Ruthanne Z. | Elopement Expert
Photography
I’m Ruthanne Z, a Lake Tahoe elopement expert, former eloper myself, and 2nd generation Lake Tahoe native. I believe that by creating powerful relationships and cultivating inspiring experiences, we can live a life that brings us an infinite amount of joy & authenticity – starting with your wedding day. From start to finish, the process of working together is dynamic & spirited, full of the essence of you. I will take the time to get to know you both, and empower you to always seek what makes you feel the most alive. I’m not just your photographer; I’m your local guide, elopement planner, location scout & the ultimate hype woman – and together, we are going to create a wedding experience that will inspire you for the rest of your lives.

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      ABOUT

      OMG – you’re getting married. I don’t have to tell you this – but that is really exciting. When my husband and I eloped here in Tahoe in 2017, we were blown away by how empowering the experience was. A traditional wedding never resonated with either of us – so we ditched the expectation and brought 13 family members to the top of a favorite mountain and said “I do”. It’s because of this experience – my own wedding – that I am so passionate about helping couples create their own dream day. 

      Over the last 4 years I’ve become an expert on how to elope in Lake Tahoe – from the best vendors to work with for your elopement, the best things to do while you’re in town, how to plan around seasons, where to stay, build an incredible timeline (this is super important!) and scout the location that will leave your jaw on the floor. I’m not just a photographer – I’m an elopement guru and I’m here to take away the stress, anxiety, and unknown in planning your elopement in Lake Tahoe. I promise to be a relentless force in fighting for the day of your dreams; whether it be covid, plan b’s, family drama or forest closures, I’ve got your back. 

      If you’re looking for some inspiration in your elopement – check out my podcast, The Elopement Podcast! theelopementpodcast.com

      TESTIMONIALS

      Do yourself a favor and CALL RUTHANNE MARRIED: October 7, 2021 VENUE: Truckee We are so happy that we stumbled upon Ruthanne on Tahoe blogs, as she exceeded the expectations that we didn't even know we had. From the first phone call with her, we knew she was the right choice for handling the most important day in our lives. We live in Florida, so Ruthanne scouted the locations, knew what was on our wish list, and DELIVERED. She put us both at ease and made the entire process stress-free. She truly got to know us both and by the end of the experience, we felt like we'd known her for years. I cannot recommend her enough. Give Ruthanne a call and let her make your wedding dreams come true! You'll thank me later! Laura & Tyler
      We cannot recommend Ruthanne enough. She is so much more than a wedding photographer / coordinator - she was truly instrumental in making our wedding day so special. Like most 2020 couples we faced so many challenges due to COVID, including rescheduling our date and reducing our guest list. We also had the added challenge of forest fires in the Tahoe area the week of our wedding, resulting in a smoky haze reducing visibility on the lake. Ruthanne was a relentless force throughout all of this, in the best possible way. She worked with us as we moved from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C. We were continually impressed by her resourcefulness, her compassion, and her consummate professionalism. After listening to many other couples complain about their wedding vendors we cannot tell you how fortunate we felt to be working with Ruthanne. She was always one step ahead of us with a solution, despite the many challenges. In the end, our wedding day was perfect. And the pictures were amazing! On top of everything else, Ruthanne is an incredibly talented photographer, and we were so happy to have so many special moments throughout the day captured so we could share them with friends and family. If you are on the fence about booking her, she is worth every penny and more. Thank you Ruthanne! Samantha & Ryan, 2020
      My husband and I heard about Ruthanne via friend we met in a dog park in the Bay Area. We got engaged in March and we’re overwhelmed with how to plan a wedding during a pandemic. I was so impressed by the unique photographs she took of her couples on Instagram In the most incredible settings so I reached out. From our initial conversation Ruthanne was attentive, asked great questions, helped us create a vision for our day and was there every step of the way in helping with execution. She was selfless in providing us with local vendor referrals that helped pull our perfect day together and was so patient with my many questions and inquiries. She scoped out locations and took the time to meet us before our wedding to check a few out together. We pulled together our wedding in 4 weeks and it would not have seemed possible without Ruthanne. Her expertise in elopements made us feel so comfortable and calm as we felt like we were in great hands. She was flexible where needed and we truly could feel her passion and commitment to making sure our day was perfect... which it absolutely was. Ruthanne felt like a part of the family that day as she melded in with the few loved ones we had with us and was there to capture every moment. She had great rapport with the videographer she referred and my husband and I never felt awkward at any point being in the limelight (which is so not us). Because she took the time to get to know us before the wedding, she knew our personalities and how to guide us through the day not missing a beat. She was with us from sunrise (literally a sunrise hike to kick off the day) to well into the evening. The pictures speak for themselves but if you want a unique experience designed just for you and yours with nature as your alter, I would look no future. Ruthanne is incredible and you will not regret it! Kelly & Marcale, 2020