Elopements, Portraits, Weddings

rachel + tim | LAKE TAHOE EMERALD BAY ELOPEMENT WEDDING

It was immensely flattering to receive an email from these two regarding their elopement wedding at Lake Tahoe, California. The bride herself is an incredibly talented photographer! It’s always a mark of great pride (and insane anxiety!!) whenever a fellow vendor reaches out to inquire about wedding services. Luckily for me, Rachel and Tim are hands-down some of the KINDEST people I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet. In those moments we shared while zipping all around Lake Tahoe in Tim’s truck on those extra wiggly roads, I recognized instantly the types of warm and laughter-loving personalities that often come hand in hand with a community of many, many friendships.

These two have recently had to prove the endurance of their relationship together through some personal hardships, which led us here, to their beautiful mountain-top elopement ceremony in Emerald Bay State Park. Despite the fact that this remote gathering of local loved ones was quite different from the big destination beach wedding these two had originally imagined, there wasn’t any bit of emotion missing from this intimate wedding day. It was obvious how much community meant to these two, and conversely, how much Rachel and Tim mean to all of their friends and family. Perched on the side of the mountain, with the quiet waters of Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay next to us, and the sun setting behind us, I couldn’t have asked for anything else. I found the entire momentum perfectly summed up in Rachel’s words: “I have the dress. And I have Tim.”

I’m so grateful to have been a part of this beautiful ceremony, which was so perfectly officiated by one of Rachel and Tim’s close friends, and to have reunited with the talents of Christine of Wilderland Studio! Also, I’m kicking myself for making it all the way to paragraph three without mentioning TUCK TUCK, the cutest golden retriever in all the land. You’ve GOT to see how seriously this good boy took his role in the wedding! Hope you all love the photos!

Photography: Cassie Valente Photography | Film Lab: Photovision | Floral Design: Wilderland Studio

  1. So stunning! One of my favorite places in Tahoe – I can’t believe I never thought of it for weddings!

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