Camp Wedding at Clair Tappan Lodge in Lake Tahoe with DIY
Eucalyptus Draped Bicycle Wheels and Wedding Arches, Handmade Bouquets, Corn Hole, A Clear Wedding Reception Tent Adorned with String Lights, and a Lake View Escape for Romantic Photos
Ursi and Ryan had an unforgettable Labor Day Weekend wedding in the Lake Tahoe area at the Clair Tappan Lodge in Northern California near Donner Pass. This location was really special to the couple as they have spent many seasons skiing Donner Pass together and wanted to get married somewhere nearby. Keeping with a camp theme, Ursi and Ryan settled on Clair Tappan Lodge - not technically an exclusive wedding venue, but an incredible lodge nestled in the woods with a clearing to gather underneath the lichen covered redwood trees.
Ursi had a vision for her handmade wedding day at the Clair Tappan Lodge. She did countless DIYs to make it come to fruition, even so far as the morning of her wedding, helping to design and wrap all the bouquets and decorate her own wedding arch while in full hair and makeup done by Megan Cary Artistry, in her cute satin getting ready robe. The whole bridal party helped to make this camp themed wedding day come together in a space that would allow their family and friends joining them to enjoy the space and have community with one another there for the weekend!
Getting ready, Ursi and her bridesmaids all hung out in a the Clair Tappan Lodge Library room, overlooking the trees. Everyone helped put bouquets together with fresh blooms and adorned bicycle wheels with eucalyptus and ranunculus as part of the entrance decor that greeted guests upon their arrival. Ursi copied over her vows on the sofa beside her mom while her mother finished sewing velvet ribbons onto each bridal bouquet, before getting dressed privately. Meanwhile, Ryan got dressed in the upstairs gallery room! One wedding attire detail Ryan was particularly excited about was his red tie! It was a geographical map reading of the area printed onto his tie!
Once both Ursi and Ryan were ready, they met outside beside the Clair Tappan Lodge bell for a first look under the trees together. Having seen one another all morning while getting the lodge prepared and checking in with one another, this first look was special because even though they had seen one another’s dress and suit, they had never seen the other person wearing their outfits before! It was so sweet!
The ceremony site was located in a clearing of trees at the base of a hill. With huge trees reaching high above them, it was such a gorgeous view! Their circle arch - personally adorned with eucalyptus and ranunculus by Ursi herself with the help of her mother and bridesmaids that morning - sat at the front. In an effort to abide by the LNT (leave no trace) principles of being in nature, dried flowers local the the environment were placed in wax paper bags at the end of each aisle to be tossed during their recessional.
Many tears were shed during their ceremony by both parties as they exchanged personal vows and rings. As they were declared husband and wife they kissed and walked joyfully up the aisle together under a shower of dried flower petals!
Escaping for a quick moment, Ursi and Ryan headed to Donner Pass and a lake overlook spot along the highway. They took post ceremony romantics with gorgeous overlook views and big, clear, blue skies! Stopping at the Donner Pass cabin on the way back, Ursi and Ryan took some photos at the place that originally made this location so memorable to them both!
While Ursi and Ryan were away taking romantics as husband and wife, the Envy Events Management Team was busy transforming their reception space to receive the bride and groom. Camelot Party Rentals provided antique wooden tables, linens, arches, and a wedding tent to transform the space! With tea candle lit paper bags lining the road back to the lodge being lit to illuminate the path way back, through curtained doors with eucalyptus decor, it was such a special site! Unsure of the weather, but also to keep guests warm, Ursi and Ryan rented a clear wedding tent for their day. Inside, the roof was illuminated with string lights that set it up to glow! under the string lights inside the tent were family style tables with dried eucalyptus garlands and gold rimmed table accents!
One special feature of their reception space was Ursi and Ryan’s sweetheart table! Knowing they wanted to have a sweetheart table, one day Ryan stumbled upon a small wooden table on the curb left out for the trash to be collected. He saved it, had it engraved with their named and wedding date, and used it as their sweetheart table that they would take back home with them as a special wedding day momento!
Since the wedding had a camp theme to it, during their cocktail hour, guests gathered by fire pits, played corn hole, horseshoe, and other fun games, while enjoying drinks out of coolers and bundling up in oversized wooden loveseats. Everyone gathered and mingled together until dinner was ready to be served. A special moment I loved from their cocktail hour was when every guest in attendance was gathered and they took a large group photo of everyone who witnessed their wedding together!
During their reception, many heartfelt speeches were shared as guests enjoyed an exceptional dinner by D’lish Catering. D’lish Catering was actually one of the reasons Ursi and Ryan chose Clair Tappan Lodge over other local venues - they thought the food was amazing and knew they wanted to eat it on their wedding day! After speeches and dances, the couple cut their cake, made by the local Cornerstone Bakery, before opening up the dance floor and reception night of festivities. The DJ, Cappell Entertainment, both played incredible music but also had a live band associated with his company. It was the best of both worlds of wanting a live band but also wanting music in the interim! The DJ also brought colorful lights with him that transformed the transparent tent into a really fun dance floor space! Guests enjoyed taking photos at the photo booth and as the night drew on, Ursi changed into a second dress. Her reception party dress was a mini dress with fridge skirt! She also changed out of her bridal flats into some white high top converse so she could properly dance the night away!
One of the best features about the wedding being hosted at Clair Tappan Lodge was the Lodge is full of camp style bunk beds rooms that could fit lots of individuals! Ursi and Ryan rented all the rooms for their guests to say in that night so they could party on until the early hours of the next morning and sleep safely on site! It really did feel like the best adult summer camp celebration you could possibly attend!
