Everline Resort and Spa is an award-winning resort with breathtaking views of mountain peaks, majestic pine trees, and Olympic Valley. This magical setting is the perfect backdrop for any special event, which makes it one of my favorite places to photograph a wedding.
At this Everline Resort wedding, the bride and groom wanted a beautiful album with candid photos that captured the feeling of their wedding day. They also wanted scenic photos that showed the incredible natural surroundings. Since I specialize in candid photos with a documentary style, they decided I would be the right photographer for their big day. Since I photograph weddings here frequently and know the venue well, they felt confident in my approach and that I could deliver some gorgeous sunset photos in the meadow.
Getting Ready
If you have a large bridal party, or would just like a little more space, I recommend the larger suites for pre-ceremony photos. The larger rooms mean less clutter in background of photos, and bigger windows generally mean brighter, more flattering light.
In this case, I photographed the bride and her 8 bridesmaids one of the smaller hotel rooms. While this isn’t ideal, I am all about taking those lemons and making some lemonade. After photographing hundreds of weddings in my career, I know how to work with practically any lighting situation and floor plan. So, I took advantage of some creative lighting and strategic angles to focus on the bride’s joy and capture her loving friends helping prepare for the ceremony.
Before I photograph a wedding, I like to know who will be in the wedding party and who will be helping you get ready before the ceremony. Knowing that the bride and her maid of honor are very close, I kept my camera ready for special moments like this.
I love this minimalist black and white portrait of the bride in front of a large window, showing off the back of her dress and the bridal wings pinned onto shoulders.
In order to capture special moments throughout the day, I keep my eyes open and my camera ready. When it comes to documenting fleeting laughter, tears, and loving glances, timing is everything. I love the photo below, yet another beautiful moment between the bride and her maid of honor.
Afternoon Portraits
An important part of my technical skillset is knowing how to work with bright midday mountain sun. I like to shoot a few portraits throughout the day, especially at a picturesque venue like this. For one thing, I always love a romantic silhouette. And at this wedding I realized that the bridal wings on the bride’s dress bounced additional fill light onto the couple’s faces, eliminating shadows and lighting up a beautiful moment between the bride and groom.
Wedding Ceremony
The 10th Tee of the Golf Course is a popular summertime ceremony site at Everline Resort and Spa. Check out that view!
This couple’s ceremony started at 4:30pm, which is common for Lake Tahoe weddings during the summer. This schedule avoids the midday heat, and allows for a timely transition to cocktail hour and the reception. However, the light is still bright in these mountains at 4:30pm!
When I photograph a wedding at Everline Resort, I choose my lenses, my focal lengths, and my shooting angles carefully. The most important thing is that I capture the key moments, the loving glances, the laughter, and maybe even a teardrop or two.
The Pavilion Reception
This couple hosted their reception at The Pavilion, which is one of the largest outdoor reception options at Everline Resort & Spa. In the photos below, you can see the view from their sweetheart table, as well as an overview perspective of the entire area.
After the ceremony and some family portraits, the bride and groom made their grand entrance into the reception area, immediately followed by their graceful first dance as a married couple.
Cutting the wedding cake is a traditional part of the wedding day. While some couples like to be the center of attention while they cut their wedding cake, I photograph many weddings without attention surrounding this event. But that doesn’t mean the bride won’t smash cake in her groom’s face!
Sunset Bride and Groom Portraits
This is one of the most scenic places for sunset photos on your wedding day. At any time of year, timing is key for these pictures. Too early and the sun can be too bright. If you’re late, you will miss those last rays of light before they set behind Granite Chief Peak. At this wedding, we timed it perfectly and I used my creative eye to make some artistic and romantic wedding portraits of the bride and groom.
Wedding Speeches and Dancing at The Pavilion
As the sun set behind the mountains, wedding party and family members entertained guests with speeches and toasts. Traditional dances with parents followed afterwards. Be sure to check out the last photo below, which shows their reception at The Pavilion during twilight when the sky turned blue everyone crowded the dance floor!
Throughout the entire day, I keep an eye out for special moments that I can document with my camera. In the photo below, I capture the bride and her maid of honor sharing a special moment during the traditional “Mother and Son” dance.
Wedding Photography
Are you getting married at Everline Resort & Spa? Let’s talk! Shoot me an email via my contact page to see if I am available on your wedding day. To see more of my work, check out my main wedding portfolio page.
