Lake Tahoe Elopement Photographer

Crystal blue waters and a secluded, sandy beach. A lofty granite ridgetop with views of distant peaks. Maybe a quiet clearing in a forest of towering pine trees. What if you skipped the big, traditional wedding? What if you chose this as your wedding venue instead? I am a professional Lake Tahoe elopement photographer and I want to help you have a beautiful, memorable day in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

How I can Help You:

  • Suggestions for the best places and times to elope in Lake Tahoe, based on your own personal vision and preferences
  • Recommendations for the best Lake Tahoe elopement support team – officiants, makeup and hair, florists, and bakers
  • Candid, documentary style photography that captures the beautiful setting and tells the unique story of your Lake Tahoe elopement
A small Lake Tahoe micro wedding offers more time to enjoy your amazing day, with less stress around logistics, planning, and expenses.
If you want to be close to the lake, you can elope next to Lake Tahoe’s crystal blue water.
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful place to elope in California.
If you love being in the mountains, you can elope on a lofty granite ridgetop.

Eloping in Lake Tahoe: Make the Day an Adventure That YOU Want

Eloping in Lake Tahoe can be the perfect adventure of your own choosing. It could be just the two of you. Perhaps a couple of close friends will be there too. Depending on how you feel, you may decide to share the experience with immediate family as well. The most important thing is that you decide how it goes.

For many couples, a Lake Tahoe elopement means less stress about other people’s expectations. It means more freedom to experience a day that authentically reflects who you are. There are many places to elope in Lake Tahoe that are not far from the car. On the other hand, what if you made it a longer outing? A little bit of hiking often means fewer crowds, better views, and more time to enjoy the experience together.

The climb to an Eagle Rock Tahoe elopement is steep, but not long. It takes most reasonably fit people anywhere from 10-20 minutes of hiking.

Planning Your Dream Lake Tahoe Elopement Day

The most important part of getting married is the two of you. But since you’re in charge, how do you imagine some of the details of your elopement? What time of year is it? Are you near the water, or are you up in the mountains? Do you want other people to be there with you? Are there any fun activities you want to do during your visit to the area? Depending on your vision, planning your dream Lake Tahoe elopement can be as simple or detailed as you like.

Lake Tahoe is a large area and there are always a few logistics worth keeping in mind. I photographed my first wedding in Lake Tahoe more than ten years ago. Photographing countless weddings of all sizes over the past decade means I can help make your dream Lake Tahoe elopement come true. Perhaps you are wondering, how accessible are the most beautiful places to elope in Lake Tahoe? How do we get there, and how long does it take? Taking into account that half of Tahoe is in California and the other half is in Nevada, what are the permit requirements at different locations around the lake? What if it is raining, snowing, windy, or hailing (this can happen year round)? Is there someone who can perform a unique, personalized ceremony for us, even if they haven’t known us for years?

My Wife & I Eloped: A Few Thoughts on Tradition & Deciding What Matters Most

Some couples get held up on an outdated definition of what it means to elope. I can relate- my wife and I experienced this ourselves! For months, we considered a large wedding. We went back and forth between locations and guest lists. It was stressful. We didn’t feel like we were making any progress. Most importantly, the more we tried to figure out how to satisfy everyone else’s needs, the less comfortable we felt about being at the center of our own wedding day. Finally, we decided to elope!

The best part of eloping these days is that it looks different for everyone. Ultimately, it should be exactly what you need it to be for YOU. In our case, we signed our marriage license at home in Lake Tahoe. A local officiant married us at a secluded cove on the shores of the lake, with just a couple friends in attendance. A few days later, we did a second version with some immediate family and close friends on a sandy beach in Baja California. Ultimately, we married in a way that felt right for us.

You might choose to invite friends or family to your Lake Tahoe elopement. Conversely, you might choose not to invite or tell anyone about your elopement until you get home. In some cases, couples share their plans, and allow others to support them in other ways. I believe that anyone who loves us will want us to be true to ourselves and be happy.

My wife and I signed our marriage license at home in Lake Tahoe, and eloped on a secluded sandy beach. (Photo above by Jon Menezes.)

A few days after our Lake Tahoe Ceremony, we shared another small ceremony with family in Mexico. This was the right-sized solution for us! (Photo above by Bernd Zeugswetter.)