Perhaps the idea of a regionally curated, thoughtfully produced bridal and lifestyle print magazine in the age of digital media wasn’t absurd in itself, but to a wedding planner and a photographer chatting aboard a chairlift one bluebird morning it seemed unlikely that the idea would go much farther than the duration of the ascent up the lift.

Melina and I had been discussing the future of a fun bridal ski editorial we had recently completed with a few South Lake Tahoe creatives. Spring was nearing its end, but the massive snow pack accumulated that winter continued to call us up the mountain nearly every morning. With summer quickly approaching we were concerned that our snowy winter editorial wouldn’t appeal to publications that already had their eye on warmer-themed inspirations. 

“We need something that speaks to our kind of mountain brides,” I remember musing to Melina, “brides who are adventurous and carefree, who know how to slow down and appreciate the marvels in our environs, something that shows a true love and affinity for this area, something like Sierra Bride Magazine…”  

There was a spark of energy permeating from these words, like a kiss from a falling snowflake. Our lift was arriving to the highest peak on Heavenly Mountain, where every tree and shrub had been frozen in a positively Narnia-like fashion for months. Even late in the season the snow still felt fresh and soft, hugging my board gently as we began our descent. I remember the cutting through the trees, Melina forging her own path not far behind, letting the flurry of ideas percolate in my mind. By the time we met at the bottom of the run, we both had a lot to say. Sierra Bride Magazine could and should happen, and we would be the ones to do it.

The next chair lift ride was spent excitedly formulating ideas. Cold, determined fingers tapping away for Instagram handles and website domains, texting creative partners as we fantasized them into our plans.  We knew there was enough talent in our town alone to produce an entire magazine’s worth of content, but we wanted to speak to an entire region. 

We wanted to ensure that our magazine was more than pretty wedding imagery and advertisements. We immediately put feelers out to Tawni, who committed with a resounding “yes”. Tawni brought structure and organization to our shared vision, and helped us identify the many steps required to bring this grand vision to life.  From there it took months of late night meetings, content curation, learning the ins and outs of the publication world, and finding out what we as a team were really made of.

I could not be more proud of us or of the brand we have created. Knowing that this is just the beginning fills our hearts with so much joy and excitement for the future. We hope you find a reflection of our soul, of your soul, the soul of a Sierra Bride as you wander through these pages.

With love and gratitude, Miranda Meisenbach

Founders