Wedding show season is upon us, and along with it comes many questions for our newly engaged couples out there… The biggest one of course being: should I go? Before you immediately rule it out with a resounding “NO,” check out some of the big reasons why we believe you should say “YES” to show season this year.

Meet Your Vendors
While it may seem a bit overwhelming, meeting all of your potential vendors in one place is a bit like going to a huge warehouse store or outlet mall. With everyone under the same roof, you can meet representatives from vendors and venues face-to-face… Eliminating the need for many hours on the phone trying to get to know folks. You can get a good feel for their product, check out photo albums, and in some cases, sample the product (in the instance of cake bakers).

Many of your South Lake Tahoe wedding vendors will likely be at a show near you this spring… Be sure to look for us!

The Price is RIGHT
Many vendors and venues will offer special show packages… Meaning you get the best bang for your buck. From photographers to DJs, coordinators to venues, several of these folks will offer an incentive if you book your date at the show. Some will even offer prizes via drawings or gift certificates available at their booth!

Get Help
While most shows aren’t necessarily a haven for coordinators, those that do show can often offer quite a bit of help that day and going forward. Coordinators with booths at the show will offer advice not only to get you started planning your adventure for the day by introducing you to some of their favorite vendors, but can help guide you in planning the wedding of your dreams.

Fashion Shows
Okay, so the fashion show might not be your thing. Why not? Check it out… Even if you already have your dress, you’ll be able to get a few fun ideas for hair and makeup, veil design and of course your bridal party. You might even see some interesting colors you would have never dreamed of for your wedding party (and that you really like!) – but that’s what makes the show so much fun.

And the Verdict?
If you’re still unsure as to whether or not bridal shows are your thing, call your girlfriends. Ask your mom. You’re bound to find a few girls to go with you who will make the day fun and exciting instead of scary and overwhelming.

For upcoming bridal show dates and locations, go to your favorite search engine and enter in your city’s name along with “bridal shows” (i.e. Sacramento bridal shows or Reno bridal shows).

Imagine yourself walking down the sand along the picturesque Lake Tahoe shoreline to say “I Do” to your sweetheart… And not having to pay a dime. Sound epic? Well, perhaps it is. And it could be YOUR Tahoe South Epic I-Do’s Adventure Wedding!

Congratulations on your engagement. On behalf of Lake Tahoe South Shore, you’ve been cordially invited to win the wedding of your dreams!

The Big Day
One lucky couple will win a spectacular Lake Tahoe South Shore wedding weekend on Memorial Weekend, May 26-28, 2012, complete with all the details for 30 guests. You will start with a day of pampering & activities, then the rehearsal dinner at Edgewood Tahoe. The next day, May 27, your ceremony will be held at 11:00am on the shoreline at Zephyr Cove Resort.

After the “I Dos,” you and your guests will enjoy a lunch reception at Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort (alcohol not included) followed by a VIP post wedding party in Opal Lounge at Mont Bleu Resort Casino & Spa for up to 20 guests.

Lodging for the entire group (30 guests) will be provided by The Ridge Tahoe for the nights of May 26 & May 27.

Activities and Wedding Day Accessories
Additional entertainment and wedding weekend options will also be included and voted on by your adoring fans. We’ll provide a complete list of these items on our Facebook contest page soon, but here are a few ideas we have in the works: parasailing, spa treatments and golf, dinner cruises on the lake, sightseeing rides, and more. Key details of your wedding day will also be voted on by our fans such as your cake, photographer and flowers.

The Details
Engaged couples who would like to be considered should submit their entry on Facebook through our Tahoe Wedding Sites fan page. Then, give us a chance to get to know you a bit by posting a photo and why you should be our lucky couple on the wall.

We’ll narrow the field to the top three to five couples and then leave the final selection up to our fans… It will be up to you to convince them to vote for you by submitting a one to two minute video capturing why you should win.

What are you waiting for?
Start drafting up your engagement details now… Submit them on our Facebook page pronto! And earn yourself a chance to win the wedding of your dreams for 30 of your closest friends and family. We look forward to hearing from you!

This official contest is being offered in partnership by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort, Aramark Lake Tahoe (Lake Tahoe Cruises), The Ridge Tahoe, Edgewood Tahoe and Mont Bleu Resort Casino & Spa.

