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 …

Achieve Tahoe’s Winter Military Camp

Nicky Byrnes Local Events

I had the great honor of photographing Achieve Tahoe’s winter military camp this year. Twice a year, Achieve Tahoe invites disabled vets plus a guest each to come to the mountains for a week, completely FREE of charge! They’re able to enjoy the outdoors with their friends/family, maybe for the first time since their injury! This is always an inspiring experience and it changes lives. Achieve Tahoe cannot put on these camps for our amazing veterans without YOUR HELP! The Ability Challenge is Achieve Tahoe’s biggest fundraiser of the year so I’d be so appreciative if you could spare a few dollars and donate on my page. If there’s a vet with a disability (from PTSD to amputations, everyone is …

Wedding Venue Spotlight: Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

Nicky Byrnes Weddings

History and Location The Hellman-Ehrman Mansion was built in 1903. Starting out as nothing more than a hill of sand, the designer of this home, Walter Danforth Bliss created one of the most beautiful sights at Lake Tahoe. I.W. Hellman set out to have a home built that would be perfect for entertaining. The result of these two amazing minds led to the creation of the Hellman-Ehrman mansion, a stunning location for any wedding ceremony or reception. This mansion was the product of the immense wealth that I.W. Hellman had obtained. This legendary location also features buildings that are not directly attached to the property, including: a cottage near the lake, the children’s house, quarters for maids, a butler’s cabin, …

Squaw Valley Mountain Top Proposal

Nicky Byrnes Proposals

Happy Valentines Day everybody!!! In the spirit of V-day I’m sharing this EPIC surprise proposal I shot at the top of the Emigrant lift at Squaw Valley Resort. Yonnie had been planning this for months and I was so excited to be a part of it. We headed up the mountain on a perfect day while the future bride’s best friend kept her distracted. It was such an incredible surprise! Congrats you two!