Category: Alpenglow Weddings

Informative articles about wedding events in Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area.

  • Helicopter Adventure: Matrimonial Flight over Lake Tahoe

    Helicopter Adventure: Matrimonial Flight over Lake Tahoe

    Imagine the thrill of flying over the largest alpine lake in North America at one of the most beautiful places in the world while joining in matrimony. Though slightly unconventional, an adventurous helicopter wedding inflight over Lake Tahoe would ardently yield an enlivening experience for the bride and groom searching for an extraordinary way to begin their new lives together. The sights of Lake Tahoe from the air are nothing less than phenomenal, and pledging your love in midair would be nothing less than spectacular.

    Black helicopter parked on the tarmac.
    Helicopter pilot flying over Lake Tahoe.

    Whizzing into Wedlock aboard an Aircraft

    The matrimonial journey begins at the airport located in South Lake Tahoe. You’ll board a secure aircraft designed to seat the bride and groom, the minister, and the pilot. Once liftoff is underway, the exceptionalism of the glittery landscape becomes evident. As the ascent continues, the sights to the horizon will construct an indescribable ambiance.

    The ritual begins once a comfortable flying altitude is reached, with the vow and ring exchange occurring while rocketing through the sky. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the first kiss as husband and wife will be consummated at heights of the clouds. The remainder of the 20 minute voyage is spent enjoying the eye-catching scenery as newlyweds.

    Two lakes viewed from the air.

    Enjoy Amazing Sights from the Sky

    Besides witnessing the dramatic deep blue water characteristic of Lake Tahoe that includes 72 circumferential miles of multicolored shoreline, you’ll also catch sight of the lofty bluff of illustrious Emerald Bay, the protuberant landmark situated on the east side of the lake identified as Cave Rock, and the rock-strewn formations found along the beach of Zephyr Cove.

    Snow-capped mountains with the lake below as viewed from the helicopter cockpit.

    The striking Sierra Nevada Mountain Range that towers over and encases these magnificent compositions is an additional exposition that will add appreciably to the enjoyment of your flight over this resplendent body of water.

    Final Words

    Marrying the person of your dreams airborne over impressive Lake Tahoe is truly an exploit worth considering, especially if you’re an audacious pair looking for an unusual way to stride down the aisle of matrimony. Helicopter weddings occur throughout the year, and flights over the mountainous mere possess a distinctive quality that varies with the changing seasons. Similar to the individuality of seasonal change, having a ceremony in the sky will also be a unique encounter, a voyage that will deliver a lasting impression on a very special day.

  • Role of the Mother of the Bride

    Role of the Mother of the Bride

    The role of the bride’s mother at the wedding and during the span of organizing the special occasion has been routinely influenced by conventional practices. Although mom’s duties aren’t currently as resolute as they once were in days of the past, her place in her daughter’s wedding is still a prominent one.

    Mom assists her daughter with adjusting her necklace.

    However, savvy modern-day brides may engage a few restrictive rules, and though mom’s role may be a tad lessened, advantages of having her assistance throughout the coordinating process and the day of the wedding is often viewed as a blessing in disguise.

    Mom’s Supportive Undertaking in Her Daughter’s Wedding

    All brides surely appreciate the help of their mothers and welcome their conversant contribution while planning the most important day of their lives. Yet, contemporary brides want to be able to have the wedding they envisioned, which means they’d like to make most of the final decisions, and understandably so. Therefore, mom’s major function in the various stages of organizing the event is initially support.

    There are many wedding vendor services that must be acquired for both the ceremony and reception. Literally, hundreds of decisions need to be made that can range anywhere from the selection of the wedding venue and bridal gown to creating a menu alongside the caterer when deciding what meals will be served at the reception banquet.

    Mom helping her daughter who is trying on her bridal gown.

    With mom’s encouragement throughout the course of eliciting all the necessary services in addition to expressing her views and knowledge where proper, the bride will be provided with an irreplaceable support system that will make organizing the event much more simplistic.

