June Wedding in Tahoe Paradise

The wedding was June 10th. I was nervous, because we’d experienced the Mother of all Winters, and it seemed as if it was a winter that was eternal. The day before the wedding, it rained a slushy snow, and the high was only 40-ish. The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were held at the groom’s mother’s house. (I’ve known her for decades.) It was cold, but what a joyful gathering it was! Everyone brought their dogs, including me. My Chewbacca loves parties! Babies and dogs and happy people played everywhere in the freezing cold. We rehearsed and played with the dogs outside.

The wedding’s morning broke in splendid bluebird beauty. It was chilly, but there was not a cloud in the sky. The wedding was held in Tahoe Paradise Park, which was breathtakingly beautiful. The big winter had blessed us with big, fast water and emerald green grass. I’d known the groom since he was born, so it was a great day for me. (I got to tell him so in my ceremony.) I have been performing weddings for almost 14 years, but I have never seen a groom who beamed as happily as this groom beamed. He has known his bride since they were children; their love is infectious!  My happiness at his joy was unbounded.  The bride was absolutely gorgeous in her fitted gown. I loved their colors, which were turquoise and orange. The tiny children in the wedding were precious. The lovely flower girl pulled a wagon with a tiny ringbearer.

The best part of my job is the JOY. When I am honored to perform a wedding for the children of old friends, it is a rush–a high–that is unparalleled for me. The Circle of Love is the miracle of Life, and performing weddings for the children of people I have loved for decades is all a part of that circle. The best part of life is the loving: the love we give, and the love we feel.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

reverendcamille@aol.com

A Tahoe City January Wedding

This was the view from the ginormous floor-to-ceiling windows as I entered the vacation rental mansion high above Tahoe City. When I saw how little the family had paid to rent this stunning lakeview home, I was amazed; this is a great way to go! I have written before of the wisdom of renting a house you can sleep in and, at the same time, perform the ceremony in the same beautiful place; it is a brilliant way to celebrate a dazzling wedding and sleep sumptuously, all without much fuss or travel.

The golden January day was sunny enough for the open screen sliders to let in wintry fresh air kissed with sunlight; it is the finest air on Earth. The fireplace mantle was covered in silver and white candles, as was the ledge beneath. Chairs were arranged in front of the fireplace for the ceremony. It was a small ceremony, with only immediate family and a few friends.

My bride appeared, looking like a Greek goddess. Her gown was softly flowing, with whisper-sheer, soft shoulder straps about an inch thick.  Her hair was up in the most beautiful “do” I’d ever seen: Very Greek goddess. She had become Hera, the goddess of marriage. Her groom was every bit as handsome as she was beautiful; they will make the most gorgeous babies the world has ever seen!  Both the bride and groom wore fun shoes that were purple and turquoise. Everyone spoke Hungarian, which sounded lovely in the candles’ and sun’s light. The groom’s brother even read a beautiful poem in Hungarian during the ceremony, and I found it magical.

The rental house had a tightly winding staircase, which was perfect for the Maid of Honor, and then the bride with her flowing train to descend. The bride’s father walked his beautiful daughter very proudly the short distance to her groom and me, and I was struck once again by the marvelous Circle of Life. I love the part I play in these families’ lives.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

A Romantic Elopement on Nevada Beach

This couple flew all the way from a balmy Houston to elope on the chilly November sands of Nevada Beach.  Apparently, my bride’s grandfather tells all of his grandchildren he will foot the bill if they will only do the sensible thing and elope.  My bride and groom had begun organizing a large, complicated wedding, but midway through the large-wedding  aggravations, her grandfather’s idea began sounding really good. He would pay for everything, and the two of them wouldn’t have to struggle with the disagreements and hassles inherent in large, complicated weddings. So they took the old man up on his offer, and flew to Reno.

Elopements are fantastic. You get your license, you buy a wedding package (my photographer only charges $100, and our bride and groom floral package is $100) and you go to the beach. The breathtaking sunsets and sunrises replace all decorative decisions. You look each other in the eyes, and promise without distractions to love each other well through the years. Voila! You are joined.

