediate family in your adventure elopement.
Lake Tahoe Elopement
Did you know Lake Tahoe is the biggest alpine lake in North America? The lake is so large that it is actually split into two separate parts, North and South Lake Tahoe. Ania & Bryant eloped in South Lake Tahoe, near the Emerald Bay Viewpoint. This is one of the most scenic elopement locations in Lake Tahoe, and is perfect for bringing guests because it is right off the parking lot, making it super accessible for everyone to get to.
Ania & Bryant started off their morning exploring & taking photos around Emerald Bay. Afterwards, we met up with everyone in the parking lot and set up for the ceremony. One common misconception about elopements is that you can’t do anything traditional on your day. This is not true at all!! Elopements are all about including the parts of a wedding day that are important to you and leaving out any traditions you don’t feel are necessary. For Ania, it was super important to her to have her dad walk her down the aisle. This was one of the sweetest moments and Ania later told me those are some of her favorite photos from the whole day. Ania & Bryant had their wedding party stand with them for their ceremony, in a more traditional style, because they were such an important part of the day. They then had a beautiful ceremony with some tear-jerking vows, surrounded by everyone who matters most to them.
Once the ceremony was over, we took some more ‘traditional’ family wedding photos. Just because elopements are less traditional doesn’t mean you can’t add these important family moments to them! Family photos are super important memories that get passed down for generations to come! I always recommend adding in time even for just a handful of these photos!
By the time we finished photos, everyone was ready to celebrate! We headed back to this huge cabin that’s perfect for their Lake Tahoe elopement celebration. They planned a catered lunch, cut a BEAUTIFUL cake, and ate some delicious pastries. We then planned a midday break to digest before meeting back up at the trailhead back near Lake Tahoe for our adventure elopement portion of the day.
After a satisfying rest, Ania & Bryant threw on their hiking clothes and set out to explore more of Lake Tahoe. We took an epic hiking trail with beautiful mountain, lake, and forest views. Ania & Bryant changed back into their wedding attire when we arrived at the lake for some golden hour photos & exploring.
We hiked back down after sunset, with a huge full moon rise over Lake Tahoe to wrap up this perfect day.
How To Elope in Lake Tahoe
Step 1: Pick a Time of Year for your Lake Tahoe Elopement
The best time of year to elope at Lake Tahoe (to avoid crowds but still have optimal warm weather) is from May-June and End of September-October. There will be less summer crowds compared to July & August, while still having warm enough weather to enjoy being outside.
Lake Tahoe is known for its summer & winter activities. In the summer, Lake Tahoe has a bunch of beautiful places to explore and options to kayak, rent jet skis, boating, swimming, hiking, and so much more. In the winter, Lake Tahoe turns into a winter sport hub with the ability to ski/snowboard, snowshoe, snowmobile, and snow tube.
Step 2: Find the Best Lake Tahoe Elopement Location
While there are dozens of locations to elope in the area, here are some of the best spots for your Lake Tahoe Elopement:
Emerald Bay
D.L. Bliss State Park
Sugar Pine Point State Park
Step 3: Get Proper Lake Tahoe Elopement Permits & Reservations
Depending on what area you want to have your ceremony at, most locations require a permit that you can learn more about here.
Step 4: Choose Vendors & Create your Elopement Timeline
If you’re looking for help with everything mentioned above, that’s where hiring a photographer who specializes in elopements can help. As an adventure elopement photographer, I help couples plan their dream elopement day. From finding the best locations, getting proper permits & licenses, finding places to stay, creating a timeline, I’m here from the beginning to create the adventurous wedding day of your dreams. If this sounds like exactly what you’re looking for, contact me by clicking the button below! I’d love to chat!
LOOKING TO PLAN YOUR OWN LAKE TAHOE ELOPEMENT?
THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR!
HEY, I’M AMANDA.
I’m an adventurous travel elopement photographer who believes in experiencing all that life has to offer. I truly love connecting with my couples and capturing their relationship authentically and genuinely.
I BELIEVE YOUR WEDDING DAY SHOULD BE AS ADVENTUROUS, AS BREATHTAKING, AND UNIQUE AS YOU WANT IT TO BE.
Life is made up of moments, and when we are old and wrinkly, I want you to look back on life and remember all of the crazy & amazing memories you had, not the things you owned.
I work with couples to help their perfect adventure elopement! From picking the perfect elopement spot, creating a timeline, finding where to stay, obtaining proper permits & licenses and so much more!
