Lake Tahoe Winter Elopement

Planning Mallory and Kyle’s Lake Tahoe Winter Elopement

When Mallory and Kyle reached out to me, we talked about their ideal experience for the day of their elopement. They wanted to spend quality time at a cozy Lake Tahoe cabin with each other and their sweet pup, Kiwi before getting eloped with their closest family members. Kiwi loves the snow and is always included in their special moments. Mallory and Kyle wanted to do a beautiful hike to a spot where they would finally tie the knot. Once they had told me all the important things they wanted for their dream elopement, I set out to find the perfect location for them.

Mallory and Kyle are a super adventurous couple (in fact, Kyle proposed to Mallory when they hiked Mount Whitney together!) but since they would have some family members with them on their special day, they didn’t want that hike to be too strenuous. I sent them some locations that matched what they wanted, and they settled on Sand Harbor. With a little guidance from me on the permit process, they got everything settled for a Sand Harbor elopement, and it was looking great.

An Unexpected Detour

Unfortunately, 2023 has been a crazy year for weather in California. There were so many storms in Tahoe this winter, and they had received 692 inches of snow by the end of March! Their average is only 400, so needless to say, it was a pretty intense season.

Mallory and Kyle’s wedding was March 6, which was a Monday, but there was another huge storm the weekend before. Tahoe was covered in snow and many of the roads were closed for the weekend. Luckily, everyone arrived before the storm started to come in. So they were still able to enjoy a couple days up there, just relaxing with family. When Monday came, the staff at Sand Harbor informed us that they would not be able to plow the snow. The Ramada, where they planned to get married, and the walkways were covered in snow. However, they gave permission for the ceremony to be held anywhere in the park where we could make it work.

The Silver Lining

That little hiccup didn’t matter. They were so excited to get married. No matter what the weather was, no matter where they had to go, they knew that they were getting married and celebrating with their families. And their family didn’t let it ruin their celebration either. With the unexpected weather, their dream had come true! There was even a lull in the snowfall and the sky cleared up just in time for their ceremony.

We were planning to go out a little ways to the beach cove for the ceremony, and their families were a bit skeptical since the snow was really beginning to come down hard. Then, just a few minutes before the ceremony, the snow stopped, and we were able to hike out to the location. Kyle’s brother plowed the way to the cove and everyone packed down the snow to make a ceremony site for the couple. Although the amount of snow was not ideal, this was a hidden blessing. They had originally wanted to get married by the water, but that was not allowed. They got married with an amazing view, and the sun even came back out for the ceremony. It got warmer, as well, and everyone was eventually able to enjoy the weather.

Afterwards, we hung out and chatted for a bit before they went to dinner. It ended up being a very chill, relaxing day. It turned out that the weather was a blessing in disguise. The beautiful ceremony they had right on the beach would never have been possible under normal circumstances. But because of crowds and normal park restrictions. We felt so lucky to have this unique experience for their special day.