Did you get engaged over the holidays in South Shore? If so, we want to hear your story…

Visit us on Facebook to share stories, photos and memories. We’d love to hear from you!

Congratulations!

Theme menus are so much fun, especially this time of year. But, truly, theme menus can be spectacular any time of year. Mix things up for your big day by tossing a fun twist on the F&B side of things…

Gobble Gobble

Just adore Thanksgiving but can’t wait until November? Why not host a turkey feast complete with all the trimmings for your wedding day? Especially great for late summer or early fall weddings, going the turkey route will help your guests gear up for the holidays. Adorn the table with festive colors, cornucopias and edible centerpieces such as fresh fruits, squash and gourds. Don’t forget the pumpkin pie! Mini pies make great favors… Or also work as a fabulous late-night snack.

USA! USA!

Next year is an Olympic year, so show off your home team pride with a sampling of your favorite American Classics. Mini apple pies, grilled ANYTHING, lemon aid… You get the picture. First generation American? Celebrate your heritage with traditional treats and menu items from home. Bring your families together in more than just the marriage sense by combining menu items from your home countries.

What’s Your Favorite?

Perhaps you and your honey share a collection of favorite foods… Or maybe you have completely different tastes when it comes to the dinner menu. First date at a tapas bar? Serve a few of your favorites during the cocktail hour! The opportunities are endless. Keep the food-theme going by naming your tables after some of your favorite dishes.

Chow Down

No matter your style, no matter your favorite flavors, creating a dynamic wedding menu to suit your personalities will offer a lasting impression your guests won’t soon forget!

The holidays are here my friends, and along with them comes the season of giving. Sales abound, and now’s the time to shop if you’re on the hunt for the perfect holiday gift… And a spectacular opportunity to begin thinking about your soon-to-be Mr. or Mrs. and the bridal party! With sales store wide in many locations including a few neighborhood shops in Tahoe, there’s no time like the present to start looking for those wedding day thank-you’s that your favorite girls and guys will cherish for years to come.

For the Girls

Stuck on trying to figure out what to get your girls? Want to avoid the stereotypical tote bag with emergency supplies and flip flops? Treat them to something sparkly. A sweet little necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings that can double as an accessory on the day of your wedding and with future outfits to come. Avoid going too matchy-matchy and get your girls something unique… Something for each girl that reminds you specifically of that individual. Stick with the same designer to ensure you have some consistency, but otherwise, have some fun with it!

For the Guys

Beer me! That’s what they’ll be saying all night long, so why not make it fun and interesting for them. I coordinated a wedding a few weeks ago that gave me the perfect idea… The bride and groom have Northern European roots and chose to give each of the groomsmen a personalized stein! It was fabulous and the guys LOVED it. For the not-so-beer oriented group, check out a few other cool options like monogrammed cuff links. Barney’s New York is currently offering an irresistible set of typewriter cufflinks that can be customized to each guy’s initials. GENIUS.

For the Groom

There’s a few ways to go with this one, depending on your overall budget. Classic groom’s gifts range from timeless time pieces to fun boudoir photo books meant for his eyes only. What you choose for your man on the special day should be completely based on your lives together… You know him best. Bear in mind this shouldn’t be something that you can get him on just any other gift giving occasion… Something truly unique, possibly even engraved is an excellent way to say “I love you.”

For the Bride

For the lady in your life, the best bet is to go with your heart on this one… Similar to our advice in the groom section above. But, truly, the bride is so excited about the big day, you would be well suited to find something for her to commemorate the special occasion. A set of pearl earrings, a beautiful tennis bracelet, or perhaps a timeless timepiece of her own with something sweet engraved on the back panel. Again, similar to our advice in the groom’s section above, make sure that whatever you give her celebrates the day and isn’t just “any other gift” that you would be able to give some other time.

Let the Shopping Begin!

You know your bridal party and your future spouse better than anyone. Give them the gift of something unique, something that will make them smile. Avoid kitschy things that will merely collect dust on the dresser, or stereotypical gifts that they can get any other time. This is your time to say thank you to your favorite people. Get creative and have some fun with it – they’ll love whatever you do.

