Erin and Erik met at Burning Man.
They got married at the Stables at Olympic Valley, in the mountains and valley where some of their outdoor life together had taken root. And then, right after, they went back to Burning Man.
There’s a beautiful logic to that. They found each other in a place grounded in intentional community, radical self-expression, and showing up fully as yourself. They chose a wedding venue that reflects exactly those things: outdoor, mountain-set, unpretentious, genuinely stunning. And then they returned to where it all began.
Honestly, that’s the kind of love story I never get tired of photographing.
The Stables at Olympic Valley
The Stables at Olympic Valley is a venue I keep coming back to, and every time I do, I understand a little more why couples who know the Tahoe area choose it over the more obvious options.
It sits in the valley below Palisades Tahoe, the mountains rising up on every side. The setting is unapologetically Sierra Nevada: open sky, granite peaks, the specific quality of late-summer air at altitude. There are no ballrooms here, no chandeliers, no resort lobby. What you get instead is a beautifully laid-out outdoor space that lets the mountains do most of the work, and a venue that attracts couples who actually want to be outside.
Erin and Erik are exactly those people. Their day fit this place like it belonged there.
The Morning and the First Look
Erin and her bridesmaids arrived early in the morning, and by the time I got there at 1:30, the getting-ready space already had that warm, pre-wedding energy: florals from Love and Lupines stacked on surfaces, music running, everyone moving around each other in that specific way that only happens when the people in the room actually love each other.
I love a first look at the Stables because between the intimate corners and the landscape, you have so many options for framing it. Wherever you put two people at this venue, the mountains are pretty much behind them. The light in late August at this elevation is soft without being flat, and by mid-afternoon it’s already starting to turn.
The Ceremony
The ceremony began at 4:30 with the full processional, which included, memorably, Cosmos the dog walking down the aisle. If you’re wondering whether a dog in the processional improves a ceremony: it does, categorically.
The Stables’ ceremony space works beautifully at this hour. By 4:30 in late August, the direct sun has softened and the mountains are starting to hold the light differently. The arch from Love and Lupines was stunning, and the ceremony chairs from Crux lined up against the mountain backdrop in a way that photographs exactly as well as it sounds.
The ceremony wrapped by 5 PM, which is one of those timelines that sounds tight until you’re actually living it and realize it gave everyone exactly what they needed: a full cocktail hour while the light was still good, time for family photos, and a reception that started with the right energy.
Cocktail Hour and Dinner
Cocktail hour ran on the charcuterie and passed apps from Big Blue Q of Tahoe while Tahoe Music Professionals welcomed guests and kept the energy exactly where it needed to be. A live band at a venue like the Stables is the right call every time. There’s something about live music in an outdoor mountain setting that a speaker system just can’t replicate.
Meanwhile, Madison Winship Events had the whole day running super smoothly. The transition from cocktail hour to dinner was seamless. Crux had the farm tables beautifully arranged, and the sweetheart table dressed with the ceremony florals was one of those small details that completely changes how a reception space feels.
Big Blue Q served dinner buffet-style, and while guests finished eating, I slipped out with Erin and Erik for sunset portraits.
The Evening Light
This is the part I always look forward to at the Stables.
In late August at Olympic Valley, the sun drops behind the western ridgeline and the mountains to the east catch that specific warm, saturated glow that only lasts about twenty minutes. The valley holds it differently than the lakefront does. It’s more directional, more dramatic, and it makes everything in front of it look like it was placed there intentionally.
Erin and Erik were relaxed and completely themselves during sunset portraits. When you spend your getting-ready morning surrounded by the people you love most, do a first look that sets the emotional tone early, and then get through a ceremony and cocktail hour that both went exactly right, by the time sunset portraits happen you’re just happy. That happiness photographs beautifully. They even hopped on a Burning Man bike for a few.
The Reception
Toasts from the father of the bride, maid of honor, and best man followed by first dance at 7:25. Open dance floor by 7:30, and the band took it from there.
Sweet Bottom Bakery’s cupcakes and cutting cake were a hit. The late-night grilled cheese at 9 PM was the kind of move that every wedding should make. And when the reception officially ended at 10, the night didn’t. A silent disco after party kept things going for anyone not ready to call it.
That feels right for Erin and Erik. The kind of couple who knows how to celebrate fully, and then keep celebrating.
Vendor Credits
Venue: Olympic Valley Stables @olympicvalleystables | Coordination: Madison Winship Events | Photography: Aubrey McCready Photography | @tahoephotographer Florals: Love and Lupines | @love_and_lupines Catering: Big Blue Q of Tahoe | @bigblueqoftahoe Band: Tahoe Music Professionals | @tahoemusicpros Dessert: Sweet Bottom Bakery | @sweet_bottom_bakery Rentals: Mountain Vibes | @mountainvibesrentals, Crux, Memorable Events
© Aubrey McCready Photography | photographybyaubrey.com | Lake Tahoe Wedding Photographer
