Resting along the border between California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is a gem filled with glistening, clear waters and surrounded by a surreal panorama of mountains. The epitome of picturesque, Lake Tahoe boasts 99.7% pure water—so pure, in fact, that you can see a white dinner plate at 78 feet below the surface.
With sunshine 75% of the year and snowfall recorded every month from January through December, the weather is deliberately predictable in Lake Tahoe and allows for a wide-range of recreational activities year-round. A widely celebrated tourist attraction, Rand McNally and Orbitz named Lake Tahoe the number one ski destination in 2011, USA Today ranked it “America’s Best Lake” in 2012, and TripAdvisor scored the city as the number one travel destination, making the city a go-to for water and snow-related recreational activities and wonderful place to keep wedding guests entertained.
With beauty at its core, it’s no surprise that Lake Tahoe is at the cornerstone of destinations to host a wedding. Taking into account all that the city has to offer, Lake Tahoe wedding venues are eclectic in nature and can take place anywhere from high-end resorts and a castle from the 1920s, to traditional churches overlooking the landscape and ceremony spots by the lake.
With nearly 13,000 weddings held in the area every year, Lake Tahoe has begun to serve a dual purpose, providing a beautiful wedding setting for the bride and groom and their guests, followed directly by a vacation to explore all that the region has to offer.
Generally, the average wedding in Lake Tahoe hovers around $7,500 for the reception. A two-night stay per room for guests is around $120 per night.
Of course, off-season weddings lead to a more budget-friendly experience. Most couples looking to save a few dollars tend to host their weddings in the springtime, when temperatures are steadily in the 50s. Keep in mind that Lake Tahoe is generally a year round destination, with mountain lodges popular for weddings in the wintertime and lakefront venues for nuptials in the summertime.