It had been probably 10 years since I’d been in Lake Tahoe, and I forgot how ridiculously beautiful it is up there. Pristine air and water, snow-capped horizons, warm crisp sunlight…this was an amazing day. Dave and Ashley were married at the Valhalla Grand Hall in South Lake Tahoe, CA (http://www.valhallatahoe.com/rental.html).
Ashley started with hair/makeup at Sessions Salon in South Lake Tahoe.
They opted for a “first look”, which gave us time to head to some locations that they had in mind for photos: Emerald Bay and Kiva Beach. After that we headed to the Valhalla Grand Hall for the ceremony.
Dave and Ashley have some pretty awesome dogs, so we grabbed a few portraits with them (while we could get them to hold still for a bit). Ashley helped with some treats – that’s why they’re sitting so nicely below:
The wedding was inside the Valhalla Grand Hall. They lit a fire behind Dave and Ashley in a massive fireplace – it was a great ceremony spot.
This landscape is immediately outside of the Valhalla Grand Hall. Yeah…I was pretty stoked.
Also near the Valhalla Grand Hall was the South Lake Tahoe shore, and an awesome dock. One thing I remembered about Tahoe was the crystal clear water…and yep, it’s still crystal clear.
Ashley’s dad made their centerpieces out of wine barrel staves, and I LOVED their cake. The tiny red flowers were great.
The Valhalla in Tahoe:
When I first met them, Zac and I talked at length about those HUGE aircraft hangers that you pass near Redwood City on the way up to San Francisco. You know the ones I’m talking about? Zac told me they used to house Zeppelins/Blimps, and that they’re so high that clouds sometimes form at the top. They have their own weather systems.
