This was a true destination wedding in Lake Tahoe for the bride and groom, who traveled all the way across the country with a close group of family and friends. After getting ready at a home in Incline Village, they married at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
Following their traditional Catholic ceremony, we visited a scenic overlook for wedding portraits with views of Lake Tahoe.
Pre-Wedding Photos in Incline Village
This intimate wedding was all about spending quality time with family and a few close friends. In order to enjoy a fun weekend, they rented a large vacation home where they could all celebrate together during their stay.
Upon arrival, I immediately got to work photographing all the pre-wedding activities. The makeup artists set up a station next to large windows with lots of natural light. As a photographer, I often arrive to find hair and makeup stations already in place. Compared to the dark corner of a hotel room, this was pretty nice!
A nearby glass tabletop made for a creative portrait of the bride with a reflection.
The bride and groom remained separate during this part of the day. They didn’t want to see one another until everyone was fully prepped and ready for the ceremony.
While the groom put on his suit and tie, the bride enjoyed some time with her sister and mom in another room.
Catholic Wedding at Saint Francis of Assisi Church
For anyone that wants a traditional Catholic wedding in Lake Tahoe, St Francis of Assisi is a popular option. Compared to other churches in the area, this church is a spacious building with large windows and a beautiful, modern interior.
In the foyer, the bride put on a dramatic, long bridal veil crafted from sheer illusion mesh.
The light coming in through the doors illuminated the space beautifully. I captured a few candid portraits and discovered that I really liked the black and white version!
The couple was pretty relaxed at this point, but the father of the bride was still a bit nervous about the big day!
As the bride and her dad walked down the aisle, I turned around quickly to capture the calm and collected expression on the groom’s face.
Because of the traditional structure of Catholic weddings, they tend to be much longer than other Lake Tahoe ceremonies. Fortunately, this gives me extra time to capture all the special moments.
One thing I enjoy about photographing weddings at St Francis of Assisi is the freedom I have during the service. Needless to say, I treat Catholic weddings with the same respect as any other wedding. By moving quietly, I keep a low profile as much as possible.
Basically, I want to be in the right spots to capture the best photos without being a distraction or disrupting the service in any way.
At the end of the service, I captured some great photos as everyone gathered around and hugged the happy couple.
Wedding Portraits by Lake Tahoe
After the ceremony, I took the couple to a picturesque mountaintop location for some scenic wedding portraits. This is a stunning place for photos, with views of Lake Tahoe in the background.
As a local photographer, I have a long list of great places for photos in the Lake Tahoe basin.
I photographed some portraits both with and without the veil. A long veil can be tricky when there are pine needles and sagebrush. But up on this mountain, there was just enough wind to lift it the veil up in the air.
I also made a few portraits in the lush garden back at their vacation rental. I love the textures of the leaves in the photo below, so I gave the couple a black and white version along with the color version.
Wedding Photography by Chris Werner
Are you planning a Catholic wedding in Lake Tahoe? I’d love to be there! To find out if I am available on your wedding date, head over to my contact page.
To see more examples of my work, visit my wedding photography portfolio. You can also check out some more venues on my Incline Village wedding photography page.