It seems the holidays start earlier and earlier every year, doesn’t it? Why not join in the excitement by throwing an extravagant holiday event of your own? Give friends and family a reason to celebrate in the winter wonderland of Lake Tahoe next year by announcing a holiday-season wedding for 2012. The months of November and December are considered low season at most locations around the Lake as venues gear down from summer before getting ready to gear up for winter… Which means great rates, several lodging options and a quieter resort town setting often reserved just for the locals.

Fall Colors

There’s nothing more romantic than the golden glow offered by aspen trees during the fall season in the High Sierra. Gather with the ones you love in a sweet grove near Fallen Leaf Lake at a rustic chapel or in Hope Valley for an even more romantic and private setting near the Carson River. Be careful though – fall colors disappear just as quickly as they arrive… Typically just a two week window during the month of October.

Winter Wonderland

Imagine walking down the aisle through a snow covered meadow… Or peeking through the windows on a crisp alpine evening as the sun sets over Lake Tahoe. Don a furry shawl to keep your shoulders warm for photos – this sassy new trend is taking the fashion industry by storm, with many department stores offering faux versions for under $100. If you’re lucky enough to have a few inches of snow for your big day, reach out to local sleigh ride companies for a fun twist to the reception by offering guests a chance to go dashing through the snow between dances.

Go Play Outside

While you’re thinking the off season may mean less activity options… Think again! South Lake Tahoe is a local’s dream during the off season and can be yours, too. (Don’t tell anyone I told you!) Many of our regional golf courses offer great rates during the fall and early winter months, mountain biking trails are at some of their best conditions of the entire year with sporadic rain showers and cold nights and then there’s the paddlewheelers… There’s nothing more fantastic than a sunset from the decks of the Tahoe Queen or MS Dixie II during the early winter months.

Add Some Sparkle

Remiss for ideas on decor that reach beyond the typical red and green holiday colors? Add some sparkle. Try a winter white and platinum palate decorated with accents of sparkle… Toss a little bling out onto tables with rhinestones or crystals, hang twinkling accent chandeliers and play up your centerpieces with decorative branches adorned with ribbons or bows. If color is your thing, consider tossing a few hints of deep navy or an electric blue for a fun twist… And if your soon-to-be Mr or Mrs has a fun spirit, try magenta or fuschia on for size. They’re spectacular holiday accents!

Holiday Elopements

There’s still time. Yes, you CAN get married in 2011 at South Lake Tahoe. Your best bet? Contact a local wedding planner who can help you get everything dialed in on short notice, then get ready to say “I Do” with those closest to you.

Get the Drift?

Snow drift, that is? Come on up to South Shore this holiday season to see things for yourself. Check out a few venues, reach out to a few planners and find out why so many locals live for this time of year at Lake Tahoe. We’re sure you’ll be thrilled you did!

There’s no rule that says you have to register for expensive china, pots and pans or housewares. In fact, with so many couples living together before marriage these days, it seems to make sense that registries wouldn’t include these old standards. If you and your soon-to-be-husband or wife find yourself in this same predicament, don’t fret! There are many options out there for registries to suit your life and lifestyle together.

The Honeymoon Registry

Scraping together the pennies to pay for your big day is hard enough. Try financing a honeymoon! Instead of shelling out big bucks of your own, register for your special trip instead. Sites like HoneyFund.com offer couples the perfect venue to select elements of the honeymoon as items for their registry from paddle wheel tours to dinners at four star restaurants, massages to lift tickets and everything in between… Even your hotel and flight!

Take it one step further, and while planning your destination wedding at Lake Tahoe, make a nice long honeymoon out of the event too. Plan to spend a few extra days post-nuptials exploring the lake on a paddle wheeler, take a few runs on the slopes at one of our world famous mountain resorts or explore the high country along the Tahoe Rim Trail… Include these items in your registry and have your friends and family help contribute to the adventures and your first memories as a married couple.

The Wishing Well

Perhaps you have a mixed bag of things you’d love to have to start your new life together – cameras, furniture, appliances… These are all things that can be tossed into your wishing well. Sites like OurWishingWell.com provide registry venues that allow couples to assign dollar values to specific wish list items without necessarily registering for that specific product (i.e. Digital Camera for $400 instead of a brand name, specific camera or Refrigerator for $1000 instead of the actual appliance brand).

Give Back

Create a charitable fund for your wedding registry instead of the traditional laundry list of gifts and goodies. Organizations such as the I Do Foundation (IDoFoundation.com) offer couples the chance to give back to their community through charitable registries. When you register for gifts, you also select a charitable organization to give back to… And the foundation donates a percentage of your total registry value to the organization of your choice.

