Hope Valley Wedding, Kirkwood, California
Lake Tahoe Wedding Photographer
Camping and Outdoor Wedding Celebration
Photographer Charleton Churchill
Hope Valley Campout Wedding
Hope Valley. Aaron and Jennifer wanted a rustic wilderness wedding. They are an easy going great couple. They wanted a unique location that reflected their love for the outdoors. Thus, the idea of renting out the entire campgrounds for a campout wedding in Hope Valley for close friends and family was created. Brilliant. No doubt, if I were to redo my wedding, this would be my plan. Hope Valley is a beautiful place in the Lake Tahoe area if you ever get a chance to visit.
Their Outdoor Wedding Story
They began at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California, getting ready for the day. This resort is one of the best skiing/snowboarding resorts with 22 summer mountain biking trails. Aaron and some of his groomsmen had worked on staff at Kirkwood, so the location was symbolic. But it also provided that rustic element to their wedding day. It was only a short time there before we left and toured with the wedding party to capture some images along the journey. Aaron and Jennifer decided to see each other before the ceremony. It was their chance to capture some images together along the way to Hope Valley, stopping at different locations along hwy 88, that didn’t require any hiking before exchanging vows.
Once we arrived to Hope Valley, tents were setup, wooden signs were hanging, table decorations were in place, and the rugged ceremony location was surrounded by creative chopped logs. The guys had been hard at work designing wooden benches, wooden signs, and wooden steps to cross the stream. Then looking into the meadow off in the distance, you can view the Tahoe mountains. Certainly, a gorgeous location for any wedding or an adventure elopement.
After the short ceremony, they went back and played games, horseshoes, and casually hung in pockets of conversation, drinking to their hearts content. Dinner was served, speeches were shared, and there was a night hike later that evening that I wasn’t able to attend. Finally, the night ended with roasting s’mores together around campfire.
In all, they had a pretty amazing wedding. Congratulations to Jennifer and Aaron.
Lodging Preparations: Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Ceremony: Hope Valley Campgrounds
Reception: Hope Valley
Photographer: Charleton Churchill
