Katie and Emily: Lake Tahoe Golf Course LGBTQ Wedding

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

How to describe Katie and Emily? They are opposites and equals. They are silly and caring. They are beautiful and ridiculous. They are generous and curious. In short, I love them a whole lot, and they are the best. I was honored that they chose me to photograph their LGBTQ wedding in South Lake Tahoe! I was lucky enough to Minneapolis, MN (where they live) to do some engagement photos for them and that’s when I knew that we’d be friends for a loooong time. They showed me around their awesome city and we had WAY TOO MUCH fun tasting the beers of Minneapolis. I also discovered that even though I HATE golf, Top Golf is actually super duper fun! But …

Betsy and Jordan: Intimate Donner Pass Elopement

Nicky Byrnes Elopements, photography, wedding photography, Weddings

Betsy and Jordan held an amazing ceremony at the top of Donner Pass road high above Donner Lake. Their Truckee elopement proves that North Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places on earth to get married! If you’re considering getting married in the Reno/Tahoe area think about eloping in Truckee or North Lake Tahoe! I’d be happy to recommend locations, officiants and other vendors to help you plan! Thank you to Betsy and Jordan for including me in your big day! To get more information on my wedding and elopement packages, please fill out my contact form!

Reasons to Hire Professional Photographer

Neil belliveau photography, wedding photography, Weddings

Five Reasons Why Couples Need to Hire a Lake Tahoe Photographer Couples want a wedding they can be proud of but they always face budget constraints. Especially in an outdoor ceremony, costs may double depending on the number of guests and the location newlyweds want. Families try to cut expenses by doing wedding photography in Lake Tahoe, only to be disappointed later due to the quality of the photos they captured. Given that a wedding is a once in a lifetime moment, here are reasons why couples must hire a Lake Tahoe photographer. Experience There are about 300,000 wedding services providers in the country today, including professional photographers. Competition has become stiffer, so Lake Tahoe wedding photographers now have add-ons …

Emiley and Mark: Morgan Creek Golf Club Wedding

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

Emiley cracked me up from the moment she contacted me. She found me on the The Knot and basically told me first thing that she wanted to hire me so I’d better be available. I’m a SUPER decisive person (I bought the first wedding dress I tried on, my husband and I bought the first house we looked at, etc) so I liked her right off the bat! Though Emiley and Mark are sooooo young compared to this old fart, they are both very mature and obviously meant to be together. Their day was perfect and beautiful in every way! We had a great time running around the golf course then dancing the night away. Congrats Emiley and Mark!!!!! Thanks …

Kelley and Mike: Martis Camp Wedding

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

Now that the craziness of summer and having my OWN wedding(!) I’m excited to share some awesome summer weddings with you! I love weddings of all shapes and sizes but tiny weddings with only the couples’ closest family and friends hold a special place in my heart. Kelley and Mike live in Ohio but held their wedding in Truckee, CA to be closer to family. When I first spoke to Kelley, she hadn’t even chosen a venue! She told me she was thinking of choosing Martis Camp as her venue and I was able to convince her that the beauty of the mountains and the amazing service/food/facilities were worth not having a lake view. The GORGEOUS couple got married on …

Amanda and Shaun: Tahoe City Backyard Wedding

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

When I talked to Amanda the first time, she told me that she was a Tahoe local, her wedding would be held in a backyard literally two minutes away from my house, and BOTH she and her fiancé Shaun were archaeologists. How could I not love absolutely everything about this wedding? Amanda’s beauty and AMAZING dress blew me away. This was such a fun, chill, day! Thanks for letting me document your awesomeness guys! Caterer: Bella Affair Catering

Kenny and Luke: Valhalla LGBTQ Wedding

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

Kenny and Luke: loving, funny, silly, smart, caring, kind awesome people. I was more than honored and delighted to be a part of their big day at Valhalla in South Lake Tahoe. Their spirits couldn’t be dampened by near frigid weather and crazy wind as they celebrated with their friends and family. I won’t be doing much talking today because my face hurts from laughing and smiling too much. Also, take note of their EXCELLENT styling choices! If you’re both planning on wearing a suit, try to choose different colors from each other as all blacks or whites tend to get lost together in photos.  Kenny and Luke’s contrasting tones looked so so so so good together and gave them …

Alex and Ben: Squaw Valley Wedding

Nicky Byrnes Local Events, Weddings

I am so, so so so thankful that I met and got to work with Alex and Ben. They have become fast friends and I’m only sad that they live so far away in San Francisco so I don’t get to eat giant bowls of ramen with them every night. They got married waaaaaay up at 8200′ on the deck of Squaw Valley‘s High Camp. These two lovebirds (seriously, do they ever stop smiling????) exchanged vows with dramatic views of Lake Tahoe in the background. Congrats Alex and Ben!!!!!!!! Thanks so much to all the amazing vendors that made this day possible! Venue: Squaw Valley Resort Planning and Coordination: First Pick Planning Florist: Love and Lupines Hair and Makeup: Kiss …

Speedboat Beach Wedding Venue

Speedboat Beach Wedding Venue Spotlight

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

History and Location Speedboat Beach is a neighborhood beach in Kings Beach, CA on the northern shore of Lake Tahoe, amid the California-Nevada state line. Known for its crystal-clear waters and magnificent boulder formations, this beautiful beach draws thousands of visitors to its shores each year. It is often referred to as the “hidden gem” of the Kings Beach area because it is less well known than some other popular local beaches. It can be found at the end of a small winding road, off of Speedboat Street. At this beach, you can find both tourists and locals enjoying outdoor water sports like swimming or kayaking, or simply sunbathing and enjoying the magnificent views. It is thought to be one …

wedding venue spotlight at squaw valley

Wedding Venue Spotlight: Squaw Valley

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

History and Location Squaw Valley is a world-famous ski resort in North Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It has more than 3,600 acres open to skiing on its six peaks, and 30 chairlifts. The resort is set in magnificent Placer County, CA where snowfall reaches up to 450 inches every year, and most days are sunny. It is the perfect place for enjoying all seasons outdoors. The resort was founded in 1949 by Alex Cushing almost by chance—on a visit from the East Coast he broke his ankle skiing, and subsequently became curious about the area. He ended up opening the ski mountain and resort. The attraction remained relatively small (the resort could fit about 50 guests at …