From Sunshine to Snow: Jordan & Lucas’ Wild Heavenly Ski Resort Wedding

Heavenly Ski Resort Wedding: When You Choose the Top of a Mountain, You’ve Got to Ride the Weather

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 20 year history here in Tahoe, is that if you are coming here for predictable weather, then you are coming for the wrong reasons. While it’s overwhelmingly beautiful and sunny in the summer (which is 100% why I love calling Tahoe home), we still have days where things can get well… a little bit wild. I know that Jordan and Lucas didn’t come to Lake Tahoe for their Heavenly Ski Resort Wedding for the weather – they came for that incredible view and a day that felt fully them. In fact, their Heavenly Ski Resort wedding started off like the postcard we normally promise: 65 degrees, sunshine, everyone in light layers. Fast forward three hours and we’re full-on in a whiteout, with wind blowing sideways and temps plunging to 25 degrees. In fact, in an extra wild turn of events, the storm came in so hard so fast that there was an inordinate amount of tragic casualties on the lake that day.

What do you do when there’s an extreme winter squall out of nowhere in the middle of the summer and you’re throwing a wedding at the top of the mountain? You roll with it.

It’s the kind of day you can’t plan for. And if you focus on the fact that all you want to do is just get married to your person, then you don’t need a timeline and you don’t need perfect weather. You just need a mindset and Jordan and Lucas had that dialed.

What It Takes to Get Married on Top of a Ski Resort

Weddings at elevation hit differently – literally. Heavenly isn’t just scenic; it’s 9,000 feet up. That means everything from how you transport guests (hello tram) to how you prep your flowers to how you consume alcohol has to be reconsidered. Here’s what made this day work:

Logistics: You’ve got a hard start and stop for access. The first tram up doesn’t start on your whims and the last one down doesn’t wait for late speeches. Build that into your timeline. You are often, depending on the ski resort you are utilizing as your venue, allowed to bring up decor, necessary items, and anything that you need for the ceremony site or reception the day before at your rehearsal for early storage.
Weather: I mean… we saw four seasons in one afternoon. Pack layers. Pack extras. Bring backup shoes and maybe even backup nerves and definately a back up plan in the event of inclement weather.
Crowd Control: Once you’re up there, you’re up there. It’s intimate by design. No one’s slipping out early or Ubering to a bar. You’re all in it together.

It’s a logistical puzzle and honestly, that’s what makes it so rewarding. Jordan and Lucas didn’t try to control the mountain; they embraced it and their friends were equally wonderfully and as best as they could be along for the (very frigid) ride!

Why Choosing What You Love (Like a Touring Band) Makes Your Wedding Yours

Let’s talk about the band that Jordan and Lucas chose, because this wasn’t a “wedding band.” It was Diggin’ Dirt, Jordan and Lucas’ favorite touring funk/soul group, in just for the night.

Hiring the band you actually listen to changes everything. This wasn’t background music and it wasn’t covers. It was a wedding with a concert at the end of it and as such, it was the heartbeat of the party. From their first dance to the final set, it felt like a live show and a wedding in one. Jordan and Lucas met and bonded over music and they and their friend group spend their quality time together touring shows, music festivals and more and it seemed incredibly fitting that the music of their event fit that vibe.

Pro Tip: Don’t box yourself into the idea of what a wedding “should” have. If you’ve got a band you love and you can, book them! Build the timeline around it. Make it yours. And yes, the dance floor still stayed packed long after the snow finally stopped falling outside.

When the Weather Turns, Keep Your Mindset Steady

The thing about a wild weather shift is that it doesn’t ruin the day. Unless you let it. Jordan and Lucas didn’t spend one minute wishing things were different. They were in it. They made a decision that the comfort of their guests was paramount over the views, chose to move their ceremony inside, and even when the sky opened up and the sun came out minutes before we were due to start, they stuck with it to keep the day flowing and the decisions to a minimum. And they didn’t let it change the meaningfulness of their ceremony in the least. Everyone packed into the reception room, sat around the dinner tables, and intimately laughed and cried all the way through.

Hot take: your wedding day doesn’t have to be perfect to be incredible.

The unexpected moments often become the best memories. There’s some sort of truth to the nugget of wisdom, “bad times make good stories.” Roll with the punches and know that when there is a hiccup, it’s not something that defines your day, it’s just something that happened on the day.

Wedding ceremony photos from the interior of a building

Reception photos from the interior of a building

Final Thoughts on a Heavenly Ski Resort Wedding

If you’re dreaming of a Heavenly Ski Resort wedding, here’s what to know:

Weather shifts fast so plan for flexibility, not perfection and all iterations.
Logistics matter so work with vendors who know the mountain, know the weather, and have the adaptability to roll with the punches.
Make it yours! Whether that means a touring funk band or hiking boots and base layers under your dress, do what makes you happy.

At the end of the day, your energy sets the tone. Jordan and Lucas and their amazing crew of people proved that. The snow didn’t stop them. The cold didn’t shake them. They built a day that felt like them, and that’s what made it unforgettable.