When it comes to unforgettable weddings, where loved ones gather to celebrate with intention, you won’t find another place quite like Granlibakken. Everything you need, from lodging to event space (both indoor and outdoor) to breathtaking photo opportunities, is right here at our private, 74-acre mountain retreat.
For the wedding couple, our experienced staff is ready to help plan your event and make sure your special day creates memories that last a lifetime. And for your guests, we offer an authentic Tahoe experience with clean and comfortable accommodations and amenities that are sure to delight.
Relax knowing that the Granlibakken wedding team is here to help. Our onsite coordinator serves as your personal liaison and will assist with a variety of needs so that you can enjoy your special day instead of handling every detail. We also offer wedding packages complete with exclusive use of our seven lodge bedrooms and a private bridal dressing room.
With its inspiring setting, serenity and ability to nurture both connection and disconnection, our mountain retreat has a way of kindling moments and memories that are precious and rare. We can’t wait to help plan and host your dream wedding!
Whether you’re planning a small and intimate wedding or a larger celebration for many, we offer venues for rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, receptions and other gatherings. Choose from scenic outdoor spaces, including Big Pine Lawn, to grand indoor venues like our Mountain Ballroom. Granlibakken is open year-round, so you can plan your event during whichever season you prefer.
I got married at this venue in August. Karina was the event coordinator that I worked with and I could not have been happier with her. We met weekly for many months working out the details of my wedding. She was extremely helpful and responsive to my requests. Unfortunately, the day of our outdoor wedding on the Big Pine Lawn we experienced thunder storms and intense showers. Karina was very accommodating to our needs as I was adamant that the wedding still needed to occur outside. We rearranged the schedule and did cocktails before the ceremony to allow the storm to pass since that was indoors. Her staff worked so incredibly hard to set and reset tables as they got drenched in the rain. Everyone was so accommodating to us despite the stressful circumstances and it felt like a very collaborative process. Our bartender, Carlos, was such a trooper sporting a garbage bag as a raincoat before the umbrella arrived. The drinks were impeccable and everyone just had such a great time! I would definitely recommend this venue as it was perfectly nestled in the trees, there were numerous areas onsite to take photos, and it was lovely to have all our guests stay there so that we could run into them at breakfast or walking to the hot tub, etc. It was a memory that will last a lifetime and my husband and I have zero regrets with hosting our wedding here! Reviewed on 14-12-2023
Andy Balan(groom)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-08-2020 I'll start by saying we 100% knew about their contract timing policy where summer weddings can't sign until 6-9 months in advance. However, the miscommunication and lies coming from their staff resulted in them giving away what we were told was our ballroom hold just before we could sign the contract, leaving us in a panic to find a replacement. I'll try to be as factual as possible and give recommendations for how to avoid a similar situation, because there are certain weddings here that could actually be good.We put in our request in December 2018 for a wedding in August 2020, knowing that we couldn't sign the contract until November 2019. We were told that for the weekend we wanted, there was a conference who had a hold on 1/3 of the main ballroom but that we could have the other 2/3 including the adjacent outdoor area. We were also told over email that \"they won't be in session during your wedding\" and that we were \"first in line over all other groups\". In our in-person tour we were told that weddings had a right of first refusal over conferences.Between Dec 2018 and Aug 2019 we continued to be in contact with our original and new sales manager, confirming all details and asking for assurance that we still had a hold on what we expected. We told the new manager that we were planning to send save-the-dates (a risk before signing the contract) and asked for one final confirmation, which we got.As karma goes, 5 days after we sent the save-the-dates the sales manager told us that the ballroom was no longer available. On the phone he said that there had been a clerical error and that the conference actually had the whole ballroom reserved the whole time, but then in follow up emails said different things - that conferences had the right of first refusal, that even though they only had 1/3 of the ballroom that they \"simply cannot have a reception going on during this conference's meetings\ Reviewed on 21-09-2019
Whitney McMillan(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-06-2019 While we ran into some hiccups along the way, we could not have been happier with the way our wedding turned out at Granlibakken. Like others, we went through three separate on-site coordinators during the year or so of our planning. That led to challenges, but we were lucky enough to have a fantastic off-site coordinator (Stephanie Morris) who really dealt with the challenges of that in large part. There was an issue at one point with a misquote in cost, but Granlibakken made multiple concessions to make it right, and in the end, I feel completely satisfied with our experience. The current on-site coordinator, Freddy, is fantastic. While I only had the opportunity to meet him in passing (as he transitioned into the role only about one month before our wedding), I understand from our planner that he was great to work with and our communication with him via email was always great. He is timely in his responses and seems to really care about what he does (and is good at it). Hopefully he will stick around! The execution day-of was honestly flawless. We received so many compliments about how quickly and stealthily the Big Pine Lawn was turned over for dinner during cocktail hour, the bartenders were fantastic, food was amazing, etc., etc. The space is also really beautiful. I think honestly some of the photos they have on their site don’t do it justice and show its complete potential. It was important to us that our friends and family be able to stay on site somewhere with us so that we could really spend good quality time with everyone over the course of our wedding weekend, and Granlibakken gave us exactly that situation. We enjoyed using the Big Pine Lodge as a general gathering/hanging out space, and it was so amazing to have everything for our wedding ceremony and reception in the same place. If you are looking for a venue with on-site accommodations, a chill vibe, natural beauty, and a relatively low site fee, definitely check out Granlibakken. Note: I left 4 stars for responsiveness because of our overall experience in communication, particularly with turnover in on-site coordinators and just a couple of other minor things. Freddy, the current coordinator was always great with communication. I would recommend hiring your own planner just to help with the process and in case there is turnover during your planning. I think that really goes for any site, not just Granlibakken. Hopefully Freddy stays, but you will not regret having the help of a coordinator who is \"attached\" to you and not a site. Reviewed on 11-06-2019
