Master planner

INCLINE VILLAGE — It’s that moment right before the bride is about to walk down the aisle that Shannon Morse favors most.

“It’s my last chance to tell her to ‘cherish this moment and be present’ and I get to tell her how beautiful she looks just before she takes that first step towards the rest of her life,” Morse says in her characteristically soothing voice.

With nearly two decades of wedding and event planning experience, it’s no wonder many brides turn to Morse to help iron out the kinks of tying the knot in Tahoe.

“In stressful moments, I slow down and go into take-control-mode where I’m very methodical and detail-oriented,” Morse said. “I’m the eyes of the client and I want to oversee all the details in the same way I would if it were my special day.”

A number of visions may come to mind when discussing the business of weddings, from the big white dress to the small family feud, and Morse’s plan is to make sure that all goes smoothly at the event.

“If I show stress on my face, the clients and the vendors will become stressed, and it all trickles out from there,” Morse said. “I always say you’re either a chief or an indian and I go into the chief mentality.”

According to Morse, the wedding industry of Lake Tahoe brings in approximately $3 billion in revenue every year, making it the third most popular wedding destination in the world, which keeps her planning calendar busy year-round.

“Tahoe is a true destination that attracts couples who love the serene mountains, the peacefulness that Lake Tahoe brings, plus the plethora of recreational activities that their guests can enjoy,” Morse said. “There’s a spiritual component of getting married here as well, and I think that’s what makes all of my clients so special to me — they’re laid-back, down-to-Earth, and it’s easy to provide them with all the things they’re looking to get out of Tahoe, because there’s so much already here for them.”