Reed, my photographer and son, met this couple with me just as the sun was beginning to set. Nevada Beach was empty. My bride wore a lovely lace mermaid dress and a rich bridal glow. Looking at her beautiful, happy face, you would never guess that it was cold outside. There is something incredibly romantic about a couple who elopes; I feel so good about couples who don’t care about anything except each other and the promises they are making to each other.

This couple is a great one; the beaming groom reminded me that his bride is not just gorgeous (which she is!). She even plays video games with him! They “high-five” each other all the time. It was easy to see how supportive they are toward each other.  I see beautiful children and a joyful future ahead for these elopers.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

 

 

 

Rock Star Wedding in a Horse Drawn Sleigh

I promised these two rock stars I would not divulge their names, so I never will. To be honest, I didn’t know what her name was, but I did know him.  Whoa!  (“Be still, my beating heart,” I whispered to myself. I like his music, but his big dark eyes tore into a place deep inside my soul.)  It was about fifteen degrees outside, and my bride and groom were both dressed in rich, cognac-colored furs. (PETA would have been pissed, but they looked like Russian royalty.) They wore matching fur hats; it felt soooo Dr. Shivago! They were magnificent.

The wedding was scheduled for dawn, which occurred about seven in the morning. This is what they had to do to avoid a media blitz. They wanted to be married in peace. My witness—besides the beautiful horse—-was the jolly driver of our sleigh. We sleighed up to the top of a rise, where we were treated to a splendid panorama of a wintry-looking Lake Tahoe. The sky wore every imaginable shade of pink, gold, and tangerine; magically, my fur-wrapped bride carried flowers in tropical colors that matched the sky perfectly.

They were sweet and dear enough that a few tears trickled from my eyes and froze to my cheeks during their heartfelt ceremony. They recited promises from papers that were frozen to their mitten fingers. Toward the end of the ceremony, just after I’d recited the Native American Wedding Blessing, the snow on Mount Tallac blazed bright neon orange across the lake. The wintry sun bolted high into the sky with golden promise.  Not every minister would get up in the dark to perform a ceremony in a bitter cold dawn, but it is a memory I will prize forever.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

When Children Are An Important Part of the Ceremony

In my mind, there can never be too many adorable children in a wedding ceremony. I remember one beautiful ceremony I performed in Carson City; the blended family included seven children. I remembered all their names, and they were all regally joyous in their tuxedos and princess dresses. We performed a sand ceremony that was very important to the children. Each child had chosen his or her special color of sand, and I called each child separately to pour the colored sand into the large vase. With my bride and groom, there were nine different colors poured and blended in the vase. “Once the sand mingles, it can never be separated,” I said when all the sand had been poured. The design, created from nine different colors of sand, was magnificent.

I performed another spectacular ceremony for a blended family that included five boys. They were all within that wonderfully scruffy age for young boys, roughly six through twelve. They were like wild wolf pups, and I loved them.  They wanted to celebrate the wedding on the Tea Island in Emerald Bay; I told them the only way we could do this was if we reached the island at dawn.  This was actually somewhat illegal; it was summer, the island’s busiest time. Ours was quite the stealth exercise, and this was the wedding that gave me the reputation I am proud of: I became the Rebel Reverend, that morning. We rented a boat that left Tahoe Keys before dawn, and as the sun crept over the mountains and the sky’s rosy fingered dawn painted the mountain sky, the five scruffy boys, my couple and I were climbing the tiny mountain on Tea Island. The five boys each carried a bouquet of flowers, which they used to decorate the Tea Island Castle. We put votive candles in each open stone window. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever witnessed!

Love is magical, and children bring the magic to life. If you have children, celebrate them in your wedding. If you can borrow some children, your wedding will be enlivened and rich.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

 

A Mystical Dawn Wedding

To the Washoe Indians, Cave Rock is a sacred place. When you are at the tippy-top of the rock, you can feel it. I was excited when my couple told me they wanted to marry at the top. There is a very easy trail to the top that only takes seven minutes to walk. The sky was rosy with dawn light. I love dawn weddings, because the new day brings a new life to the wedding couple. From the top of this sacred rock, still waters stretched before us, and coves were just beginning to emerge from shadow into the rosy light.

