Bride and Groom walking on a dock with mountains behind the lake

Groom kisses brides cheek on dock with large mountains behind them — Bride and groom at Valhalla Tahoe

bride in robe putting on her sparkling wedding shoes

Pearl and rhinestone high heels in a chair with the ring boxes and earrings

Golden sunshine, gentle breezes, and Jane and Matt gearing up to say 'I do' at the stunning Valhalla Tahoe. What could be better? Join us as we share more about this romantic summer celebration!

How did you meet?

We met in Chico, CA, where we both went to college at a friend's 21st birthday party.

What made you choose Lake Tahoe for your wedding?

Matt and I both grew up going to Tahoe to ski with our families. We spent many winters up there at his family's home in South Lake and made our own memories together. When Matt's dad passed away in 2021, we ended up buying the family vacation home in Tahoe to make it our permanent residence. It only made sense that we would get married in Tahoe, where we could still feel the love and presence of Matt's dad, and gather all of our friends and family to our favorite place in the whole world.

bride stands behind her groom with a big smile for their first look

bride and groom embrace after their first look

Bride and groom hugging in woodland area

Groom excitedly twirl his bride who is showing off her floral lace dress

Can you share a few highlights or unique elements of the wedding day?

There were many, but for one, almost everyone at our wedding spotted a bear that week! I think the other thing that made our wedding special was the dinner speeches. Our families joined together (British and French, not often seen together in celebration!) to cheer on the speech-givers, which made it so entertaining and fun. Lastly, the dancing! We all went hard on the dancefloor, and our DJ, Derek Tarpey of Lake Tahoe DJ, even said our wedding reminded him of why he became a DJ in the first place. So special!

Couple being married in a large stone arch and wall

groom holds a microphone reading his vows

Bride holds a microphone while reading her vows in a large stone area

Bride and Groom holds hands after they have been married and look out at all their guests

Bride and Groom walk back down the aisle after being married

How did you personalize your wedding decor or experience for their guests?

We had mini flags on the table, representing USA, France, Ireland, and England to highlight the multi-cultural wedding we were hosting. We also designed our programs and menus ourselves, using the lake view and beach behind Valhalla as the image. I think my favorite thing to design was our table name cards, which had a couple in their wedding attire sitting on a chairlift.

guestbook table with guest book with photos on leaves with a floral boutique framed photo and disposable cameras

What is one thing you would do differently, wish you knew, or would recommend to other couples?

I would definitely recommend taking ALL the photos you possibly can because, in the end, that's what you have to look back on (outside the memories of course!). I would also recommend not opting for Knot cash, or any wedding website cash option. Opt for the adventures, excursions, or things like Airbnb/Southwest/Delta gift cards to your registry because the experiences are way more fun than household stuff!