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 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

 

 

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

Sunset Wedding at Nevada Beach

The lake’s famous “zephyr” was in full bloom. Not a mere gentle breeze, this zephyr was blustery. The groom and his mom and friends came early to construct an arch by the water. I watched carefully so I could tell someone else how to do it. They used PVC pipe: Two long, straight sections about six feet long, and one angled PVC that joined and arched at the top. They all fit together. To make sure the pipe stayed in the ground in the blustery wind, they hammered two sturdy metal straight pipes into the ground first. These were about twenty-four inches long, and it was brilliant the way the PVC pipe fitted right over them. They had brought some beautiful purple fabric and lots of zip ties to cover the white PVC pipes. Voila! A purple arch was born! They used wires and zip ties to attach beautiful braided tassles and some silk flowers to each side of the arch. They brought some other lovely fabric as the runner, and we kept it from blowing away by covering the sides of the runner with lots of sand. They’d brought some pretty white chairs, and we had quite the stunning, instant wedding scene!

The bridesmaids wore beautiful one-shoulder dresses that swayed perfectly in the breeze. (Thankfully, as they began their procession, it was not so much a wind as a sturdy breeze.) The light changed, as if by magic, when we first saw the bride approach: From normal daylight to that glorious, peachy, Tahoe-sunset light that is most radiant at Nevada Beach. Her entire face was blazing with peach-colored love and bliss.

Part of the ceremony included a “Fight Box,” and it was my first time including a Fight Box in a ceremony. This couple had a copy of the beautiful vows they’d written for each other inside the wooden box with a bottle of wine. They both hammered the box shut at the ceremony at the same time. The idea is that, somewhere down the line in their life together, should they ever fight, they will open the box and be reminded of their vows to each other, and what it’s really all about. It’s a great concept!

Happiness to all!

Pamela Camille, Reverend

www.laketahoeminister.com

Zephyr Cove Beach Weddings

Zephyr Cove beach weddings can be elaborate and costly, or they can belong to the splashy budget wedding category. There are wedding tents up throughout summer at the busy end of Zephyr Cove for large weddings. There is an expanse with enough room for 150-200 chairs for the outdoor ceremony, then guests can repair to the tents for appetizers and sit-down meals.

The photograph above is a secret part of Zephyr Cove Beach that is perfect for the more private, intimate weddings. There is a beautiful point jutting out into the lake with many fantastic boulders, creating a dramatic outdoor wedding site. The photographs are always spectacular at sunset because the light hits the point just right. I married a couple here who had been together for twenty-nine years; they had simply been too busy to hold a wedding ceremony, all those years!  The light was spectacular, with silver swords of light stabbing down through wind-scattered clouds.

This area is special to me because when my children were tiny, I took them to their first “protest.” They were four and six, and we stormed the beach in protest that this public National Forest Beach was kept from the public by a wealthy family who had simply decided to take the beach that rightfully belonged to us. This heinous injustice was righted, and the public has their public beach again.  It is beautiful, and belongs to everyone.

One February bride wore a beautiful black dress, and held blood-red roses. Her groom wore a bright red rose boutonniere; the two of them were spectacular against the washed light grey of the rocks and the deep blue lake in bright sunlight. My bride had been adopted, and her new husband told me she had created a huge family of her own, by reaching out and making friends. She was always surrounded by her many friends; she cherished relationships and kept her loved ones close. I have performed hundreds of beautiful ceremonies for people who were adopted, and these wonderful people have taught me a great deal about life, family, and unconditional love.

Happiness to all!

Pamela Camille, Reverend

www.laketahoeminister.com

 

 

Heavenly Weddings

Gondola weddings are fun, dramatic, and not so pricey. All the guests ride the gondolas high up above the lake, then the bride makes her big entrance with her attendants as they exit the glass bubble; this entrance always reminds me of Cinderella. You can get married on the platform, which is halfway up the mountain. The platform overlooks the entire lake, but the ride is short, the price is lower, and you don’t need to reserve very far in advance. I think of this as a splashy budget wedding.

In Lake Tahoe, throughout the summer, most venues charge less for Friday weddings than for Saturday or Sunday. If there is a chance you can entertain a weekday wedding, several venues around the lake will cut your fees in half. (If you let me talk to the venue person, I can often swing a great deal for my couples.)

You can also take the big tram all the way to Lakeview Lodge at the top of Heavenly Mountain, 8,200 feet in the sky. This is for the larger, more elaborate wedding, and does require advance planning. (Today, April 15th, there is one Saturday spot left in June.)  The outside area where the ceremony is performed is breathtaking, overlooking all of Lake Tahoe. After the ceremony, guests can enjoy the sunset over cocktails and appetizers. Dinner and dancing inside the lodge make a perfect and completely dreamy mountain wedding.

There are so many exciting choices in Lake Tahoe. Happiness to all!

Reverend Pamela Camille

www.laketahoeminister.com