Some people love mornings; they love rising to greet the new day. For those couples who wish to marry at Lake Tahoe when all the world is quiet, there is nothing more spectacular than a dawn wedding. The dawn bride must be one with a simple hairstyle, although I’ve performed dawn weddings where my brides enlisted stylists willing to meet them at four in the morning. Dawn weddings work best with small audiences, although I’ve performed ceremonies for dawn brides with a pretty good-sized entourage. Your people must really love you if they’re willing to rise before dawn! The rewards are immeasurable: The sky, the mountains, and the lake are drenched in soft pinks, lavenders, and rosy mauves.
I love the symbolism of a dawn marriage: A new day begins as a couple begins their new life together. The couple’s faces are bathed in the softest, most flattering light, and their sleepy eyes glitter with love for each other. The sacred and the spiritual aspects of the ceremony are heightened enormously by the dawn wedding’s magical light.
Having performed many dawn weddings, I find the best colors are from the east, facing west on the lake. This photo was taken by Bill Stevenson from the East Shore (Highway 28, near Sand Harbor) facing West.
I always tell my couples that dawn weddings are a great way to go, because the lake is so uncrowded and so incredibly beautiful. I only get a few takers each year, but they always tell me afterwards that it was absolutely worth it. Most dawn couples take their wedding party to breakfast–Lake Tahoe has some amazing breakfast spots!–and then they all get in a boat or hit the beach for a relaxing day.
Happiness to all!
Reverend Pamela Camille
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