This gorgeous wedding at PJ’s at Gray’s Crossing was planned by the bride and groom themselves and filled with personalized details that showcased them as a couple. With That Blissful Moments help as a Day of coordinator the day couldn’t have been anymore perfect. With flowers by Love and Lupines and captured by Weddings by Scott and Dana, Erica the bride takes us through the day including her favorite moments and tips for future brides.
The Big Day:
Our wedding day was truly perfect and I tell my husband on a weekly basis how much I wish we could go back and relive the exact same day all over again! The day started nice and early so all the girls could have their hair and makeup done. It was so much fun spending that time with my family and girlfriends. There’s something truly special about knowing that you have all of your people around you for such a special day.
It was important to us that our first look was just the two of us, especially since we knew it was really the only time during the day that we would be alone. Sean and I arrived separately at Boca Reservoir for our first look and it was such a special part of the day. We wrote our own vows but decided to keep them short for the ceremony so we used our first look to read the longer vows we’d written to one another. Needless to say, I was a tearful wreck at the end of it!
We really wanted the wedding to be a great party and tons of fun for everyone so we ended up deciding to open the bar before the ceremony and it was really fun seeing everyone happy and with a cocktail in hand during the ceremony. We had decided early on we wanted Sean’s dad to marry us so he got ordained online and did a beautiful ceremony. We read the short vows we’d written to one another under the arch that Sean built and then our officiator told me I could kiss the groom!
After the ceremony we took 5 minutes alone (at the excellent recommendation of our day-of coordinator) and then we had a short cocktail hour before the dinner buffet started. We’re both incredibly close with our families and they all gave extremely touching and heartfelt speeches which made the day just that more perfect. After toasts the party really got started and the cold Tahoe night really motivated everyone to get out on the dance floor to warm up! It even rained a bit later on in the night but everyone had a blast dancing in the rain. The night wrapped up with some late night bites and plenty more drinks. It was the perfect day, and I loved that I was able to really be present and stay in the moment for each part of it.
On Getting Married in Tahoe:
I can’t imagine a better place than Tahoe to get married. The variety of locations and the weather made for amazing photos! After looking at so many venues, we both knew the second we saw PJ’s that it was the perfect spot for us. We knew we wanted an outdoor venue that would be casual but still very elegant and PJ’s couldn’t have been a better fit. Because we’re from Sacramento, it was also a great location for a semi-destination wedding as it was relatively easy for many of our guests to get to and it’s a vacation destination that everyone loves to go to. Plus, we knew we wanted to do a bonfire the night before with all of our guests and the Boca Reservoir made for a perfect location! Tahoe is also a special place for the two of us, Sean spontaneously took me to dinner in Tahoe in the middle of the week for our third date and it’s the first place the two of us went away together. Tahoe’s also one of those special places that feels like a retreat from the world and everything seems just a little bit better amid the mountains and fresh air.
Tips For Future Brides:
Be choosy, book early, and spend the time to really get to know your vendors before hiring them. Our vendors were AMAZING and literally made our wedding everything I’d hoped it would be and more! We had all of our vendors booked 10 months out so we got to use all of our first choices and having them booked early on took so much stress out of the months leading up to the wedding.
Do a first look! I’m so glad we did as it was probably my favorite part of the whole day. Plus, it gave us another 2 or 3 hours together the day of as well as more time to enjoy the reception once the ceremony was over. If you do all of your wedding photos before the ceremony though, don’t forget to make sure you both have your rings on for the pictures!
Start dance lessons early! We started in January for our October wedding because it was something we’d been wanting to do anyways and once we got engaged we figured why wait?! Not only did this take all of the stress out of preparing for the first dance, it also made for a fun date night each week! Plus, by our wedding we actually knew how to dance which made it so much more fun than just memorizing one dance.
Thank you Weddings by Scott & Dana for submitting this gorgeous wedding.