My groom raised pigeons, and he’d brought a beautiful, decorated wooden box that held a dazzling white pigeon. She seemed startled by the cold of the morning, but she trusted her handler implicitly. She was the purest, whitest white, with big gentle eyes. My groom was tender with her, and he told us that after the ceremony, he would release her. Most likely, he said, she would return to him.

My bride had made flowers of felt that she’d sewn charms to; each charm sewn to a felt flower held a meaning that was sacred to the two of them. The flowers were very colorful, and the charms made her bouquet stunningly spiritual. There were bird charms, and one elephant charm. Each charm signified a special moment between them.

The marriage ceremony was special, for they were a very special couple. I recited the Native American Wedding Blessing in honor of the Washoe Indians and their sacred place. When it was time, the beautiful white bird was released. She circled around us, then returned to us and landed very near us on the ground. The couple lived two hours away, and her handler said he expected her to fly there. My son was able to capture a photograph of her flying into the sky above the lake. Walking down the trail to our car afterwards, we both agreed it had been an amazing beginning to the day.

Happiness to all!

Pamela Camille, Reverend

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

 

 

Lake Tahoe, Nevada: Easiest Place for Foreigners to Marry

I have enjoyed the honor of marrying couples from all over the world.  Couples from Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Wales, and Bulgaria have come to Lake Tahoe, Nevada to be wed by me. One couple was Bulgarian, and lived in Canada; their best friends–also Bulgarian nationals–came all the way from Minnesota to act as witnesses for this splendid ceremony at Logan Shoals. When foreigners who are not American citizens wish to marry in America, they must go through a bit of extra paperwork. When they return to their country, officials want more than just a signed Marriage License as proof of their legal union.  I have done this several times; it is one of the perks of my wonderful job. I get to meet people from all over the world, and help them get legal in any language.

What is needed is called an Apostille, and there are a few easy steps to acquiring it in just two days after you marry. Foreign couples should know that their journey to legality is easiest if they wed on a weekday. Right after the ceremony—and this is only if the couple wants their Apostille right away—we can drive over the hill to Minden. (Minden is only a half-hour away.) I accompany my foreign couples because it makes things so much easier; in my minister’s suit, I can say that for sure they were married by me, and tell them in Nevada English exactly what is needed. This eliminates the need for a notary. (Couples are not supposed to turn in their own, signed Marriage Certificates; it is the minister’s job to do so, proving that a marriage did indeed take place.)  In Minden, the nicest people on Earth in the Recorder’s Office make an official stamped copy of the Marriage Certificate.  I urge my foreign couples to visit the Nevada Secretary of State’s web site before the wedding to print out the form for their Apostille. With a filled-in form, a self-stamped envelope, and the $20 fee, you can then mail the form to the Nevada Secretary of State in Carson City. You will then get your Apostille mailed to you within two or three weeks. Most couples, however, decide to go to Carson City’s Capitol Building–it is so lovely, inside!–and deliver their Apostille application in person. It takes a full 48 hours to process the Apostille. The Apostille can be expedited for an extra $75.00.  Most couples are happy to give the Nevada Secretary of State a self-addressed, stamped envelope (foreign postage applies) so they can mail the Apostille to their country. Otherwise, you must stay in the area for two extra days: A few extra days in the Sierras is generally not so hard to do!

Voila! After a gorgeous ceremony in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, anyone from any land can be legally wed.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

Autumn Renewal and Bald Eagles at Kiva Beach

There are days so grand they make the heart beat funny. This beautiful, inspiring couple honored me by allowing me to renew their vows after 36 years of marriage. We went to Kiva Beach, where the colors and the splashy glowing sunlight made my son the cameraman’s job an easy one. My couple told me of their 36 years together: Working opposite shifts and seeing each other only in passing; three beautiful daughters and four grandchildren; a menagerie of animals, including raccoons and ferrets. Staying strong and happy and laughing through it all, they bless this world with their love for each other.