    Mom the Mediator

    One vital part of mom’s duties that will prove to be a tremendous advantage to her daughter is when she plays the role of a mediator. Securing the assortment of professionals that you must rely upon for the success of your wedding can be a touch challenging at times, especially when previously negotiated prices change or items contracted for are altered.

    Mom looking busy while talking on the phone.

    Mom acting as a go-between will keep the bride focused on the positive aspects of the wedding and enable her to avoid the unnecessary tension.

    When the day of the wedding rolls around, the mother of the bride traditionally travels to the wedding site with the bridal party. Just prior to the ceremony start time, the mothers of both parties will be ushered to the front row of the ceremony area where they will be sitting. Upon being seated, this characteristically implies that the ceremony is about to begin.

    Both mothers are naturally included in the formal photography occurring once the ritual concludes. The mothers of the bride and groom will then proceed to the reception hall where they will greet and mingle with the guests as the newlyweds complete the photographic session. Once the reception gets underway, mom may execute helpful tasks if needed, then simply mix with those in attendance and express gratitude to relatives and friends for making the journey to celebrate her daughter’s joyous event.

    Final Words

    The support mothers can offer their daughters is priceless and is the chief role they traditionally follow once the wedding plans go into motion. While her part isn’t as unwavering as it once was, being at the bride’s side throughout the course is her primary objective. Astute modern-day brides have ardently changed the rules to some extent, but the mother of the bride unarguably is still her best friend when planning the most important day of her life.

    Additional Wedding Related Articles

    Visit our Tahoe Engaged blog for additional informative articles that offer insight to those planning their ceremonial event as well as helpful tips to facilitate the organizing process.

  • Wedding Day Running Order: Reception Schedule

    Wedding Day Running Order: Reception Schedule

    With an assortment of events taking place throughout the course of the evening, preparing a list detailing the time and order of all that is to take place during the wedding reception will help to keep things progressing in a methodical manner. The running order of your reception can vary according to your preference, but a typical schedule of a traditional banquet celebration is as follows.

    Twosome holding knife together as they slice the first piece of cake,
    Bride and groom feeding each other a piece of cake at their reception.

    Structuring the Elements of the Reception

    • While the intimate session of the formal photography with the bride and groom at the ceremony site is being completed, the guests will mingle at the reception hall where cocktails and appetizers are normally served during the cocktail hour.
    • The announcements follow the cocktail hour at the arrival of the bride and groom. The DJ or elected presenter will first introduce the members of the bridal party in successive order as they enter the room, followed by the grand entrance of the newlyweds.
    • Speeches and champagne toasts ensue once the bride and groom and the rest of the bridal party settle at the head table. Usually, the best man is the first to speak or the bride’s father. Then, other bridal party members may opt to speak, and next it is open for guests to say a few words. The bride and groom typically conclude the speeches. As an option in the order of events, the banquet meals can be served prior to the champagne toast, with speeches and toasting occurring afterwards.
    • If you choose to do the champagne toast after the newlyweds make their grand entrance, the banquet celebration will follow, beginning with the bride and groom indulging first, then the remainder of the members at the head table. The DJ or other appointed person can announce how the rest of the group can enter the buffet line, unless the meals are being served at the table.
    • Cutting the wedding cake is next on the list, shortly after all the guests have finished their meals. Feeding each other with the first slice is customary.
    • The bouquet toss is usually next, followed by the garter removal and the garter toss. Immediately after the tosses, the photographer should capture posed photos of the couple and the two who caught the bridal bouquet and garter.
    • The first dance between the bride and groom occurs once the bouquet and garter toss photos have been taken.
    • Ordinarily, directly after the groom, the father of the bride will step onto the dance floor and have the next dance with his daughter.
    • The groom and his mother will have the floor for the third song. Sometimes, the bride and her father will remain on the dance floor with the groom and his mother. Switching partners can occur for the subsequent song.
    • At the conclusion of the bride and groom dancing with their parents and at the invitation of the announcer, the bridal party will join in on the dance floor.
    • If a money dance has been scheduled, it’s usually a good idea to have it at the close of the bridal party dance.
    • The dance floor opens to all the guests after the completion of the bridal party and money dances. The formalities of the reception have concluded at this time and the atmosphere of the celebration launches to a new height.

