I can’t imagine a more fun wedding than this one. Held at the very same summer camp that they met and fell in love with years ago, this adorable couple hosted a picture perfect DIY wedding over Labor Day weekend. Their guests camped out in bunks, did tons of fun camp activities like frisbee golf and swimming while beIMAGED Photography captured all the hand crafted goodness. Click here for even more!
Don’t miss their fab film from beIMAGED Photography:
From the Bride… It was always a clear choice for us to hold our wedding at the summer camp where we met as kids and eventually fell in love. Our experiences at our camp helped to shape the people we are today, and we wanted our family and friends to be as moved by its positive environment as we always were. The love and joy in the air during the entire weekend was a feeling that our guests are still talking about and we will always cherish. One of my friends even calls it “Magic Camp.” It was indeed a magical weekend that exceeded any expectations we had. We held the wedding on Labor Day weekend so that it would be easier for guests to stay for two nights. Some of us went up to camp on Thursday and Friday to set up, and all the guests arrived on Saturday. Most people stayed in the bunks of camp, which was so much fun! During the day, we held camp activities, including softball, ultimate Frisbee, arts and crafts, yoga, Frisbee-golf, wiffle ball and swimming in the lake. On Saturday night, in a nod to my old and much beloved city, New Orleans, we held a New Orleans dance and costume party. Guests were encouraged to wear wigs and dress up in funky costumes. We danced and danced, had a bonfire with s’mores, and my father surprised us by dressing up as The Blues Brothers with two of his good buddies and performing a dance! It was an awesome party and gave all our guests a chance to know each other even better before the wedding day.
My favorite memory of the weekend was the ceremony. My father became ordained to marry us. Dan and I decided to walk down the aisle together, and this was a moment I will remember forever. As we walked down the hill, with the sparkling lake and our family facing and welcoming us, I was so grateful to have Dan by my side. We were walking into our future together, arm in arm, supporting each other. As we walked into the crowd of our family and friends, there was a flood of love and support in the air. The positivity was overwhelming and tangible. I have never felt such joy, excitement and love as I did in that moment.
We made all of the decorations on our own. Although this became a tremendous amount of work, everything looked so beautiful, unique and personal in the end. Everyone commented on all the little details and how they were such reflections of us. I would not have been able to do this without the help of my sister, mother and friends! Everyone would come over for cocktails and snacks to make bunting, pom-poms, table cards, cut and fold programs, and wrap bottles and vases. Our friends and family were also an integral part of the set-up during the wedding weekend and helped enormously. We are so lucky for the wonderful people in our lives!My sister’s mother-in-law is amazingly talented with flowers, and she helped us with all the florals and decorations. We went to the flower markets in NYC one day and we talked about what I liked. Then she put together the most beautiful bouquets and worked on the flowers on Friday with the help of family and friends.
Planning a wedding, especially in a venue that does not usually hold weddings, is a huge undertaking. Sometimes it was easy to lose sight of what all the work was for. For any bride reading this, I want you to know that you are not alone! I never realized how stressful it would be to plan a wedding, and how all the details could make you crazy. A lot of people didn’t understand why I was making so much bunting or collecting so many bottles, but when my vision came to fruition, everyone finally understood. When the weekend began, I decided that we were done making decisions and stressing about the small details. It was now our job to simply enjoy the fruits of our labor and relish the love and sense of togetherness in the air And that is exactly what we did. It was the best weekend of our lives, and in the end, Dan and I had each other and all our loved ones around us, so nothing could really go wrong.
Wedding Photography + Cinematography: beIMAGED Photography / Wedding Venue: Camp Kinderland in Tolland, Massachusetts / Floral Design: The Bride’s Sister’s Mother-in-Law / Catering: Apogee Catering / Wedding Invitations: A Friend of the Bride / Paper for Bunting, Invitations, Place Cards, Etc: Paper Source + Paper Presentation / Decorations: DIY by the Bride + Friends / Ring Box: Lazy Lightning Art / Wedding Dress: Watters via Lovely Bridal Shop NYC / Bride’s Shawl: Ivy & Aster via Lovely Bridal Shop NYC / Hair + Makeup: Bellucci’s Hair Salon / Groom’s Suit: Michael Andrews Bespoke