FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Services We Provide

What are the various services that you offer?

  • Our offered services generally include everything that involves the ceremony, such as minister services, photography, limousine services, flower arrangements, wedding videography services, supplementing event item necessities like chairs and arbor, planning assistance, and permit acquisition for select locations.

Are you able to assist us with our reception?

  • We don’t offer reception planning services, but we have a list of reception hosting facilities on our wedding resources page with numerous suggestions, most of which are located near the south shore of Tahoe.

Can you send me more information about the wedding packages you offer along with pricing information and any details you have on available wedding sites?

Can you provide any references of brides and grooms whose weddings you have performed in the past?

  • We have performed a large number of weddings over the years and have received numerous bride and groom testimonies relating to our services in the form of personal letters, postcards, and emails, some of which have been displayed on our website and are available for viewing.

Reserving Your Wedding Date

If I want to book my wedding with you now, what do I need to do and what information do I need to provide?

  • Booking your wedding with us is easy and can be done by phone. All we need is the details of your wedding such as the date and location and any other pertinent information. Next, we’ll send you a confirmation via email and you’re set. You can also book your wedding online by means of our information request form.

How much advanced notice do you need to guarantee reservation of a specific wedding date and location?

  • It’s difficult to determine how far in advance you should book your wedding because it depends on the specific date and location you’ve chosen. Some of our private beach venues, for example, are often booked a year in advance, most particularly Saturdays in July and August, whereas other locations are frequently available with short notice, regardless of the time of year.

We want to get married tomorrow and would like to know if that’s possible?

  • We can perform your ceremony on very short notice, even if you want to be married on the very same day you call us. However, it does depend on the location you choose and the availability of resources because some locations may be booked or certain services you want may be unobtainable.

I have a large group of people that will be attending my wedding, and although the particular wedding site I’d like to reserve specifies a maximum number of people that are allowed to attend and my group size exceeds that number, can I pay a higher price to have more people attend?

  • Unfortunately, if a particular venue listed on our website specifies a maximum number of allowable people who can attend the event, the entire group size cannot exceed that amount, regardless if offering to pay a higher price for the location. This is largely due to the managing agency of that particular site.

Why do you put limits on the amount of people who can attend a wedding at certain locations?

  • Limiting group size at specific locations are guidelines typically set forth by an authorized land managing organization that presides over the particular site. These sites are primarily public areas that maintain such restrictions and are not suitable for hosting weddings with large groups. Anyone who wishes to conduct a wedding at these locations must abide by the regulations provided by these governing agencies.

How much of a deposit is needed to reserve a date?

  • Deposits vary with package selection, but with our simplest wedding package a minimum deposit of $295 is required to reserve a date and for the event to be placed on our calendar.

The Marriage License

If I want to obtain a California marriage license, what are the requirements that I need to know about in order for me to get one?

  • The prerequisites for obtaining a California marriage license are that the bride and groom both be at least 18 years of age and able to display valid identification. This includes a driver’s license, a passport, or a state issued ID, for example. Also, a final divorce decree is necessary if the divorce occurred within 90 days of license procurement.

Do I need to obtain a marriage license from the state I’m presently living in?

  • You do not obtain a marriage license from the state you live in unless you are going to be married in that state. Marriage licenses need to be acquired from the state you plan to be married in.

What steps do I need to take to obtain a marriage license?

  • If you have selected to be married at one of our California wedding venues, you can purchase the marriage license yourself from any county clerk that’s located in California. If you’ve chosen a Nevada venue, visit a Nevada county clerk for issuance.

We understand that California offers two type of marriage licenses, a “public” marriage license and a “confidential” marriage license. What is the difference?

Can you issue a marriage license to us, and are we able to choose which type of license we prefer, either the public or confidential license?

  • No, we cannot issue a public or confidential marriage license. However, any county clerk in California or Nevada can issue you either license.

Will I receive the marriage license after the ceremony takes place?

  • You may request a copy of your marriage license from the minister after the ceremony takes place, but it’s the minister’s responsibility to submit the actual license back to the county recorder-clerk’s office from where it was purchased. To receive an official recorded copy of the license, you would need to contact the specific county recorder-clerk’s office and request it directly from them, typically by completing and submitting the particular form that they require along with the applicable fee.

