Eduina submitted an inquiry stating that her and Nelio were interested in a winter Lake Tahoe intimate wedding and/or elopement in a about month and that their dogs were going to be the ring bearers – This automatically made my heart flutter! They were planning a quick ceremony in a chapel and then bridals at the beach. I immediately responded and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! 🙂 Eduina and Nelio are from Portugal and currently live in the heart of California’s Central Valley. We made sure that all of the permits and licenses were in place quickly before their special and sacred day!

I began documenting their beautiful afternoon at Margaritaville Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California. It was a sunny February winter day and I arrived at valet with the wedding cake (made by Silver State Bakery) and bridal bouquet (made by me) that I transported from Reno. No pressure! I made my way up to Eduina’s room where I photographed her getting ready. From her hair and make-up (by @jessicasilveirahair), picking out her final jewelry, to putting her gown on and wrapping it all up with a first look with her two furry family members, Kai and Emmy! Eduina also had two dazzling rhinestoned ring holder containers, and two adorable bandanas for the pups, that read “My Humans are Getting Married!” that I couldn’t wait to capture in the detail shots! 🙂 Their cake was also bejeweled with a topper that said “You, me and the dogs!.” It was such a sweet and heartwarming first look! I then photographed Nelio on another floor putting his final touches together. He Facetimed his family in Portgual. It was so special to have been able to see their family overseas and document these precious moments for them.

Once we were all ready, they’re friends helped us all get to the meadow in separate cars for their first look. I had Nelio all set up looking out into a crisp stream, where their friends and I packed the snow down. I walked back out to the cars to get Eduina and bring her to the location. I counted down and got to capture such a special and emotional first look.

After the first look, we were ready for the ceremony officiated by their good friend, Amanda. It was a beautiful ceremony in the heart of a peaceful meadow and woodlands, with the snow glistening as the sun perfectly hit the surface and the sound of the calming creek right beside them. Kai and Emmy did so great standing up at the alter! 🙂 Eduina and Nelio sealed their marriage with a kiss in front of their closest family and friends. It’s truly amazing being able to photograph these special intimate moments. Once all the portraits were captured, we made our way back to the cars to head on over to Sand Harbor for their couples photos. We captured additional couples portraits at the beach on another day where we got to enjoy another beautiful light snowfall and had a great time with them and their pups! 🙂

Eloping in Lake Tahoe during the winter is so magical, even though there may be a few additional things to consider such as Standard Time with the sun setting very early in the day, traffic due to weather, weather itself, accessibility to locations or perhaps if dogs are allowed if you are interested in having your fur baby(ies) a part of your celebration and permits for having the ceremony/event and photography. Feel free to check out my other blog “How to Elope in Lake Tahoe Nevada California Guide” for additional resources!

The evening finished with a magical snowfall on the beach. It was incredibly special to be a part of Eduina and Nelio’s intimate winter wedding in Lake Tahoe. I’ve made great friends and unforgettable memories on this journey. Wishing them both all the happiness! Cheers to love!

xo kat

Amazing Vendors:

Gown: @olegcassini
Tux: Mens Wearhouse | @menswearhouse
HAMU: @jessicasilveirahair
Cake: Silver State Bakery | @silverstatebakery
Ring: Daniels Jewelers | @danielsjewelers

Photography: Katherine Krakowski Photography | @katherinekrakowski