What are the wedding venues at Palisades Tahoe?

Palisades Tahoe has two wedding venues: High Camp and Olympic Valley Event Center. High Camp is a mountaintop venue at 8,200 feet accessed by aerial tram, offering ceremony space on an outdoor deck overlooking Lake Tahoe and the Sierra range with reception in the Terrace Room. It holds up to 175 guests. Olympic Valley Event Center is at village level with a garden lawn ceremony space surrounded by aspens and pines, and an indoor reception hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and firepits. It holds up to 225 guests.

How do you get to High Camp at Palisades Tahoe for a wedding?

Guests access High Camp via the aerial tram, which is a dramatic arrival experience and a strong storytelling moment for wedding photography. The tram ride itself becomes part of the wedding experience. High Camp sits at 8,200 feet elevation with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe, Olympic Valley, and the surrounding Sierra peaks.

What is the best time of day for wedding photos at Palisades Tahoe?

At High Camp, late afternoon produces the most dramatic light. At 8,200 feet, the light is sharper than at lower elevation, clouds move fast, and golden hour hits hard. At Olympic Valley Event Center, the village garden offers soft filtered shade that is flattering all day, with golden hour in the meadow being especially beautiful for portraits. Photographer Wade Snider has shot both venues in every season and weather condition.

What is the difference between High Camp and Olympic Valley Event Center?

High Camp is dramatic, elevated, and rugged, sitting at 8,200 feet with bold mountain views and accessed by aerial tram. Olympic Valley Event Center is elegant, forested, and accessible at village level with no tram required. High Camp holds 175 guests while OVEC holds 225. High Camp offers dramatic late afternoon light at elevation while OVEC provides soft filtered shade in the garden. Couples who want a mountaintop adventure choose High Camp; those who want an accessible, elegant forest setting choose OVEC.

Who is the best wedding photographer for Palisades Tahoe?

Wade Snider is an experienced Palisades Tahoe wedding photographer based in Lake Tahoe who has photographed multiple weddings at both High Camp and Olympic Valley Event Center in every season. He knows the light, layout, and timing at both venues and specializes in bold, film-inspired wedding photography with an editorial storytelling approach.

palisades
TAHOE

Wedding Photography
by Wade Snider
Olympic Valley, California

Palisades Tahoe
Wedding
Photographer

Olympic Valley, California

Palisades Tahoe wedding photographer, Wade Snider specializes in High Camp and Olympic Valley Event Center weddings, two amazing venues operated by Palisades Tahoe. You’re up in the mountains with 360 views, alpine air, and a mix of rugged peaks and modern architecture. Whether you’re getting married at High Camp overlooking Lake Tahoe or at Olympic Valley Event Center near the village, he knows how to make the most of these locations.

PALISADES TAHOE
SAMPLE GALLERIES

HIGHCAMP

OLYMPIC VILLAGE EVENT CENTER

Chloe and Ryan:
Highcamp

Molly and Jono:
OVEC

Derek and jack:
Highcamp

Delaney and Eric:
OVEC

Olympic Valley, California

PALISADES
TAHOE
VENUES

HIGH CAMP

CAPACITYUp to 175 guests

ACCESSAerial tram: a dramatic arrival. Or a difficult hike through Shirley Canyon, although I would not recommend that.

CEREMONYMountaintop deck overlooking Lake Tahoe, Olympic Valley, and the Sierra range

RECEPTIONTerrace Room with panoramic mountain views

BEST LIGHTLate afternoon: dramatic skies, bold and cinematic

FAVORITE SPOTJust outside High Camp on top of the mountain

High Camp is one of the most dramatic wedding venues in the Sierra Nevada. Accessed by aerial tram, the mountaintop ceremony deck overlooks Lake Tahoe and the surrounding peaks. As a Palisades Tahoe wedding photographer, I’ve worked this location in every season and every weather condition. The late afternoon light up here is unlike anything at lower elevation.

At 8,000 feet, the light at High Camp is sharper and more dramatic than anything at lower elevation. Clouds move fast up here and golden hour hits hard. That’s what makes it one of the most photogenic wedding settings in California.

OLYMPIC VALLEY EVENT CENTER

CAPACITYUp to 225 guests.

ACCESSVillage level. Easy access, no tram required.

CEREMONYGarden lawn surrounded by aspens and pines. In Olympic Valley, where golden hour magic is made.

RECEPTIONEvent Center with floor-to-ceiling windows, decks, and firepits. Beautiful view of the “Tram Face.”

BEST LIGHTSoft filtered shade in the village garden. Flattering all day

FAVORITE SPOTFirst look in the meadow. Golden hour in the meadow.

Olympic Valley Event Center sits at the base of the mountain and offers a completely different look forested, intimate, and elegant. The garden lawn ceremony space and floor to ceiling reception windows give us flexibility no matter what the weather does. Golden hour in the meadow here is something special.

Olympic Valley Event Center is one of the most underrated wedding venues in the Tahoe region. It sits in a valley surrounded by peaks on all sides, which means you get mountain views without the elevation challenges of High Camp. The aspen groves change color in fall, the garden lawn is lush in summer, and the indoor reception space handles any weather beautifully. For couples who want a Palisades Tahoe wedding that feels accessible and elegant rather than rugged and remote, Olympic Valley Event Center is the move.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S TAKE

The tram adds a strong storytelling moment. Light shifts fast at elevation, so timing matters. Both locations give you clean backdrops, space to move, and real depth for portraits, but they’re completely different looks. Be ready for changing weather and strong sun. I’ll handle the rest.

If you’re getting married at High Camp or Olympic Valley Event Center, hiring an experienced Palisades Tahoe wedding photographer makes a real difference. I know the light, the layout, and how to move through both venues efficiently so nothing gets missed.

Get In Touch

Planning a Palisades Tahoe wedding?
Let’s Talk

I’ve photographed High Camp and Olympic Valley Event Center in every season. I know the light, the layout, and how to make the most of the mountain.

Palisades TahoeWedding Photographer

PALISADES TAHOE SAMPLE GALLERIES

Chloe and Ryan: Highcamp

Molly and Jono: OVEC

Derek and jack: Highcamp

Delaney and Eric: OVEC

PALISADESTAHOE VENUES