A Natural and Elevated Wedding in Lake Tahoe

Lissa Gallucci Sinnott didn’t think she’d meet her husband when she went out for drinks with her best friend in 2016. But, when she spotted Jonathan (Johnny) Graves Sinnott and his best friend at the Santa Monica Beach Club, the spark was undeniable. “We decided to be social and merge tables, which was probably the greatest decision we’ve ever made because we [both] met our future husbands that night,” she recalls. Nearly three years later, Jonathan made things official with a proposal at the Palisades Bluffs, followed by an impromptu engagement party with family and friends after.

Like many brides, Lissa had a wedding Pinterest board since high school—and at the very top of her wish list was a lush outdoor venue. “Not only am I happiest outside, but I also knew that I would have a much easier time decorating an outdoor space,” she explains. The couple ultimately decided to host their June 19, 2021 nuptials at Martis Camp, a lush property in Northern California near Lake Tahoe that made her Pinterest dream a reality. 

“What made the planning process easy was that I am very decisive and know what I want,” the bride says. “I am incredibly lucky to have the easiest family in the entire world: my parents, in-laws, and husband really let me plan the wedding exactly how I wanted. I think they knew how much my wedding meant to me and just wanted me to be happy, which meant the world to me.” 

Read on to learn more about this dreamy day, which was planned by Kyleigh Stewart of Audere Events and photographed by Janine Licare Photography.

Unlike most weddings, Lissa and Johnny’s celebration didn’t have a clear-cut color palette. Instead, the bride drew inspiration from the venue’s idyllic environment. The earthy invitations from Prim & Pixie—complete with a sweet illustration of the venue on the envelope’s lining—highlighted Mother Nature in all her glory.

The couple really wanted to create an excellent experience for their 173 guests. “At the end of the day, Johnny and I knew that if our friends and family had an amazing time, we would too,” the bride shares. To make their big milestone a weekend everyone would remember, the couple kicked off the festivities early with a welcome party.

Between the lush foliage and enduring versatility, Martis Camp was the ultimate venue for the entire wedding weekend. “The second we toured Martis Camp, we knew it was where we were going to get married,” Lissa shares. “It was our first and last venue tour, which made things super easy. They also had an amazing team of people to work with for the wedding and so many location options. We were able to have all four wedding events at Martis Camp, but each location felt so different.”

Of course, the pre-wedding festivities had more to offer than canapes, cocktails, and corn hole; sentimental speeches were sprinkled throughout the weekend. “My mom is my best friend,” says the bride, who sported a Zimmermann dress with appliqués for the occasion. “She knows me better than anyone in the whole world. She gave the best speech at our rehearsal dinner that made me sob.”

Come the wedding day, the bride stunned in a champagne ball gown from Monique Lhuillier, complete with a hand-appliquéd floral lace. She kept the look simple with minimal accessories. “I am honestly not an accessories girl. I hate heels and was shoeless the moment after I walked down the aisle,” Lissa explains. “The only thing I do love are earrings, and I could not find a pair that I loved to save my soul. So, I actually ended up designing a pair myself that my husband gave me as a wedding gift.” 

Speaking of the groom, Johnny looked dapper in a custom charcoal suit from David August. A polka-dot pocket square, navy tie, and black Jimmy Choo shoes rounded out his look.

“I wanted to look and feel like myself,” she shares. “I love soft waves and natural glowy makeup. I essentially had my hair and makeup artist do everything I would normally do myself, but she of course did it much better!”

As for the wedding party? The bridesmaids wore rust linen dresses by Shona Joy, while the groomsmen sported custom suits from Suitsupply. “Funny story,” the bride shares. “Two of the groomsmen’s suits were incorrectly made in the wrong shade, which we didn’t find out until two hours before the wedding. They luckily were still gray, but they were lighter than the other suits.  Our officiant made a joke about it during the ceremony!”

Before the happy couple said, “I do,” they squeezed in a pre-party drink. “We love cocktails,” the bride adds.

“The ceremony location was on a small cliff overlooking the mountains,” Lissa shares. “It was honestly so beautiful as is, so I didn’t have to do much.” The scenic view was accessorized with a large, floral arch and cascading flowers that bordered the aisle. 

The bride walked down the aisle to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” with her father and a bouquet of neutral-toned blooms in tow. 

“At the end of the day, we chose not to do vows because we both hate public speaking and wanted to enjoy our wedding day, rather than being nervous leading up to the ceremony,” the bride shares. “Instead, we talked extensively with our officiant, and he was able to convey how we felt about one another during the ceremony.” 

The newlyweds sealed the deal with a kiss and recessed down the aisle to “Runaway (U & I)” by Galantis. 

As self-proclaimed cocktail connoisseurs, Lissa and Johnny selected four signature beverages: a lilikoi margarita; a blackberry mezcal margarita; a camp greyhound; and a barrel-aged old fashioned.

The day was packed with the couple’s family and closest friends, including social media star Tinx.

Ever since Lissa was in high school, she envisioned an open-air tent with draping. Fortunately, she was able to turn her dream day into a reality with this breezy option she sourced from Celebration Party Rentals.

The tent was decked out with woven rattan chandeliers, touches of foliage, and an assortment of table types. “I love when there’s variation within the tables, but I still wanted everything to be cohesive,” the bride explains. “Both tables had the same flowers, candles, ceramic plates, silver cutlery, and wooden boards for crudité.”

According to the newlyweds, the key to a great party is good food, drinks, and music—so it’s safe to say their menu didn’t disappoint. For dinner, guests enjoyed bites ranging from an arugula and fennel salad to short ribs, sea bass, and mushroom ravioli.

Craving dessert? Lissa and Johnny selected a three-tiered cake, complete with layers of red velvet, funfetti, cream cheese frosting, and pressed flowers. An espresso and gelato cart from Cafe Apae was strategically placed next to the dance floor. 

The 173-person party clinked glasses and shared a few laughs during thoughtful speeches from the couple’s inner circle.

After dinner, the couple stole away for some moments alone. Though the newlyweds were very involved in the wedding planning process, Lissa credits her full-service planner for orchestrating the big day. “I wanted someone local to the Truckee area who was already familiar with my venue and who could help with vendor selections,” she shares. “Kyleigh is also incredibly organized, which I knew would be necessary for four events. There is absolutely no chance I could have planned my wedding without her!”

Originally, the couple didn’t want to do a first dance but quickly came up with the best of both worlds. “We combined our first dance, father-daughter dance, and mother-son dance all into one song,” Lissa shares. “Johnny and I danced to ‘The Bones’ by Marren Morris for the first half of the song, and then our respective parents cut in and danced with us for the remainder. It was perfect!”

For the remainder of the evening, guests enjoyed chilled refreshments (from a charmingly decorated canoe!) by a roaring fire pit, as well as a lively setlist from Bob Gail Music.

Though Lissa and Johnny’s wedding was nothing short of dreamy, the bride admits planning a wedding isn’t as easy as it might look. “I thought I was supposed to be on cloud nine planning my wedding and I definitely wasn’t,” she explains. But, once the big day rolled around, she let the vendors work their magic and soaked in this memorable milestone.

The bride shares, “I had an amazing vendor team who did all the legwork and made it come to life! My one piece of advice would be that no matter how stressful the planning process is, on your wedding day, it will have all been worth it!”