Tara Weida(bride)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 24-08-2019 To be clear, we did not hire this vendor. Thankfully, the tour alone gave us enough of a taste that it would not be a good experience. We had been communicating with the vendor about traveling from out of state in November to look at venues. Upon arrival we wanted to better understand availability of the date in October that we had discussed via email and when booking a date would be required. The response; for October dates you cannot book until April, 6 months out. Even though the vendor knew 100% of 200 guest list would be coming from out of town ... that just wasn't enough notice. The point of contact went on to say that if a conference wants that date before you book it, they take priority. Well that was concerning.We proceeded with the tour starting with the ballroom, but there was a conference in each of the 3 sections, which was never communicated prior to our arrival that we would not be able to see part of the venue. The next part of the venue, the Big Pine Lodge, was also booked so we could not see that either. Again, it was emphasized to us that conferences always take priority.This places wants ~$35k for their venue and catering, plus they require that you book 20% of your guests in their lodge. And this the type of service you get. A complete waste of our time even going, very disappointed.Awards Reviewed on 20-11-2018
suzanna Whiteside(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-06-2018 * the food was amazing - we especially loved the prime rib and mac and cheese - crowd favorites* big pine lodge lawn is very beautiful and the shade rolled in just in time for our 3:30 ceremony so our guests didn't melt in the sun.* the big pine lodge was so convenient to have for the full weekend - we were able to have folks over the night before the wedding as well as for a wedding after party after the caterers and dj were gone.* we loved having our guests stay in the granlibakken and the wedding party in the lodge with us* meaghen was a pleasure to work with and was able to handle all sorts of requests like using our own custom cups and borrowing some easels. Reviewed on 30-09-2018
Kayla Griffith(bride)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 22-09-2018 If I could give them zero stars I would. We did NOT have our wedding here, the wedding tour appointment was enough to make us STAY CLEAR.First off.... If you notice, most reviews of this venue are outdated, they must've had a change in staff because their current wedding coordinator Megan made my fiance and I cringe with her lack of care as we toured the site. She was rude when we asked questions, had zero customer service skills and could've cared less if we picked the venue!! She stomped ahead of us as we walked the hotel grounds and barely said goodbye as we left. We couldn't even imagine how someone would spend upwards for $20,000 with that kind of service. Second, on top of the HORRIBLE customer service, the place stunk like an outhouse. It was dark, grungy, and dirty. The indoor part of the lodge where people host their reception (since the noise ordinance is 9 pm ?) literally had RAT POOP on the carpeted ground when we walked inside! Once again, Megan barely acknowledged it nor apologized for the disgusting display. We were truly appalled. Maybe we had a \"fluke\" experience here, or maybe their wedding facility and staff have gone downhill, but either way, we were extremely disappointed that we drove 3 hours for this appointment because Granlibakken came as a recommondation to us. I hope this helps others not waste their time. Reviewed on 05-09-2017
Lauren Goodell(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-10-2016 Everyone who attended our wedding LOVED Granlibakken! The resort is beautiful, the food is beyond delicious and their team of event staff are wonderful to work with. Our guests continue to rave about the location and the food! Our family and friends had a great time cruising Tahoe City and playing on the tree top course prior to our wedding. Annie was our wedding coordinator and she went above and beyond to make sure our wedding (and the entire weekend really) was perfect. We ended up having to move our reception in doors at the last minute due to weather and Annie and her staff made us feel so comfortable we weren't worried about the change at all. I highly recommend this magical place for any group experience or getaway. Reviewed on 14-07-2017
Carrie Phillips(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 18-08-2012 It is an absolutely beautiful place. The staff at the Granlibakken were amazing. They went above and beyond. They were always available, and incredibly helpful. The food and service were outstanding. I highly recommend them. They helped make our wedding everything we had dreamed of. Reviewed on 04-09-2012
Ashley Kamann(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-07-2012 The granlibakken staff went above and beyond to make sure our wedding experience was perfect. They were fantastic! Reviewed on 08-08-2012
Leah Plaugher(bride)3 out of 5 Rating
The event turned out beautifully! Due to a large part of the wedding coordinator that I hired outside of the facility. The ceremony site is gorgeous but the prices are a bit high. Everyone raved about the food though. There were a few issues that make the rating go down such as problems with the staff and their coordination but all in all it was everything a little girl who knows that nothing is going to go perfectly would dream of. Reviewed on 28-11-2011
Nicki Nichols(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-07-2011 Granlibakken catering was amazing! We were on the Executive Lodge Lawn and selected the buffet option (not really an option ... you had to have a buffet at this location, but it was still what we wanted). There was so much food and it was all gourmet style and so delicious. We have had about 8 different guests tell us that this was the best food and service they have ever had at a wedding. Reviewed on 16-08-2011
Rhonda Bartizal(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-08-2007 I loved how beautiful it all turned out Reviewed on 10-05-2010