Kelly and Eddie's Lake Tahoe wedding at Bear Paw Lodge is all the best of a bohemian, rustic wedding. The bride had her hand in all the planning from the wildflower and herb bouquets crafted by Second Nature Creations to the pine cone trail leading to the ceremony. Instead of flower petals, the ceremony path was lined with vintage rugs and set in the woodland forest behind the lodge. We love the relaxed, happy vibe of the day and especially how perfectly Melina Wallisch Photography captured it.

from the photographer: Eddie proposed to Kelly on a mountainside in Norway. When they were living in San Francisco, they made frequent snow trips to the mountain. Both active snowboarders, they decided on a relaxed, backyard wedding in Lake Tahoe. They now reside in LA and I am happy to share their wedding story here with you.

Entering Kelly and Eddie's welcome party at the Bear Paw Lodge in Tahoe City felt like being at a global music festival. Soft Mexican blankets were laid out with oversized pillows, a live band, specialty wristbands and custom bar drinks. Eddie's family comes from England and South Africa, and Kelly was raised in San Diego. Flags from every part of the world that guests were from hung throughout the wooded land overlooking glorious Lake Tahoe. Lawn games and gourmet s'mores mingled with fire pits and dance parties. It was a welcome party that felt like home. Kelly and Eddie's relaxed, happy vibe set the tone for their entire wedding weekend. They really wanted their vendors to blend in and specifically requested that we not dress in black, as many service vendors on a wedding day do. In fact, they asked my assistant photographer to wear jeans! Kelly had her hand in all of the effortlessly beautiful decor from the wildflower and herb bouquets (crafted by Kelly's childhood soccer friend Casey of Second Nature Creations) to the pine cone trail leading to the ceremony. Instead of flower petals, the ceremony path was lined with vintage rugs, set in the woodland forest behind the Lodge.

At one point, some of the couple's special family guests came up front to sing Mumford and Son's "I will wait for you". Their mic wasn't working so they asked everyone to join in (how convenient that the words were written on the program). One of my favorite wedding moments ever is when the entire wedding sang this song to Kelly and Eddie. It was a moment I will never forget. Cocktail hour followed with a gourmet meal under the stars. After heartfelt toasts and a beautiful first dance, DJ and master musician Brian Hess brought the house down with one of the best house parties I have ever experienced. The goodness just kept on flowing all night with homemade mac 'n' cheese and pie. If I were to ever marry again, this would be the ideal wedding to have. A wedding where everyone is happy is hard to pull off, and Kelly and Eddie did it splendidly.