We put together this inspiration board for Tahoe Unveiled (our sister company) and thought you might enjoy it! This board takes an organic approach to wedding style and shows how natural elements and a little creativity can be used to create a feeling of casual elegance.
I was recently invited to the Costanoa Lodge in Pescadero. The second I turned off the main road and drove through a tunnel of eucalyptus trees, the surroundings forced me to leave my busy day behind and relax in the peaceful setting. It is such a beautiful place and so well designed. Costanoa offers the outdoors lover an excursion indoors and out with a variety of unique lodging accommodations, a delicious restaurant, and an infinite amount of outdoor activities. In addition, they have designed the property to be eco friendly with an onsite reclamation water plant, tv-free rooms, organic sheets, recycling containers in each room, onsite garden, and the list goes on. The three different lodging styles are filled with character. The lodge rooms are luxurious; the log cabins are the epitome of rustic elegance; and the bungalows allow you to be one with nature. As bathrooms are not included in the cabins and bungalows, comfort stations are provided. Not to be confused with a campsite restroom facility, the comfort stations are oozing with style. These consist of an outdoor fireplace with Adirondack chairs, heated floors, toilets, private indoor and outdoor showers, and a sauna.
As I walked around the property on my tour, I was so captivated by the various features, especially the wedding space. A beautiful, fresh and lush lawn overlooking the canyons serves as the perfect ceremony and reception venue. The adjacent patio and outdoor fireplace offers a romantic setting for the dance floor and/or lounge area. I was surprised to discover that Costanoa provides most of the necessary furniture and all of the catering. This really cuts down on additional wedding costs, labor fees, and permits. Plus, their furniture is very fitting for the green wedding style - natural wood folding chairs, banquet tables, canvas umbrellas, linens, glassware, and dinnerware. The onsite restaurant, Cascade bar & Grill, is also available for weddings to use as a late night venue or even to hold the dinner and reception. The setting is intimate and romantic!
The company's motto is "Discover the pace of nature." I couldn't find a better way to describe the surroundings, the facilities, and the atmosphere. Guests come to the Costanoa Lodge for an experience unknown to anywhere else. They will find themselves pleasantly surprised with the unique design and style of vacationing.
To learn more about this beautiful property, become a fan of Costanoa Lodge on Facebook!
The Ritz-Carlton Highlands has most recently become Lake Tahoe's premiere luxury hotel. Nestled amongst the Sierras and situated on the mid-mountain of Northstar at Tahoe, this stunning property provides comfort with sophistication, service with first class staff, and design with contemporary mountain-home elegance. The fine attention to detail and architectural design throughout the hotel is phenomenal.
Ski-in, ski-out access, a downhill mountain bike park, hiking trails, a swimming pool, full service spa and salon, and an exquisite restaurant provide endless possibilities for guests and visitors.
I could write at length about the ever-impressive features throughout the lobby, living room, hotel, and restaurant, but my main objective here is to tell you about the event space. However, I will tell you this - the designers have done an incredible job of implementing all things Tahoe throughout the hotel. Corporate hotel chains tend to instigate the oh so familiar, plain, and lack of personality connotation, but the Ritz-Carlton Highlands has pushed that aside with a unique, stylish, and unparalleled resort that all guests will thoroughly enjoy.
Manzanita, the resorts on-site restaurant is a culinary delight! Reclaimed wood beams straddle the ceiling, various muted shades and textures of leather adorn the overstuffed booths, and an open kitchen stretches along the restaurant showcasing the chef's at work. The San Francisco renowned chef, Traci Des Jardins, sources an organic and sustainable cuisine with entrees for $30 or less. Private dining space is available for parties up to 25ppl and a semi-private space is available for parties of 40 or less. In the summer, the outdoor patio is also available for dining and cocktail receptions. Fabulous furniture, atmosphere, and food will make for a perfect rehearsal or welcome dinner!
The fine attention to detail doesn't stop there - the banquet space has been carefully designed and structured allowing for ample storage, a large banquet kitchen, prep-space, an array of setup arrangements, and loud music! Everything a customer, event planner, and banquet team longs for to provide a perfect evening of dining, wining, and entertaining!
Indoors, the two ballrooms (The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom and the Pines Ballroom) offer floor to ceiling windows, fruitwood chivari chairs, lounge furniture, cocktail tables, round and rectangle dining tables, staging, and up-scale linens. The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom is 6600 square feet, comfortably seating up to 300 people with a dance floor; the Pines Ballroom is 3000 square feet, comfortably seating 120 guests with a dance floor. Both ballrooms can be partitioned off for more intricate planning options, as well as to create a smaller space for fewer guests. In addition, both ballrooms offer separate outdoor patio space with panoramic views of the Sierras. The banquet space was strategically built on the opposite side of the hotel from the lodging rooms to prevent noise complaints and allow groups to rent the space until 2am!
To compliment Lake Tahoe's outdoors, The Ritz also offers two outdoor ceremony locations: the Meadows, accommodating up to 300 people; and the Woods, accommodating up to 120ppl. Both spaces have hard ground, a path accessing the location, handicap access, and furniture for your ceremony.
It is possible for the sales staff to book two weddings in one day; however, both the indoor and outdoor event spaces are completely separate from one another. Rest assured, you will feel like the one and only bride on your wedding day!
Weddings at The Ritz-Carlton Highlands aspire to be complete, hassle-free, elegant, and seamless. The staff is dedicated to providing you with the utmost professional service.