It’s hard to imagine anything more fun than a drop-dead gorgeous wedding held in a beautiful camp setting, unless of course that drop-dead gorgeous wedding is followed up by a beachside BBQ and lawn games, something as crazy cool as this awesome day from A Simple Photograph. With its laid-back vibe, beautiful bride and groom and breathtaking ceremony setting, it’s the epitome of all things rustic chic with its fair share of happiness dotting every last second of pretty. See so much more in the full gallery.
And a sweeter than sweet film from Honey & Dear to really kick off the work week. Happy Monday, lovelies. xo
From the Bride and Groom… We decided to have the wedding at Lutherlyn Camp because it’s very close to Robin’s cottage. Robin’s parents got married at the cottage 30+ years ago and it has always been the focal point of her family’s values: love, togetherness, and nature. Unfortunately, it’s not set up to be able to host 95 people for a whole weekend. The Camp is just up the road and has a beautiful outdoor chapel built into the hillside of a pine grove. From the grove, it’s only a short walk down to the water’s edge and the lake. Thus was born the motto of our wedding, “In the heart of the woods, at the edge of the lake”. This phrase also captures the most essential aspects of where Dave and I formed our relationship and find our strength: we are both ardent paddlers and have spent most of our free time over the last few years doing paddling trips in and around Algonquin Park. “In the heart of the woods” while portaging, Dave and I learned the keys to cooperation, mutual support, and teamwork. “At the edge of the lake”, we camped, reveled in the beauty of nature, and learned to relax in one another’s company without seeing another human being for days.
The reception for the wedding was held at The Sands, just on the other side of the lake. Robin and I had both been there several times in the past – a couple of times for New Year’s Eve and, more importantly, it was often their beds and food that were the first taste of civilization on our way back from a trip across Algonquin Park. We knew they would be able to host a great party and we were not disappointed!
The day turned out amazingly. Since we planned an outdoor ceremony followed by a BBQ and afternoon on the beach for our guests, we were very much at the mercy of the weather. In the end Mother Nature cooperated and we had a beautiful day. Even the bugs stayed clear of the ceremony site – although that may have been in part due to all the Off! lanterns and clip-on’s we had bought. It was a bit windy, which made our first paddle as husband and wife a little more bumpy than we had planned, but nobody went overboard!
After the ceremony, while we went for photos, our guests enjoyed a BBQ lunch on the beach. When we returned from photos, it was time for beach games! Many of the games were inspired from Ellen Degeneres’ tv show and included blindfolded musical chairs with beach balls, a game where participants were tethered together with a bungee cord and had to run in opposite directions to eat marshmallows, as well as many others. We even turned the bouquet and garter toss into a version of a competitive lifesaving event called beach flags (if you youtube it, all will become clear). Everyone agreed it was a great way to spend the afternoon and it gave us extra time to visit with family and friends that we don’t get to see very often.
The reception was held in the evening inside at The Sands and our wedding party gave tremendous toasts that we will cherish for years to come. The food was delicious, the dance party absurd, and the sunset unforgettable. All in all, it was the perfect day and everything we could have asked for.
Having planned much of the wedding ourselves, we were so grateful to have Erin from A Simple Photograph and Andrew + Emily from Honey and Dear there to help us through the day and allow us to relive the joy, the love, and the memories for years to come. It meant so much to us to know that these professionals were on hand to record all the important details so that we could just relax, drink in the day, and let it unfold.
[dotted]
Photography: A Simple Photograph | Cinematography: Honey & Dear | Ceremony Venue: Lutherlyn Camp & Conference Centre, Eganville, Ontario | Reception Venue: The Sands on Golden Lake | Floral Design: Killaloe Flowers’n Gifts, Killaloe, Ontario | Centerpieces: Bride’s Mother | Invitations: Three Eggs Design | Wedding Dress: Bliss Bridal | Bride’s Shoes: Tieks | Groom’s Attire: Le Chateau | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal | Music: PM Event Services