I already purchased a marriage license, so am I able to use it if you perform our ceremony?

  • If you’ve purchased a California or Nevada marriage license, you can use it and be married in the appropriate state, provided it is still valid and not expired. A California license is valid for 90 days from issuance, whereas Nevada is one year.

Do I need to have a blood test taken before I get married?

  • Neither California nor Nevada require blood tests prior to getting married.

The Wedding Day

This is my first marriage and I’m unsure about what I need to do on my wedding day when I get to the ceremony site, so will there be somebody there to guide me through the process?

  • The minister arrives early to the ceremony location and will take charge of making sure everything goes smoothly on your wedding day.

Do I need to bring anything with me to the ceremony other than myself?

  • The bride and groom must bring their marriage license and current pictured ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.

How long will the ceremony last?

  • Typically, the ceremony will last about fifteen minutes and the photography an additional thirty minutes or so afterwards, so plan on the entire event lasting about one hour.

Inclement Weather

If bad weather conditions exist on my wedding day, what are the alternatives?

  • If available, nearby chapels can be leased and used as a backup when weather isn’t favorable to have an outdoor wedding. However, if the bride and groom are willing and the weather hasn’t made the wedding location inaccessible, we can proceed with the wedding as originally planned.

If my wedding has to be moved to an indoor chapel because of the weather conditions, will it cost me more money?

  • Yes, extra cost will be required. Leasing of a chapel will generally cost approximately $150 to $250.

Where is the alternate indoor wedding site that can be leased if bad weather occurs?

  • There are several likely indoor wedding chapels that can be leased as a backup plan when severe weather occurs, and they are localized near the center of town.

Deposits and Payments

What is the amount of the deposit necessary to reserve a particular wedding date?

  • A $295 deposit is the minimum amount needed to reserve a date for our simplest wedding package, but it may be more depending upon the actual package you have chosen.

When does the final payment for our wedding have to be paid?

  • At least 90 days prior to the scheduled event is when we expect to receive the final payment owed.

Cancellations and Refunds

If I have to cancel my wedding date, am I able to get a refund?

  • Except for the apportioned nonrefundable administrative fee, we do offer a refund of residual deposit or balance payments made if we are notified at least 90 days prior to your scheduled wedding date. However, if the deposit money you paid to us, or a portion thereof, was used to secure a wedding facility or acquire a necessary venue permit on your behalf, commonly the deposit is not refundable as the refund policy of the facility that was secured or issuer of the permit may supersede our policy, which may stipulate that the entire payment paid to them is nonrefundable. Refer to our terms and conditions for more detailed information because other underlying circumstances may exist that could possibly affect refunds.

Photography Services and the Wedding Photographs

Does the photographer photograph just the ceremony or will he take more afterwards?

  • The entire event will be captured by our photographer, including opportune photos of the bridal party and guest arrival, ceremony highlights, formal photography afterwards, and intimate photo shots of just the bride and groom.

Am I able to hire my own photographer?

  • Yes, you can hire your own photographer and he could shoot aside ours or, if you prefer, you can have your photographer shoot the wedding solo.

How long does it take to get my wedding photos?

  • Two weeks is the usual time it takes for your wedding photos to be ready for delivery, but it could take slightly longer if your wedding occurs in the summertime during the peak of wedding season.

How will I get my wedding photographs once I leave town?

  • Your wedding photographs normally will be emailed in digital form, unless you select another available option that the photographer offers.

Will I receive my wedding photos in print form?

  • You will not receive print form photographs of your wedding, but rather by a digitally transferable method or some other alternative format that may be offered by the photographer, all of which you can have prints made.

What is the total amount of pictures I should expect to receive?

  • We guarantee at least 60 unique photographs, but oftentimes you’ll receive up to 80 or more depending on the size of your bridal party and the number of guests in attendance.

Is the photographer going to send me all of the pictures he has taken during my wedding or am I going to have to pay additional money to receive all of them?

  • Other than those removed during editing, you will receive every photograph taken at your wedding without additional cost.

Are the photos I receive copyrighted by the photographer or can I make additional prints without having to worry about paying for copyrights?

  • You can make unlimited prints of any of the photographs that we deliver to you without worry of purchasing copyrights as the copyrights are granted to you.