North Lake Tahoe Backyard Wedding in Dollar Point, CA | Jessica & Brett

Meet Jess, a bride who enjoyed planning her own nuptials so much, she founded Engaged Life to turn her design and coordination expertise into a business! Jess poured her heart and soul into this Tahoe wedding, pulling off a number of DIY projects to make the day truly perfect. From importing hand-dyed fabric from India, to sewing each and every tablecloth and napkin at home, there is no doubt this bride has a flair for detail.

So let’s start at the beginning: how did this couple’s love story begin? “Brett and I met in high school but started dating years later when we reconnected in Austin, Texas,” Jess shares. “He came down for a work trip that was supposed to last three months. Instead, we moved in [together] three months later, bought a house that next year, and the rest was history!”

Photography by Colleen Amelia Photography & Design Co.

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north lake tahoe dollar point rustic wedding

FINDING INSPIRATION:

“My inspiration was simple, I wanted all of my favorite things in one place. My mom used to tell me not to worry about things matching. She told me if you buy a bunch of things you love and that mean something to you, you could put them on a shelf together and they’d match, even if they were all different colors and styles. I see brides focused on their colors [so much of the time, but] for me that felt like a limitation. I just wanted things I thought were pretty and made me happy.”

[Jess, the Bride]

CHOOSING A LOCATION:

“I was dying to get married in a backyard. There is something so intimate and personal about it to me. We found this incredible private property in Dollar Point, which only hosts a few weddings a year. The yard was incredible with panoramic views of the lake. Our friends came for the entire weekend, most having never been to Tahoe before. They considered the trip a vacation. It was so awesome to have all our favorite people in one place.”

[Jess]

PARTING THOUGHTS:

“Don’t worry about matching. Don’t worry about proving yourself or impressing other people. Just find things you love, things that make you happy, and take the time to enjoy engaged life, because it only happens once, and it’s the most exciting time!”

[Jess]