fossilhiker

How is the California side of Lake Tahoe in the early part of October? I'm wondering is it very crowded/busy and can you see the fall colors? My fiance and I are looking for a beautiful, romantic mountain setting for our small wedding.

J_Correa

I've been to Lake Tahoe a few times in October and really enjoyed it. Spring and Fall are "shoulder" seasons there with regard to tourism - summer and winter are the high seasons. So, if you aren't interested in winter or summer sports, it's a great time to go because the area isn't as crowded and prices are lower. The weather is likely to be chilly and dry - no snow or rain yet. Because the rains and snow probably haven't started, it's still a good time for hiking and sightseeing. Fall colors - I don't remember seeing much of that. The forest is mostly evergreen rather than deciduous.

I think Lake Tahoe would be a terrific place for a wedding and there are a lot of options. All the casinos have wedding packages. You can get married on a boat - the Dixie Queen and Tahoe Queen are paddlewheelers which would be a good choice because they have indoor and outdoor areas so you could adjust for weather. Most of the resorts have wedding facilities too - indoor and outdoor. And then there are several small roadside chapels if that is your thing.

fossilhiker

Thanks for the insite. I have seen pictures of a place for a ceremony high above the lake that looks over the lake. It looks beautiful!

mpf

Usually a breeze (wind) picks up about 3 p.m, and I'd check it out with the timing of the ceremony and avoiding pictures of a wind-blown bride.

lvk

Beware of those pictures of the places with a view. We had a brochure of one place in So. Lake Tahoe that seemed to have a lovely balcony overlooking the lake. When we went to look at it, the "chapel" was in a strip mall,and the "view" was actually a mural of the forest and lake, with styrofoam columns in front of it. That was many years ago, but it was good for a laugh.

mpf

I've seen limos with the wedding party followed by the photographer, going to from one viewpoint to the next viewpoint around the lake, taking pictures of the bride and groom. They seemed to be very happy. I guess you can do that with a friend as well.

There's one viewpoint - turnout - that is rather popular for a "very" small wedding. Just the bride and groom, officiant and tourists who just happened to stop.

sludick

We went to Tahoe (South Lake side) in early October of 2002, and we are repeating the trip this October. It is beautiful. I grew up in the Bay Area, and had gone to Tahoe in summer and winter only. At those times it was very crowded, particularly the South Lake area. We saw brightly-colored ferns throughout the wooded area; they will be bright yellow. You'll also see bright yellow tree color, in amongst the evergreens. It is typically in the 60s and clear in the daytime, chilly at night. No crowds. I saw a totally different side to Tahoe. We now live in Florida, and I think we'll make a regular trip to Tahoe in October. I think, though, that there are sites in North Tahoe that would be a better setting for your wedding, so suggest you look in that area first. I wish you beauty and peace on your wedding day!

utahtea

We've been to Tahoe many times in early October and always had very nice weather. I don't remember it being that crowded. There are fall colors but not that much in this area. If you are coming from the Bay Area take Hwy 88 (Carson Pass) to see some fall color.

BTW, our anniversary is in early October so our trips to Tahoe usually start as a conference but end as an anniversary trip

Utahtea

fossilhiker

Thank you all for your help. We're very seriously considering having our wedding the first week or two in January so we can have snow included in the mix. What do you think about Tahoe in the winter?