The family of the Weston and Jaime proudly unite to celebrate their union

Julie and I love weddings.  We love the celebration of a wedding but we also love the reunion of family and friends that every wedding represents.  We have no problem travelling fair distances to attend a wedding – different state, different country, short haul, long haul, whatever it takes.  And we usually try to tie in some sort of holiday or break with the wedding, whether it is in Bali, Washington, California, wherever.  We might be travelling through beautiful stretches of northern Canada at the moment but when our nephew Weston is marrying his long-time partner Jaime in California we jumped on a plane and headed south.

We parked Tramp at Edmonton airport and after three flights and a car rental we ended up at the family holiday retreat on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe.  This picturesque mountain lake, which sits at 6,200 feet (2,000 metres) high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, still featured snow on the peaks of its surrounding mountains and its blue water sparkles in the hot summer sunshine.  We ‘hung out’, as they say, for a couple of days with our extended California family, enjoying the water sports during the day and the great family time in the evenings.

Beautiful Lake Tahoe from the deck of our cabin

As a special bonus for us, our son Zach and his partner Janelle turned this family wedding into a great American adventure holiday, travelling from Oz to explore the national parks and natural wonders of California, Alaska and Alberta, Canada.  Hanging out with Zach and Janelle for this long weekend was a special bonus.

Life at Tahoe revolves around the crystal clear – and very cold – water of the lake

Zach and I get in a little aquatic exercise the day before the wedding

The wedding itself was at a resort in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, set amongst the tall pine trees and beautiful mountains of this region.  Weston and Jaime celebrated their union with a huge crowd of their friends and after the beautiful ceremony it didn’t take long for the party to kick into full gear.  The speeches were heartfelt and highlighted how close and special these two people are, the dance floor was packed from the first tune to the last, and the after-party went much longer than us old folks could last.  Just the way it should be!

A few of us did a short walk through the beautiful pine forests near the wedding venue

A few of the crowd get in some late training before the wedding

Jamie and Weston celebrate their special day amongst a crowd of close family and friends – great fun

The bride and groom with some of the close friends

The five days we spent with our family and friends were very special to Julie and I, partly as a great chance to reconnect in the middle of our much longer travels but also because we value the strength and closeness of our family, despite the long distances that sometimes temporarily separate us.  Then it was back on another three flights to return to Edmonton and Tramp who had been patiently waiting for us.  The team was reunited and ready to head north to Alaska and all the adventures that might await us.

Mum and Dad with their five children – a great moment of reunion for our clan

For Julie and I the wedding was a great opportunity to reunite – even if briefly – with many of our close family

My first photo bomb – taken by our niece Bryn

Zach, Janelle, Julie and I briefly taking in Lake Tahoe after the wedding

The panoramic views of Lake Tahoe from a high vantage point