Other charitable registries are exactly that… Instead of registering for gifts, you ask guests to make a donation to your most cherished organization or cause.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’ve been living together for years or are going the old fashioned route and waiting until marriage, there are several options out there for your wedding registry. If you’ll be moving in together after the wedding, the traditional registry set up might work best for you. But, if you already live together and don’t need much, take our advice and check out some of these creative registry ideas… You’ll be glad you did!

Quality entertainment is key to ensuring a great party and whether you choose a DJ, band or fire dancers, there are several key questions you need to ask before booking. Asking these few, simple, straight-forward questions will give you the details necessary to make the right decision for your big day – and your budget.

Fit and Flair

First and foremost, make sure the person or group you choose suits your personality and the event theme. The music and any performers should tell a story, capture the essence of YOU as a couple and be right for the timing of the evening. If you’ll work with a DJ, plan to go with a format that includes subdued music during the cocktail hour and dinner party and top 100 hits to get the crowd moving during the dance party. If a band is more your style, look for those who offer original music – or a very eclectic spin on covers.

Get What You Want

From flea markets to wedding planning, negotiating is the same across the board. It’s all in how you approach the business or service provider. Work closely with whomever you choose to design play lists, discuss your budget in detail and make clear your stance on requests.

Got Talent?

When it comes down to choosing your performers, verify their talent by asking for a resume and references. Videos are great, so be sure to ask if they have anything on YouTube that you can check out or perhaps they have a DVD they can provide.

Dress the Part

When it comes down the details for the big day, confirm proper attire with your entertainers. If you’re going for a formal theme, make sure the band has access to suits or tuxedos. Ask about any equipment needs – staging, lighting, etc – these are things that most entertainers have in their collection… But if not, you’ll want to be sure to have the appropriate tools available.

The Bottom Line

There’s nothing wrong with being direct with your entertainers. At the end of the day, a DJ or band can truly make or break your event. Be sure to hire someone that will work with you, offers a dose of creativity and fits your budget. Follow these simple steps and you’re sure to be dancing the night away!

Goblins and ghosts and… Weddings? Oh my! Adventurous couples unafraid of the spooky connotations of this holiday celebrated nuptials over the weekend. Considering a festive wedding for 2012? We’ve got a few treats to pack your special day with all the right tricks.

Haunted Mansion

Finding the right venue can make or break this theme. When searching for the perfect Haunted Mansion for your Lake Tahoe wedding, turn to the experts. Lake-front private estates work beautifully for smaller events while larger venues such as golf courses or mountain resorts can accommodate guest lists in the triple digits. Local real estate aficionados can help with the estate side of things while your planner can assist with finding larger venues.

‘Till Death Do Us Part

Those five simple words might be part of your vows… Why not make them part of the over all theme? Invite guests to dress the part by making it a costume affair. Incorporate a bit of the “ball and chain” humor with decor selections that echo the holiday traditions. Black chandeliers, plenty of candles and autumn branches make perfect accents. Find inspiration in the mountain meadows surrounding Tahoe and in the Sierra Foothills – Halloween is almost perfect timing for fall colors with aspens and other deciduous trees changing for the season typically in mid to late October.

Attempting to find the right palate without going overboard on the fall colors? Make it a black tie affair. Capitalize on the essential colors of Halloween – black and orange – but add your own twist like accents of lavender or fuchsia to liven things up a bit.

Trick or Treat!

Offer your guests the opportunity to relive childhood memories with a trick or treat session during cocktail hour. Start things off right with signature cocktails echoing the festive theme such as Witches Brew (red wine-based sangria) before turning your ghoulish guests loose on the candy bar. Work with your coordinator or a rental company to select decorative glassware, then choose candy like that which you might find in cauldrons on the doorsteps of your neighborhood on Fright Night… Lemon Heads, Jawbreakers and gummy worms (among many other favorites) can be found through online suppliers or at bulk bin shops.

Looking for the perfect theme-specific cake topper? Try this Jack Skellington version – available on Etsy.com – to bring your dessert table into the spooktacular realm.

Do the Monster Mash!

While many brides are often fearful of themed events or holiday parties, don’t be. The photos will be fabulous and stories will live on for years to come.