Gar Woods has been on the North Shore since 1988. Wooden boat history, a 130-foot pier, floor-to-ceiling windows, and the lake right outside. Everyone in Tahoe knows it.
Knowing it as a place to grab dinner and getting married there are two different things. I’ve photographed weddings at Gar Woods. Here’s what couples usually find out too late.
It’s a restaurant first.
Gar Woods is a working restaurant. Unless you buy out the whole place, the public is still coming in for lunch and dinner while your wedding is happening upstairs.
That matters most for the ceremony. The lakefront lawn is only available with a full buyout. If you book just the upstairs banquet rooms, you’re planning the ceremony somewhere else. Ask that question first, before you get attached to a picture of you saying vows on the lawn.
The wind comes off the lake.
Being right on the water is the whole point. It also means you get whatever the lake is sending. Afternoon wind on the North Shore is real, and it hits the lawn, the balcony and the pier first.
Plan for it. Pin the veil. Think about hair that can take some wind. Weigh down anything on the ceremony lawn that can blow over. Have a layer for guests on the balcony during cocktails, even in summer.
The spaces fill up fast.
The upstairs banquet rooms hold up to 150. That’s a real number, but it fills quickly once you add a dance floor, a band or DJ, a cake table and the vendors working around everyone.
Walk the room with your planner and a floor plan. Figure out where the band goes, where the cake goes and where guests stand during toasts before the day of. Tight spaces can feel great and full of energy. They just need a plan.
Timing depends on the season.
In summer the days are long and you’ve got light well into the evening. Late afternoon is when the light comes across the water and everything goes warm. Summer is also when the restaurant and Highway 28 are at their busiest.
Fall is quieter, and the light gets lower and warmer earlier in the day. It also gets cold faster once the sun is down, and the wind off the lake bites harder. Build your timeline around when the sun actually sets on your date, not a standard wedding schedule.
What actually makes it worth it.
You’re right on the water. Not near it. Not with a view of it from across the road. On it.
Most Tahoe venues can’t say that. A lot of them have the lake in the distance, or you have to leave the venue to get to it. At Gar Woods you walk out the door and you’re on a pier over the lake with mountains in every direction. Build time for that pier. Don’t skip it.
A few practical things.
- Ask about the full buyout first if you want the ceremony on the lawn.
- Plan hair, veil and florals for wind.
- Bring layers for the balcony and pier.
- Lay out the banquet room with a floor plan before the day.
- Leave real time in the timeline for pier portraits.
If you’re getting married at Gar Woods
I know the lawn, the balcony and the pier, and when the light comes across the water. If you’re planning a wedding here, get in touch.
The capacity and ceremony details are on my Gar Woods venue page. Planning a lakefront wedding somewhere else on the lake? Read what no one tells you about getting married at Sand Harbor.
Questions couples ask
Where is Gar Woods?
Gar Woods Grill and Pier is at 5000 North Lake Blvd in Carnelian Bay, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe between Tahoe City and Kings Beach.
Can you have a wedding ceremony at Gar Woods?
Yes. The lakefront ceremony lawn faces the lake and the Sierra. It’s available with a full venue buyout.
How many guests can Gar Woods hold for a wedding?
The private upstairs banquet rooms hold up to 150. A full buyout holds up to 300.
Is it windy at Gar Woods?
It can be. Wind comes off the lake, especially in the afternoon, and it hits the lawn, balcony and pier first. Plan veils, hair, florals and guest comfort around it.