Fall For The Backdrop

Reno, Nevada Destination Wedding

CATEGORIES

November 9, 2017
Words by Katie Martin
Photos courtesy of Mandy Ford Photography

From the fresh mountain air to the majestic mountains, Jacob and Carrolann were hooked on the idea of having a mountaintop wedding in Reno, Nevada.

The couple visited the venue of their destination wedding during sunset and instantly fell in love with the location. “We fell in love with a backdrop that we couldn’t get in the valley where we lived,” says the couple. “The mountainside is captivating in the way that it towers over you.”

Family and friends of the couple were very responsive to the couple’s decision to have a mountaintop wedding. “Our family and friends loved the venue we chose,” says Carrolann. “Everyone was very supportive and we had a great turnout. I’d say that about 90 percent of our invited guests were able to make it and celebrate with us.”

The couple began planning their wedding, which would take place at the Tannenbaum Events Center, located 6,000 feet above sea level. With a location this high up in the mountains, the couple was bound to run into an issue or two. “The venue sits at about 6,000 feet in elevation in the high desert, which means it gets a lot of snow,” says Carrolann. “After a crazy winter when the snow was still falling in May, there was about ten feet of snow on our ceremony lawn a couple weeks before the wedding. We had just about accepted an indoor ceremony, when miraculously the snow melted and the grass dried out completely. We were lucky!”

With the venue chosen for their mountaintop wedding, Carrolann and Jacob had to sort out the little details next. Using Pinterest and various blogs, the couple was able to choose the colors and elements that they wanted for their big day. Additionally, the couple wanted to make sure that everything they used at their wedding could be used as home décor after their wedding was over. “I’m frugal and practical and I didn’t want to buy a lot of stuff that would have to be thrown or given away after our special day was over. We also relied on the owner of the venue to update us with the weather and to give us suggestions for the layout of the ceremony site and reception room. We knew she had seen weddings arranged there in every way and I trusted her to tell us what she thought worked and didn’t work.”

With the stress of planning a wedding, taking a little time to bond with your fiancé is important, which is exactly what the couple did when they wanted to include some do-it-yourself projects in their W-day. “We did a couple of things by ourselves, just the two of us,” says the bride. “It was a great bonding time because we both like to create things with our hands.”

Overall, the couple’s wedding day was exactly what they wanted and it was as magical as they hoped it would be. The couple suggests doing “whatever appeals to the two of you” because it should be something that you and your fiancé both want. “We also didn’t sweat the small stuff,” says the couple. “When the big day came, if we didn’t have something, it didn’t matter. We had each other and at the end of the day we were going to be married no matter what.”

Vendors: Photographer: Mandy Ford Photography, Ceremony/Reception Site: Tannenbaum Events Center, Florist: bulkwholesaleflowers.com, Stationery: minted, Cake/Doughnuts: Doughboys Donuts, Makeup: Natalie Cartwright Makeup Artistry, Gown Designer: Hayley Paige, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Express, Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Azazie.com/Express

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