(VILD Photography)

Wedding Inspiration: A Wooded Fairytale at Lake Tahoe's Granlibakken Resort

21 June 2019

Whitney and Richard Talmage met and dated a bit at University of Oregon, and then parted ways as friends. But one fateful night, roughly eight years later, "Whitney drank way too much rosé and broached the topic of getting back together. The rest is history," Richard says.

Not long after, she moved to San Francisco to be with him; later, he got down on one knee at the top of KT-22 chair lift at Squaw Valley.

Tahoe would prove to also be the perfect wedding venue for the pair; Richard had grown up coming here, and the place would offer plenty of activities for the couple's out-of-town guests. They chose Granlibakken Resort as home base.

"Granlibakken had the accommodations we were hoping for, a low-key vibe, and a lot of natural beauty," Whitney says.

With the surrounding forest lending all the fairytale feels, all it took was a small bit of rustic decor with some "boho vibes" to set the perfect scene. A few somethings-blue were inspired by the bride's home state—"I am from Alaska and our state flower is the Forget-Me-Not"—and terrariums bursting with blooms topped the tables at the reception. Richard, who dabbles in calligraphy, wrote the escort cards, while his longtime friend officiated.

The two exchanged vows beneath a blooming arch and walked back down the aisle as newlyweds surrounded by bubbles. Afterwards, they took photos on the pier before moving inside to the Big Pine Lodge for toasts and cupcakes. Outside, rain began to fall and made its way onto the only-partially covered dance floor. "I've never danced so much in my life."