    Final Words

    Organizing the order of events for the reception will help keep the night flowing smoothly. As an extra benefit, it will also allow you to pace the evening to coincide with the allotted time you contracted for at the banquet facility. Furthermore, creating a running order schedule of the reception events is a handy item for the DJ or appointed announcer to maintain in his possession throughout the night so as to be able to announce the activities as you want them to occur.

    Ceremony Running Order List

    Finally, and equally important, a list describing both the wedding ceremony running order and the reception running order constructs an overall picture of the wedding day as a whole, offering confidence to the bride and groom that their wedding plans will develop exactly how they envisioned them.

  • Wedding Day Running Order: Ceremony Schedule

    Wedding Day Running Order: Ceremony Schedule

    Making a preparatory list detailing the running order of the wedding ceremony you are about to engage in is pragmatic as it will help to assure all goes as designed.

    Overseeing a wedding planning checklist.

    Depending on the type of wedding you are planning, the running order of the ceremony can vary, and certain elements of a traditional wedding may be absent altogether in a cultural specific ritual. Nonetheless, below is a typical schedule for conventional wedding practices.

    Structuring the Rudiments of the Ceremonial Event

    A running order schedule of the ceremony is nothing difficult to prepare, and mapping it out for all of those who will be participating is a good idea so as to make certain that everyone knows exactly how to proceed. A running order schedule of the reception is equally important to plot and is an easily assimilated item that will also help to reassure the bride and groom that the wedding events at the banquet will progress in an orderly and timely manner.

    • Larger formal weddings typically have elected ushers, and those appointed will greet arriving guests and direct them to their appropriate seating. Groomsmen will also be a part of this, and sometimes in lieu of ushers. The groom’s guests and his family members designated seating customarily will be to the right of the ceremony facility, while the bride’s is to the left.
    • Once all of the guests have been seated, the parents of both the bride and groom are escorted by the groomsmen to their assigned row of chairs in the front where the ceremony is to take place. The escorting of the parents down the aisle suggests that the ceremony is about to be underway.
    • As the ritual begins, the groom will enter from the right side of the room near the front where he will be positioned for accepting his bride. He is usually led by the minister or wedding officiate. If the bridesmaids are not going to be escorted by the groomsmen, the groomsmen will follow the groom from the same entrance point.
    • The bridesmaids will commence their walk down the aisle once the men are all situated, and then the maid of honor will succeed the last bridesmaid.
    • The ring bearer followed by the flower girl advance after the maid of honor.
    • Once the bridal party is situated, the bride begins her walk. She is typically escorted either by her father or other family member and should walk on the left side of her escort. Alternatively, the bride can walk unaccompanied as well.
    • As the bride approaches the front of the room where her groom is standing, the officiate will normally ask the person escorting the bride, “Who gives this woman to this man?” Once the appropriate response is given, the bride is handed to the groom and the officiate begins his presentation, which may include an opening prayer, an introduction of the couple entering into marriage, scripture readings, vow and ring exchange, unity candle lighting, pronouncement, and a wedding blessing or poem.
    • At the conclusion of the ceremony when the couple is pronounced husband and wife, the recessional begins. The newlyweds, naturally, are the first to proceed down the aisle followed by the rest of the group in the exact order as they arrived. The parents will exit behind the last person in the bridal party.
    • After those in attendance congratulate the newly married, the formal photography ensues, then it’s off to the reception.

    A running order schedule of the ceremony is nothing difficult to prepare, and mapping it out for all of those who will be participating is a good idea so as to make certain that everyone knows exactly how to proceed. A running order schedule of the reception is equally important to plot and is an easily assimilated item that will also help to reassure the bride and groom that the wedding events at the banquet will progress in an orderly and timely manner.