High school sweethearts, Athena and Alan, pictured their future together for years. After attending the same college and nurturing their beautiful thirteen-year relationship, the couple decided to get married. Alan popped the question during a hike in the Swiss Alps, inspiring them to plan an elegant mountain wedding in none other than Lake Tahoe!

“The mountains and alpine lakes we visited inspired us to find a venue that captured the natural beauty we fell in love with, ultimately leading us to have our wedding in Lake Tahoe. Both these locations now hold a very special place in our hearts,” the couple shared.

For the table arrangements, they preferred a more minimalist, less cluttered style. They chose bud vases and a few candles, which ended up looking clean and beautiful. Athena added, “I also provided some dried flowers that were included in our wedding invitations to drape over our velvet terracotta napkins.”

Inspired by many nights spent watching the Korean drama, Crash Landing on You, and enjoying Maekju, a beer and soju cocktail, the couple included this beverage during their first look to recreate a memorable scene from the show.

When picking her gown, Athena, having watched enough Say Yes to the Dress, knew she wanted a big A-lined gown with a train. After browsing a few Los Angeles boutiques without success, Athena moved her search to the Bay Area, where she stumbled upon Garnet + Grace. Meesha, her sales associate, listened to her concerns about comfort and found her the perfect dress with a beautiful back detail.

“We tried others, but every time we went back to this dress, I ended up smiling so big my cheeks hurt. It turned out to be the perfect choice,” Athena said.

As for Alan’s suit, the couple wanted to incorporate his favorite color into the wedding and landed on a forest green. After some deliberation, he opted for a bespoke suit from Suit Supply, where he could choose the right color, fabric, fit, and style.

The bride took a DIY approach to the signage and escort cards. “I bought myself a Cricut Joy and worked on the projects in the months leading up to the wedding,” Athena explained. “I purchased acrylic half-arches that another bride had used for her wedding on Facebook Marketplace and used them for our table numbers. She also provided the bigger acrylic displays that originally had her menus printed on them. I painted them over and then used the Cricut and vinyl to place lettering on them to create our guestbook, bar, and dessert bar signs.”

For their escort cards, the couple replicated those included in K-pop CDs by printing their dog, Wookie, on small photo cards and placing each inside brown envelopes with a thank you note. The guests’ names were handwritten in calligraphy on the outside of each envelope.

The couple personalized their special day with a cotton candy cart made by Ashley of Sierra Sugar Co., offering unique flavors for them and their guests. Ashley decorated the cart to match the rustic elegance aesthetic and created flavors that represented the couple’s respective heritages.

“She created Banana Lumpia (my favorite) and Calamansi flavored cotton candy to represent my Filipino heritage and Mango Sticky Rice flavored cotton candy to represent Alan’s Thai heritage,” Athena said. “The flavors ended up so yummy, and we loved that she used natural ingredients as well. She even made us Minnie and Mickey-shaped cotton candy for pictures when we told her we were big Disney fans.”

As the night came to an end, the DJ played their closing song, “What Dreams Are Made Of” from the Lizzie McGuire Movie, to get everyone on the dance floor one last time. Upbeat and happy as the song was, the couple couldn’t help but tear up at the sight of all their closest friends and family together, celebrating their love for one another.

“We were just so overwhelmed by the love and happiness that surrounded us, and our hearts were filled to the brim,” they said. “We finished with a giant group hug as the song faded out. Now, every time I hear the song, I start tearing up a little because I’m reminded of this amazing moment that was just the perfect ending to the happiest day of our lives.”

When asked for advice, the couple said that laying a solid foundation of what they wanted for their wedding before making any major decisions worked well for them. Their top priority was that their guests would be cared for and comfortable throughout the day. Having that solid foundation made it easy to incorporate aspects that represented them as a couple, like their food, music, and decor. They also emphasized enjoying all their hard work leading up to the wedding and not sweating the small stuff. “We were able to be present and really bask in the love and happiness that surrounded us on our special day,” they concluded.

Vendors: Photographer: Misterdebs Photography and Design; Planner: Reno Tahoe Enchanted Events; Floral Designer: Twine Floral Co.; Event Venue: Edgewood Tahoe; Groom’s Attire: Suit Supply; Caterer: Edgewood Tahoe; Dress Store: Garnet and Grace; Photo Booth Equipment: Snap Bar Booth; Videography: JKAPTURE Studios; Specialty Foods: Sierra Sugar Co; Beauty: Salon Be; DJ: Cruz Entertainment; Equipment Rentals: Mountain Vibes Rentals