I had told my bride about my dog, Chewbacca; I tell anyone who will listen. She is an animal person, after all! I arrived early, and was scouting the beach for the right aspens. My son was in the parking lot with the dog,  as Kiva is a dog beach. Kathy called out, “Chewbacca!” Yes, I had sent her a photograph. Reed was alarmed, but she told him they were our evening couple, so when I saw Reed, he was carrying a cake down to the water. Sugar Pine Bakery had made them the very best wedding cake I have ever tasted in my life, and tasting wedding cakes is  big part of my life.

In the middle of our stunning ceremony, a huge mess of animal noises interrupted us. My son suddenly started photographing the sky. A giant nest filled with squawking baby eagles awaited their mama Bald Eagle’s delivery of fish she had just caught from the lake. We let the magical moment carry us, and were not disappointed.  Bald Eagles swooped into the water to fish, then carried their dinners to nests filled with screaming infants.  Chewbacca found a dead fish to play with, so everyone was incredibly happy!

Life—just plain life in the raw—is amazing. The love we have for each other is what lifts it higher.

Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

Pewter Satin and Wild Maroon Wedding Dresses

Autumn is a great time for dressing creatively.  I am seeing the beginnings of an exit from the “It Must Be White” bridal gowns. I performed a wedding the other day where the bride wore navy blue! With her daring-baring decollete, my bride looked perfect in the white midday sunlight against golden sand and deep blue water. Colors bring our marvelous world to life; why not revel in them? Sassy brides in plum and pewter will never be forgotten.

My most chic bride to date was dressed in pewter satin. It was an evening wedding, lit with a hundred candles and peaches-and-cream roses everywhere. A fire blazed in the copper fireplace. Her groom was a Marine in full dress blues. They were stunning!

What I tell my brides is, “Wear whatever you feel most beautiful wearing.” There was one couple who wanted to marry in full moonlight. Apparently, they’d decided to marry privately, just the two of them, before their big wedding the following week. They called me late at night; a true romantic who loves moonlit nights, I could not say no. My bride wore her baby doll pajamas; she looked adorable. It was long after midnight, and the moon splashed a huge, magical swath of light across the entire lake. I told them in my ceremony how much they would enjoy telling their children of their tiny, breathtaking ceremony, someday.

In the first wedding I ever performed, my bride wore her son’s snowboarding pants. It was early January, and the snow was soft and deep. She and her groom were perfectly appropriate.

Feel good: That is the most important thing. A lot of my grooms are anti-tux, anti-tie, and anti-closed-toe-shoes. All of it works, as long as you bring the love on your faces and the joy in your hearts.

Happiness to all!

Pamela Camille, Reverend

http://www.laketahoeminister.com

 

The Wedding Photographer’s Challenge

I am blessed to work with my son, who photographs my wedding couples. I chose to write about the photography because photographing weddings at the lake presents its own challenges. This photograph was taken at Cave Rock Beach on a day when smoke from wildfires filled the Tahoe basin. I wasn’t sure he would get any good photographs at all in the thick, smoky haze. Taking photographs against the shining water is always tricky; my son uses a polarizer on his lens, but the water’s glare can still blur objects and people in the foreground. My gorgeous bride was not keen on staring into the smoky sun, and was constantly ducking her face into the shade. Shade makes shadows that lengthen our noses and make us look strange, so the gifted photographer must coax couples to plant their burning, tearing eyes straight into the sunlight’s path. This takes Olympian-level tact and skill!

This bride was also gentle, timid, and reserved; she was not the splashy grinning poser that gives a photographer a lot to work with. Most people are not practiced in the art of modeling; photo shoots are not a part of their daily lives. When you are taking more than a hundred shots of a couple, it truly is a “photo shoot.” Without making them cranky on the happiest day of their lives, the photographer must allow the couple to get comfortable with shifting their bodies and their faces so most of the shots show their glowing joy and love for each other. It has to be fun! I love this shot, because the couple was joyful and relaxed. The peach-colored light shows the glow in their happy faces. Reed also captured the light on the water perfectly; it is a deep blue background without any glare. The focus is sharp on the beautiful lovers.

Happiness to all!

Pamela Camille, Rev.

http://www.laketahoeminister.com