An Exquisite Lakefront Wedding On The West Shore

It’s always a good sign when you meet on a dating app but quickly realize you already have a lot of close friends in common. That’s exactly what happened for Kate and Brendan, who also soon discovered a mutual love of Lake Tahoe – confirmation that their relationship was meant to be!

Sharing many trips to Tahoe for skiing, snowboarding, and boating, this couple had no doubt they would get married on the lake. “Getting married in Tahoe had always been a dream of mine and I envisioned arriving on a wooden boat to greet the wedding party,” said Kate. “We really wanted our closest friends and family to be there and witness just how gorgeous Lake Tahoe is.”

With the expert help of boutique wedding planner One Fine Day Events, Kate and Brendan made their wedding day dreams come true. To maximize time with friends and family, they started the celebration on Thursday with an intimate church ceremony at Corpus Christi, followed by a rehearsal dinner at Sunnyside Resort.

The wedding took place on Friday at West Shore Cafe. It was photographed by Larissa Cleveland and included many personalized, exquisite details  – just the type of planning for which One Fine Day is known. Kate’s first wedding day wish came true as she and her wedding party arrived at the pier via “The Papoose,” a classic woody captained by her father’s best friend.

Fourteen of the bride’s closest friends lined up to greet her, each handing Kate a single white peony that formed her bouquet. Stems by Diana created a stunning 8 foot wide floral “arch” that floated like a cloud above the famous blue waters of Lake Tahoe, providing all the guests an artistic and unobstructed view of the lake.

Other handcrafted details included an escort display with custom watercolor wallpaper and copper calligraphy escort cards in handmade vellum envelopes. At dinner, guests were served family style, with beautiful platters of food arranged between lush white centerpieces in blue porcelain chinoiserie vases. Each guest’s place setting featured a hand-painted watercolor menu, and copper calligraphy place card tags tied with blue velvet ribbons to sprigs of flowering oregano. 

After dinner, the party moved inside for dancing and a variety of desserts, including a wedding cake from Truckee’s Cornerstone Bakery and miniature pies and cheesecake cupcakes from the culinary team at West Shore Cafe. As a final treat, s’mores and sliders were set out as late-nite snacks. But the party didn’t end there! The next morning, guests were invited to a casual beach day at Skylandia State Park, with jet skis, paddle boards, music and games, and a delicious taco lunch from D’lish Catering. 

Months later, guests were still raving about this perfect Lake Tahoe wedding weekend, and so was the couple. “The decor, the vibe, everything was all I ever dreamed of,” Kate mused. “There isn’t anything I would change about our wedding and I doubt there are many people who would say that.”