At the time Elena and Matthew planned to get married, they were living in Truckee. The native Californians enjoyed the peace and quiet after hectic years working at stressful jobs in San Francisco and Washington DC. Yet the time Elena spent on the East Coast left its mark.

The wedding they both envisioned was fashioned after the Kennedy weddings in Hyannisport: casual in a way, but with an elegant, almost black-tie touch. They found what they wanted for their four-day wedding celebration in the Fairwind Estate at Lake Tahoe. This former Hills Brothers corporate retreat included several painted gray clapboard houses with plenty of space and deck areas, a beachfront large enough for football or relaxing, and, of course, the lake, where their friends could kayak or water ski. About half of their guests could stay at the estate, while the others were accommodated close by. A shuttle service transported the guests between the two locations over the four days.

Elena and Matthew realized early on that they needed help with their endeavor. They became acquainted with event coordinator Ann Saavedra through her son, and trusted her experience and artistic style to pull off such an elaborate event. They met at the estate a few times and toured the site to determine the required rentals and the best flow of events. "We wanted the events to have a continuous flow; and in order to do that we had to have a timeline," Elena told me.

Ann accompanied the couple to the florist where Elena decided on sunflowers for the decoration because they were the first flowers she ever received from her fiancé. From the local caterer they ordered the rehearsal dinner and the wedding dinner, all other food was provided by the hosts. The guests took turns in putting the food out and cleaning up afterwards. Ann managed to utilize the estate to its fullest, including the three decks that opened to the waterfront with its dock.

One Thursday late in June:
The guests arrived throughout the day. They had plenty of time to settle into their rooms and to acquaint themselves with the surroundings. Family and friends got to know each other over a barbecue at the beach. The evening ended with singing accompanied by a guest who played guitar.

Friday: The morning's activity was assembling the decorations. One group wrote out place cards; another group decorated the dance floor inside with hundreds of candles and dried flowers, and others labeled the champagne bottles, a wedding gift from a winery owner friend.

A Local Tahoe chef from Boston suggested a clam bake for the rehearsal dinner given the setting - it was the perfect prelude to their East/West coast feel wedding.

Saturday: On the morning of the wedding, MATT and his friends headed to the golf course while the "girls" got ready for the evening festivities. The ceremony took place on the lawn facing the lake. With the help of walkie-talkies, the groom and his best men arrived in a friend's speedboat, right on time. A bagpiper began to play as both men stepped onto the dock. Shortly thereafter, flower girls, ringbearers and bridesmaids, followed by Elena with her father descended the deck stairs and walked to the ceremony site.

One of the decks had already been set up for the cocktails following the ceremony, while the other two were ready for dinner. There were toasts and speeches by family and friends, and the bride's sister-in-law performed a song she wrote herself for this festive occasion. Later that evening guests enjoyed themselves by dancing, relaxing, or having a smoke at the cigar bar on the beach.

Sunday: Time to say goodbye to family and friends, to the blue lake, and to the Fairwind Estate. Yet the memories of sharing the best times of their lives with the ones they love would stay with them forever.