Showered with Love

On a Spring Saturday in Squaw Valley, the skies were overcast and showers were in the forecast. For Lauren and Mikael, this gray day was a great day for their wedding.

Photographer Tim Halberg captured all the precious moments and delicious details of this beautiful celebration.

The Engagement

The couple, who met online on Match.com, dated for two years before getting engaged in a very romantic moment. They spent the day at the beach in Half Moon Bay with their puppy. On the way home, they stopped for dinner and drinks at the Moss Beach Distillery. Before dinner, they enjoyed the fire pits and snuggled in blankets on the dog-friendly patio, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Then right before sunset, Mikael, a firefighter, suggested taking a photo out on the picturesque cliff. He popped the question on a path overlooking the beach. “The whole outside of the restaurant exploded in cheers and applause,” says Lauren, who works in medical device sales. “It was amazing.”

The Venue

The couple wanted a destination style wedding that their guests could drive to, spend the weekend and all enjoy time together. Lauren and Mikael fell in love with the Resort at Squaw Creek during their venue tour.

“It is a magical place where beautiful meadows are surrounded by snowcapped mountains,” gushes Lauren. “The outside was perfect and we loved that our guests could stay at the hotel, walk to the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception. And the bonus was Sandy’s Pub, where we could host an after-party. Truly a romantic location.”

The Color Palette

A gray, white and green color scheme provided a perfect match for the couple’s Tahoe nuptials. “We wanted to use natural colors that would enhance the beauty of Tahoe and not take away from it,” says Lauren. These color choices blended harmoniously with the cloud cover, the majestic mountains and the verdant valley that surrounded the couple.

The Ceremony

The ceremony was held on the resort’s spa deck. “The ceremony was simple and romantic, with the outdoor fireplace overlooking the meadow and snowcapped mountains,” says the bride.

Lauren looked stunning in a lacy gown with a low beaded back from Enzoani, along with impeccable hair & makeup from Love is in the Hair. Mikael wore a charcoal grey suit, with a grey and silver paisley tie, white pocket square, watch and cuff links, a gift from his bride.

Seeing each other for the first time at the wedding was emotional for the bride and groom. “He looked so handsome and he was so happy. I knew he was the man I was meant to marry and I just couldn’t wait to hold his hands and be there with him, as we said ‘I do,’” recalls Lauren. Mikael remarks, “There was the most amazing and beautiful woman in the world and she was coming down the stairs to marry me. I was fighting tears her whole way down the aisle.”

The couple wrote their own vows. As soon as Mikael slid the wedding band on Lauren’s finger, it started to rain. Lauren says that moment felt magical. (In some cultures, rain on your wedding day is considered auspicious, as it symbolizes cleansing and fertility.)

Guests opened their umbrellas and savored the moment. The bride says it made for some laughs and amazing pictures. “There is a picture of us walking down the aisle after we were married and my brother hands me an umbrella,” says Mikael. “I’m holding Lauren’s hand and so the umbrella is actually over me and not her. I caught a lot of flak for not covering her with it, but it makes for a great picture.”

The Reception

The reception was also held at the resort in the ballroom. “The reception was gorgeous with champagne drapes, elegant lighting and beautiful flowers,” says Lauren. The ballroom had two big windows and a patio which the couple and their guests used for a cigar and whiskey bar, which Lauren says, “was a big hit.”

The menu included hors d’oeuvres, salad and an entrée choice of grilled NY sirloin, stuffed chicken with chevre fondue or cauliflower steak with smoked tomato, grilled Portobello, roasted shallots and pine nuts. For dessert, everyone enjoyed vanilla sponge cake, strawberry filling, vanilla buttercream frosting and chocolate covered strawberries, as well as treats like mini cake bites, mini strawberry shortcake and chocolate, caramel pistachio bites.

The Photographer’s View

Photographer Tim Halberg loved shooting Lauren and Mikael’s wedding. Here he shares a few teachable moments from this wedding:

“Getting ready on property makes things way more relaxing and saves time on the wedding day,” he says. “Making time for portraits when the light is best was a win. Having a coordinator to run the day and ensure all of the details were in place.”

He also appreciated how much the couple embraced Mother Nature. He says Lauren and Mikael were OK with the rain coming down a little bit and not letting it ruin the day. It only added to the experience and made things special. “It’s Tahoe/the Sierra Nevada…rain happens, and it’s a beautiful thing.”

Comments from the Couple

“Give yourself enough time and hire a wedding planner,” advises Lauren.

“Support your wife and don’t forget to have fun,” says Mikael.

“It truly was the best day getting to marry Mikael and having so many of our loved ones celebrate with us,” says Lauren. “No other time in our lives will all our loved ones be at the same place with us. It was definitely a weekend we’ll never forget.”

Vendor Credits

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