Winter Adventure Elopement at Lake Tahoe

 
Bride and groom stand in the snow above Donner Lake at sunset during their winter elopement

Planning K + D’s winter elopement in Lake Tahoe was such an adventure! First, for those of you familiar with the Lake Tahoe area, I know what you’re thinking about the first photo: “Umm, that’s not Lake Tahoe!” And you’re totally right — it’s actually nearby Donner Lake. We started the day at Lake Tahoe (snowshoeing adventure for the win!), but unfortunately winter weather prevented us from shooting at the various lakeside locations we had initially discussed. K + D had a great “roll with it” attitude and we took advantage of our backup location at Donner Lake where the weather was clearer and we were treated with the most beautiful sunset! Check out the snowshoeing photos below at the start of our adventurous day! (By the way, snowshoeing is now my preferred method of travel, it’s so fun!)

Bride and groom hold each other close in a secluded snowy forest in Lake Tahoe
Bride smiles while holding her eucalyptus and pink rose wedding bouquet in the snow
Bride and groom kiss while snowshoeing in Lake Tahoe during their elopement adventure
Bride and groom snowshoe in Lake Tahoe during their winter elopement adventure
Bundled up winter wedding couple pause while snowshoeing to look lovingly at each other as the snow falls around them in Lake Tahoe

As the snow and a surprisingly dense fog bank rolled in to totally obscure the view at Lake Tahoe, we decided to head to Donner Lake instead. When it comes to adventurous elopements, it’s so important to have a backup location already in mind just in case the weather changes unexpectedly. Thankfully, the Tahoe area has no shortage of beautiful scenery and Donner Lake seriously delivered. We started along the water’s edge before heading up to the snowy summit for sunset.

As the sun started to set, we were all blown away by the colorful show we got to see. The gorgeous pinks and purples of the sunset were perfectly reflected in the lake.

Winter wedding couple hug with their foreheads touching on Donner Summit with the lake in the background at sunset
Bride plays with her wedding dress while holding her groom’s hand standing in the snow on Donner Summit with the lake in the background at sunset
Wedding couple kiss in front of Donner Lake with the pink sunset reflecting on the snowy mountains
Bride and groom hold each other close in the snow on Donner Summit overlooking the lake
Groom kisses his bride in the snow on Donner Summit overlooking the lake with a pink sunset and snowy mountains behind them

First location: Lake Tahoe
Second location: Donner Lake
Bride’s outfit: BHLDN
Florals: made by me and the bride!
Snowshoe rental: Sports Basement